This song IS simple, but it does have meaning. Just read the words and she lays it out. She says her heart is going to tell the story because her heart understands itself best. And the story goes, she came upon an urgent decision to make between a big black horse and a cherry tree. I agree that the horse stands for danger and love, and the cherry tree is practicality. It may have even literally been a lover who asked her to marry him. She chooses to be practical and soon after the decision, her heart started to ache, and she had to turn off her emotions (stopped it dead for a beat or two). But she cut the cord between her heart and the person she loves, can't get over it and regrets it. So, as she reviews this decision, she knows her heart wanted to stay with love, and realizes she has a whole in her body because her heart is not hers. And the world sees it through this song. Then, her heart says to her she is "not the one for me." In other words, her heart doesn't want to stay with her because she made the wrong decision. It's a decision that becomes a battle between her mind and her heart... and her heart chooses to ditch her (my heart's forsaken me) but the decision was made and she can't get back to the horse and the cherry tree again, but she is trying for her heart's sake. Moral: always follow your heart when it comes to love, cause your heart knows itself best.
@Leonessa
I do think this song is definitely about choices and there is a lot of good stuff in this interp. But I don't think there is anything in this song that shows that she's choosing between the horse and the tree. If that were so, why does she say "So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere, With a big black horse and a cherry tree". In other words, she sends her heart back to the horse AND the tree.
@Leonessa
I do think this song is definitely about choices and there is a lot of good stuff in this interp. But I don't think there is anything in this song that shows that she's choosing between the horse and the tree. If that were so, why does she say "So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere, With a big black horse and a cherry tree". In other words, she sends her heart back to the horse AND the tree.
Going through the lyrics step by step:
Going through the lyrics step by step:
She is going to let her...
She is going to let her heart tell this story: "Well, my heart knows me better than I know myself. So I'm gonna let it do all the talking"
Going along the road of life, she stumbles onto a guy by pure chance: "I came across a place in the middle of nowhere"
She sees an attractive guy who is adventurous/dangerous: Big black horse
But she also sees a sweet, beautiful nature under his rougher exterior: A cherry tree
Or, better yet, the tree could be the lifestyle he can offer her - a life that's sweet and secure because its full of true love, but at the same time it's NOT secure because there isn't a lot of money or status (I think this because there is only one tree. If there was an orchard of cherry trees then I would think he'd have money).
This also explains her fear. She likes this guy but he's poor, and she's afraid of being poor, so she doesn't want to stay with him: "I fell in fear upon my back I said don't look back, just keep on walking"
But he really loves her too and asks her to marry him: "When the big black horse that looked this way. Said, hey lady, will you marry me?"
She refuses, choosing to be practical. Love won't pay your bills afterall. "You're not the one for me"
I think for a while, she had a nagging feeling to go back to him, and her heart tried to tell her she made the wrong choice. I think at this point she has the opportunity to return to him: "And my heart had a problem in the early hours. So it stopped it dead for a beat or two"
But after a while she totally cuts ties from him. Probably thinking it will help remove her ache "But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that"
But it doesn't help at all. And now she regrets it. Her heart won't forget him. She can't move on: "And it won't forgive me after all these years."
Since she can't move on, she practically lives time in the past. Her heart constantly remissness of those days: "So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere. With a big black horse and a cherry tree"
The only man her heart will love is that one. She can't get over him, so there is no other romantic interest for her: "Now it won't come back"
And her heart is happiest when thinking back on those days "'cause it's oh-so-happy"
It's plain as day to everyone she made the wrong choice in leaving him: "And now I've got a hole for the world to see"
She can't go backwards in time, so the chance is gone. She would like to follow her heart at this point, but it can't be undone. She's left totally, utterly empty and alone, without a man or a heart that can love: "Big black horse and a cherry tree. I can't quite get there 'cause they've all forsaken me"
Yes. A very simple story. A very catchy song and fun to listen to. But at the same time, she's kind of pathetic. Get over it, chicky. No regrets.
