The writer stated "Writer Dewey Bunnell also says he remembered his childhood travels through the Arizona and New Mexico desert when his family lived at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Bunnell has explained that "A Horse with No Name" was "a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place".
Hi! I’ve been watching you! I am a 62 year old white woman! I love watching you listen for the first time videos! I sit and answer some of your questions! Anyway, we had done great music, didn’t we.
@@bkm2797What's your point? what are you a color police? it's no body business if she mention her color skin surtainly it's none of your business! Comprende!
The late 60s and the early-mid 70s was great for experimenting with new kinds of music. They used all kinds of instruments, sounds, themes, and looks. When I was a kid, I had a love/hate relationship with 60s/70s music. A lot of that time period of music was kinda dark or sad... Some was kinda cheesy! But you've got to admit, it was so unique, too. Now, I reminisce about the sounds. I remember these songs playing on my parents' AM radio in the car on road trips to Galveston or Oklahoma to visit grandparents.
I was a born in 66. So in the 70’s I was still young but was an old young lady. That time was all about experiencing and exploring. Learning about who we were and who we wanted to become. Looking back on those memories always makes me smile and wish for more of those times.
Funny , but true story. I was 14 years old and I had to have spinal surgery. They put me under with this song on the tape deck. I dreamed the entire story and woke up with a different perspective on life. It got me through some very rough times.
The members of the group America were sons of parents in the US Air Force. That’s how they met. I’m a 68 y/o woman who grew up listening to America. I still love their music. It takes me back to good memories. Ventura Highway is another great song. Also, Sister Golden Hair Surprise. However, all their songs are good. Enjoy your reactions.
@@TheDivayenta Prior to sampling it, Janet stole the opening of their song, "Daisy Jane", for one of her other songs, and got sued, paying a big settlement out of court.
@@stuBdoc Yes, agreed, I've done that, too. Although, there's no such road called, Ventura Highway. Dewey was referring to the Pacific Coast Highway, but that didn't exactly roll off the tongue, so he changed it the fictional road name.
B.P., This is NOT "drug music" nor is it cryptic. He is making himself, very, clear within the lyrics of the song. His is appreciating the beauty, peace, and serenity of nature while, freely, riding on a horse. The name of the horse DOES NOT MATTER. The horse represents freedom. For a little while, he is getting away from all troubles and problems and everyone calling his name about said problems and troubles. Throughout his journey, he is remembering who he is and what he is all about.
Actually, the writer Dewey Bunnel explained that "a Horse with No name was a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, beautiful place".
It might not be "drug" music, however, it is known that the writer was on a substantial amount of psychadelic mushrooms when writing this song. He tried to proofread it when he had come back down from the high, and thats where he connected this surreal experience to his own life.
America was formed by three teenagers whose parents were stationed in England with the US military. These three met in high school and bonded through their love of music. They chose the name America and "Horse With No Name" was their first, and most successful, hit off of their first album, in late 1971 and early '72 in the US. They're considered a folk/rock group. And BP you're right. Dewey Bunnell, who wrote this song, based it upon his childhood memories of family vacations driving through Arizona and New Mexico. Their musicianship, harmonies, and creative song writing made them a favorite right away. Their catalog of albums is massive and you definitely need to check out their many subsequent hits. They're military "brats" just like you, BP. I continue to appreciate your reactions.
America has a great catalog from the 70's & 80's. Writer Dewey Bunnell has explained that "A Horse with No Name" was "a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place".
This band has some the most recognizable and best first lines to songs that I can think of. Sister Golden Hair starts with, "Well I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed, that I set my sights on Monday and got myself undressed.' What a powerfully visual line to start a song.
I was born in the 60's, I'm from a Reservation in the western part of this U.S. I'm Native American. Growing up we lived on a ranch, and for fun my cousins would go out, within a 100 mi. radius, and find 'mustangs'🐴roaming free on BLM lands. They'd find 'em, rope 'em, and brake 'em! I remember them smiling from ear to ear riding their 🐎 mustangs!!! We were 8-13 yrs!!! Yeah this doesn't happen anymore 😓😥.
“If you name me, you negate me. By giving me a name, a label, you negate all the other things I could possibly be.” Søren Kierkegaard - Danish philosopher
Perhaps that's the reason why some groups of people insist on *labeling* other people. :) To me, there *are* no sides. There's only the Common Good for All. When we label each other we negate all the other things that we, as free people, could possibly know or need or have experienced or have managed to learn during *our* lives. Perspective and personal experience negate labels.
Horse pucky! Going through life as "Hey You!" is no way to live. Besides, you can think of yourself as Julius Caesar all you want, but to other people you're just the stinky guy on the corner.
Unfortunately BP's interpretation is incorrect and this song is about being in the desert where it's quiet enough to remember your name because there's no one around to bother you and you can think clearly.
