Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: grindcore
Song Meaning of “Horse of War” by Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair
“Horse of War” speaks to the grueling physical and emotional toll that the world’s conflicts take on those caught in the middle of them. The opening lyrics point to the innocence of childhood that is destroyed by conflict, when “Sweeter dreams [and] childhood innocence / [are] taken away.” The protagonist of the song sets off to war, a fittingly metaphorized as a horse of war, and is now feeling “lonely and cold.” The lyrics illustrate the hopeless feeling of “drift[ing] in and out of our days,” as the protagonist is left to lament the compromises of war that have taken away so much.
The chorus offers a poignantly stark message for those affected by war: “So gone and so cold / A life so unexposed / A warrior on the rise / No one knows just how it goes.” The message is to keep going, rise up in spite of the losses, and find purpose in the midst of darkness and despair. But though it offers hope, it’s also a reminder of the many thousands of people, all with stories of hope and loss, unseen by the world.
The song is ultimately an ode to the resilience of the human spirit and a call for peace in the face of endless war. With the chorus’ reminder to “Rise above our dead,” the message of the song is that peace comes not from our wars, but from our courage and perseverance in times of despair.