This song IS simple, but it does have meaning. Just read the words and she lays it out. She says her heart is going to tell the story because her heart understands itself best. And the story goes, she came upon an urgent decision to make between a big black horse and a cherry tree. I agree that the horse stands for danger and love, and the cherry tree is practicality. It may have even literally been a lover who asked her to marry him. She chooses to be practical and soon after the decision, her heart started to ache, and she had to turn off her emotions (stopped it dead for a beat or two). But she cut the cord between her heart and the person she loves, can't get over it and regrets it. So, as she reviews this decision, she knows her heart wanted to stay with love, and realizes she has a whole in her body because her heart is not hers. And the world sees it through this song. Then, her heart says to her she is "not the one for me." In other words, her heart doesn't want to stay with her because she made the wrong decision. It's a decision that becomes a battle between her mind and her heart... and her heart chooses to ditch her (my heart's forsaken me) but the decision was made and she can't get back to the horse and the cherry tree again, but she is trying for her heart's sake. Moral: always follow your heart when it comes to love, cause your heart knows itself best.
@Leonessa I do think this song is definitely about choices and there is a lot of good stuff in this interp. But I don't think there is anything in this song that shows that she's choosing between the horse and the tree. If that were so, why does she say "So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere, With a big black horse and a cherry tree". In other words, she sends her heart back to the horse AND the tree.
@Leonessa I do think this song is definitely about choices and there is a lot of good stuff in this interp. But I don't think there is anything in this song that shows that she's choosing between the horse and the tree. If that were so, why does she say "So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere, With a big black horse and a cherry tree". In other words, she sends her heart back to the horse AND the tree.
Going through the lyrics step by step:
Going through the lyrics step by step:
She is going to let her...
She is going to let her heart tell this story: "Well, my heart knows me better than I know myself. So I'm gonna let it do all the talking" Going along the road of life, she stumbles onto a guy by pure chance: "I came across a place in the middle of nowhere" She sees an attractive guy who is adventurous/dangerous: Big black horse But she also sees a sweet, beautiful nature under his rougher exterior: A cherry tree Or, better yet, the tree could be the lifestyle he can offer her - a life that's sweet and secure because its full of true love, but at the same time it's NOT secure because there isn't a lot of money or status (I think this because there is only one tree. If there was an orchard of cherry trees then I would think he'd have money). This also explains her fear. She likes this guy but he's poor, and she's afraid of being poor, so she doesn't want to stay with him: "I fell in fear upon my back I said don't look back, just keep on walking" But he really loves her too and asks her to marry him: "When the big black horse that looked this way. Said, hey lady, will you marry me?" She refuses, choosing to be practical. Love won't pay your bills afterall. "You're not the one for me" I think for a while, she had a nagging feeling to go back to him, and her heart tried to tell her she made the wrong choice. I think at this point she has the opportunity to return to him: "And my heart had a problem in the early hours. So it stopped it dead for a beat or two" But after a while she totally cuts ties from him. Probably thinking it will help remove her ache "But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that" But it doesn't help at all. And now she regrets it. Her heart won't forget him. She can't move on: "And it won't forgive me after all these years." Since she can't move on, she practically lives time in the past. Her heart constantly remissness of those days: "So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere. With a big black horse and a cherry tree" The only man her heart will love is that one. She can't get over him, so there is no other romantic interest for her: "Now it won't come back" And her heart is happiest when thinking back on those days "'cause it's oh-so-happy" It's plain as day to everyone she made the wrong choice in leaving him: "And now I've got a hole for the world to see" She can't go backwards in time, so the chance is gone. She would like to follow her heart at this point, but it can't be undone. She's left totally, utterly empty and alone, without a man or a heart that can love: "Big black horse and a cherry tree. I can't quite get there 'cause they've all forsaken me"
Yes. A very simple story. A very catchy song and fun to listen to. But at the same time, she's kind of pathetic. Get over it, chicky. No regrets.