I am a white 70 year old woman and I love your Channel and you. I wait for my husband to go to bed, and I spend some time watching your channel - thanks for being you!
Drugs or no drugs, it sounds like a description of a vision quest. Many indigenous cultures practice such vision quests for personal enlightenment, focus and growth.
For me, this song is a positive take on isolation. The desert is often associated with death, but in this story, it gives him life. "It feels good to get out of the rain" signifies leaving worries and problems behind. "You don't remember your name because there's no on to give you pain" is a really powerful line because it shows that the people in his life that know him by name (friends and family) bring him only pain. They are not adding value and positivity to his life, so he is CHOOSING to escape to the dessert to start anew on his own. It's rough and he goes through hard times, but in the end, the dessert turns to sea. To me, this means that he was successful in creating new life for himself, despite being on his own and having everything against him. That what the song means to me.
You misquoted the same line he miss interpreted. The line is "In the desert you CAN remember your name, cuz there ain't no one for to give you no pain." Meaning you can think because there isn't people yammering in your ears to the point where you can't even remember your name anymore like it is in the city.
I used to work at KKFM and we had them come out and do a concert at the baseball stadium here. They were absolutely the nicest guys. So talented and humble.
I had a student that didn’t like driving in the desert. She thought it was an ugly place that there was no beauty there. When I hear a horse with no name, I hear a reminder that you can find beauty and wonder anywhere you just have to be willing to see it! Letting nature free you of all your stresses.
this song was life changing for me when it came out. Bullied every goddam day, wanting to die, the song told me there was a place i could go to be alone with nature and away from the world, no one there for to give me no pain. I did eventually kind of live in a desert, but it was really high country plains, still isolated tho. The imagery still has a hold on me and I still live a somewhat isolated life, and I do have horses although they all have names! America is very poetic and instrumental...really an awesome band
From Southern Arizona here. 90% of our rivers are dry except for during the Monsoon season. If you see rain, Stay out of them. They can become rivers in minutes. Awsome song too.
This was a monster FM hit in the 1970's...heard this my entire life in the 70's . I was 10 in 1970 so my entire teenage life was in the greatest decade of all time!!! The 70's
I had a horse when I was younger and didn't give it a name because of this song just called him "Horse" I feel so free when I rode him without a name and had this tune in my head 😀
Neil Diamond defined it describing Holly Holy. It is a Stream of consciousness song, you don't try to decipher the lyrics but let the music evoke your feelings..
And some songs are not that complicated and don't need interpretation like this one. It's just a guy riding on a horse in the desert to get out of the city and the rain and the troubles. To have some peace and quiet so that he can remember his name and do some thinking. It's really that simple.
It is very strange how when I was growing up parents were always like “but what does it mean?” and we never really thought too much about lyrics. Now my children are always more so really interested in the lyrics rather than just vibing to the music like we did.
Dewey Bunnell, the songwriter for America's song "A Horse with No Name", has said that the song is a metaphor for escaping life's confusion and finding peace and quiet.”
Lots of people went down the Horse=Heroin path, but that's not correct. Here is MY analysis of the meaning of the song: The song is about finding yourself and introspective thoughts without the distractions of that rat race of modern society and the many people effecting you. Desert is the lack of most things, not just water. The desert of sand and rocks and things (the common image we have of a desert) is an analogy for being away from most things in a isolated simple environment with few objects. As the song progresses he ventures farther and farther into isolation where the few things keep dropping out of sight. The horse has no name because it is just a mode of transportation to greater and greater isolation, and not being a companion on his journey. He eventually lets the horse go free because he does not need it to take him further - he goes on to deeper isolation with fewer and fewer things by himself. He's been to the desert, so he's no longer there. He freed himself of all the crap that was making his life miserable and hectic, and is now on a more peaceful and calm path in life. It's a good idea to take a vacation that is not busy with many events, clubs & partying, or rushing to see site after site. Rather, take a trip to get away from the hectic events and demands of your normal life and be able to take it slow, get out in nature, and think about your direction in life; and if you'd be better to change things.
I’m 73 and yes I agree,we were a generation of finding ourselves..many of us needed the journey into our lives to discover and heal our identity crisis from all the crap around us..As long as you return to yourself eventually or finally
I think you might be nit-picking the lyrics too much. Technically yes, it takes less than two days to get sunburned, and there are riverbeds in the desert(dry, 90% of the time). The songwriter is taking you on a metaphoric journey. I used to get away by 4 wheeling in the deserts of Ca. and Nv. The lyrics have deep meaning to me
This song made so much sense to me when I was living in the Mojave desert in California in 1976. The ocean is a desert with it's life under ground and the perfect disguise above
Im 75, and this band was one of my favorites. When this came out, there were some who said it was describing heroin effects because horse was a very common metaphor for heroin. I was living in Phoenix, so, I knew the imagery of the song.
