It’s no coincidence that everything in the song is cold - “frost”, “blizzard” - but the horse is called “Wildfire”.
Allmusic’s bio on Murphy says he’d heard stories, as a boy, of a “ghost horse” rescuing people in the desert. While the song may involve the singer dying also, it’s possible he “knows” he’ll be rescued - by the girl on Wildfire. Even the Hoot Owl symbolism doesn’t rule this out - he knows it means certain death, but do people stranded “in the desert” not also expect “certain death”?
I say either explanation works, whichever you like better.
It’s no coincidence that everything in the song is cold - “frost”, “blizzard” - but the horse is called “Wildfire”.
Allmusic’s bio on Murphy says he’d heard stories, as a boy, of a “ghost horse” rescuing people in the desert. While the song may involve the singer dying also, it’s possible he “knows” he’ll be rescued - by the girl on Wildfire. Even the Hoot Owl symbolism doesn’t rule this out - he knows it means certain death, but do people stranded “in the desert” not also expect “certain death”?
I say either explanation works, whichever you like better.