This is one of those songs that somehow always comes on radio during a long road trip and you just crank max volume and before you know it you’re good for another hour at least…
One of my favorite bands since I was a little girl. They are the soundtrack of so many wonderful memories. I can't believe they're touring this year and I have tickets to see them. I'm so excited!!!!
Wiccan's love patchouli, they are an interesting group of folks. They like those essential oils, they live as the American Indians do at least mentally. Some folks call them witches because of their lifestyles and the potion making and spells. A Wiccan guideline "An it harm none, do what ye will”, serves as a fundamental moral guideline.
I've heard them being interviewed. They said some of their lyrics were put in only because they rhymed. I'm not sure if it was more than one song. So, good luck trying to figure it out
You're on it - The Horse of the song is the vehicle he is travelling on in his search to understand his life. It's also a bit about environmentalism. You didn't take it wrong. It really is that deep - and simple - as you were thinking. Love your reaction videos! When you said it sounds like a drug song, you're kind of right. A lot of people thought the "horse" stood for "heroin", but that is really just a jaded outlook. It was a sound of the 60's and 70's. That was how our music was then.
I live in Nevada, the Mojave Desert. Two days in the sun when it hits over 110 your skin is past red....No hogwash. As for America, don't over think it, just enjoy the music and the vibe, it is all they intended.
I've always loved this group. So many classic, unique songs. One of my favorites of theirs is "Sandman", The lyrics are snippets of conversation between Air Force pilots they overheard in a waiting room at an American Air Force Base in England.
I frequently talk to myself. It helps me figure stuff out. No drugs. I never understood anything America rambled on about but their music was very catchy
This song has been a running earworm in my head since the early 80s.. just watching this guarantees I wake up to this playing on the never-ending playlist in my head for at least a week. Love this song. ❤
Music can be interpreted in so many different ways, and this is one of the things I love about it. Sister Golden Hair should be the next song by them you play.
Im loving your journey through music. Its like being sat in the living room with your mates and them saying oooh you gotta listen to this amd flicking through the vinyl and then chatting about it. ❤
Always takes me back to 8th grade woodshop. As we worked on our projects the teacher would play music and this was one of the songs, we heard most days.
I am 53, and I have commented on a few of your reactions, I have been a fan and listener of all kinds of music from Classical to Rap, and what I look for in music to consider it amazing is music that makes you think and feel emotions, if it doesn't do that it is good music, but doesn't hit amazing. I enjoy watching your reactions and reliving some of my own memories while you are making new ones. Keep em coming.
This came out when I was 10 and listening to the radio was a huge part of my entertainment in life. This song is just sooooooo good!! The rhythm, the harmonies, the mood, the story... it all speaks to my soul. And there are so many meanings you can take out of the lyrics.
Well you got the trademark look on your face.....opened the eye's wide and show your smile. "I'm as old as dirt and had forgotten how some of these classics made me feel. " You "did" get it.
Always loved this song. ❤ I live in a world of philosophizing. It's therapeutic for the mind and soul. I appreciate cryptic lyrics too, especially when they paint a picture you can't readily understand. *Ventura Highway* is another chill "America" song.
Their best songs in my experience are the immortal classic “Ventura Highway,” the beautiful, dreamy “Tin Man,” and the rarely-played but haunting “Never Had the Time,” with gorgeous harmonies.
We had such great music to grow up with. Took it for granted thinking it would always be there but times change and so does music. Love their songs Daisy Jane, Sister Golden Hair, You Can Do Magic, Ventura Highway, Lonely People, Tin Man, I Need You & more. Love your reactions, thanks for sharing.
SO YEAH ROBERT, THIS WAS THEIR BIGGEST HIT BY FARRRR, AND WHAT A GREAT SONG WITH SOUNDS AND OF COURSE THOSE INSANE HARMONIES!!!💯😊OTHER GREATS OF THEIRS? VENTURA HIGHWAY, SISTER GOLDEN HAIR, SANDMAN 👍THERE'S JUST A FEW FOR YOU! ENJOYYYY THIS AWESOME SOFT ROCK CLASSIC BAND!
America was formed in England by sons of US servicemen who were stationed there. Lead singer Dewey Bunnell wrote "A Horse With No Name" when he was 19. Although the song is commonly misinterpreted about being on drugs, it is not: Bunnell based the images in the lyrics on things he saw while visiting the US. This was originally titled "Desert Song," since Bunnell wrote it based on the desert scenery he encountered when his dad was stationed at an Air Force base in Santa Barbara County, California. The song tells a rather abstruse tale about a trip though the desert. While the landscape is unforgiving, the singer also finds comfort in that scenario. According to Dewey Bunnell, the "horse" represents a means of entering a place of tranquility, and this tranquil place was best represented by the desert, which sounded pretty good to him while he was stuck in rainy England. As for why the horse had no name and why it went free after nine days, Bunnell doesn't have any answers - it seems the various listener interpretations are far more colorful than any meaning he assigned to it.
We all got extremely philosophical about the lyrics when this song came out. They were the subject of many discussions, one of my favorite songs of all time.
I am a 66 year old woman and I have to tell you, we grew up with the best music ever.
Tinman, Sister Golden Hair, You Can Do Magic, Ventura Highway, Lonely People,,,,,love America❤
Tinman and Lonely people are my favorites. ❤
Love all those songs
Daisy Jane, I Need You, actually that whole first album was fantastic.
@@dggydddy59 i need you is a good tune
Sister Golden Hair is a kickass song !!! 😊
The writer stated "Writer Dewey Bunnell also says he remembered his childhood travels through the Arizona and New Mexico desert when his family lived at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Bunnell has explained that "A Horse with No Name" was "a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place".
Hmmmmm
My Dad was stationed at White Sands in WW2.
very cool 😎
You said that better than I could.
on a side note... sometimes heroin was referred to as "horse" "H" or "smack" just sayin'
@@GTLyonsnot every song was about drugs.
Hi! I’ve been watching you! I am a 62 year old white woman! I love watching you listen for the first time videos! I sit and answer some of your questions! Anyway, we had done great music, didn’t we.
Hey girl, I'm a 64 year old white girl, don't you love how deep BP can be, shows some maturity, and yes we really had great music to grow up with!
@@bkm2797 wow you've got really good eyes, the picture is so small I can't tell, just being honest.
LOL 62yrs old here! I LOVE seeing these reactions!!!! ❤️ Yea, our music was the best!!??
@@bkm2797What's your point? what are you a color police? it's no body business if she mention her color skin surtainly it's none of your business! Comprende!
Just curious, why did you feel compelled to announce Your color when your picture pretty much makes that clear?
I cannot really describe it, but growing up, there was something beautiful but haunting about art in the 70's. Music, movies, television, and fashion.
Yes, a beautiful and exhilarating time to be in my 20's!
The late 60s and the early-mid 70s was great for experimenting with new kinds of music. They used all kinds of instruments, sounds, themes, and looks.
When I was a kid, I had a love/hate relationship with 60s/70s music. A lot of that time period of music was kinda dark or sad... Some was kinda cheesy! But you've got to admit, it was so unique, too. Now, I reminisce about the sounds. I remember these songs playing on my parents' AM radio in the car on road trips to Galveston or Oklahoma to visit grandparents.
Agreed ❤
I was a born in 66. So in the 70’s I was still young but was an old young lady. That time was all about experiencing and exploring. Learning about who we were and who we wanted to become. Looking back on those memories always makes me smile and wish for more of those times.
Check out Ventura Highway
Funny , but true story. I was 14 years old and I had to have spinal surgery. They put me under with this song on the tape deck. I dreamed the entire story and woke up with a different perspective on life. It got me through some very rough times.
The members of the group America were sons of parents in the US Air Force. That’s how they met. I’m a 68 y/o woman who grew up listening to America. I still love their music. It takes me back to good memories. Ventura Highway is another great song. Also, Sister Golden Hair Surprise. However, all their songs are good. Enjoy your reactions.
the song is a metaphor for escaping life's confusion and finding a peaceful place, and that he was inspired
Ventura Highway. One of the best feel-good songs
ever….a must hear. Great band. ❤
And sampled too,
By Janet Jackson.
@@TheDivayenta Prior to sampling it, Janet stole the opening of their song, "Daisy Jane", for one of her other songs, and got sued, paying a big settlement out of court.
I was driving through Ventura last winter and had to play it. Very nostalgic.
@@stuBdoc Yes, agreed, I've done that, too. Although, there's no such road called, Ventura Highway. Dewey was referring to the Pacific Coast Highway, but that didn't exactly roll off the tongue, so he changed it the fictional road name.
B.P.,
This is NOT "drug music" nor is it cryptic. He is making himself, very, clear within the lyrics of the song.
His is appreciating the beauty, peace, and serenity of nature while, freely, riding on a horse. The name of the horse DOES NOT MATTER. The horse represents freedom. For a little while, he is getting away from all troubles and problems and everyone calling his name about said problems and troubles. Throughout his journey, he is remembering who he is and what he is all about.
This.
He enjoyed writing surreal lyrics (so said he)... so it isn't all straight forward...
Actually, the writer Dewey Bunnel explained that "a Horse with No name was a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, beautiful place".
I've always thought he meant that after days turning red, he was connecting with the land...feeling native.
It might not be "drug" music, however, it is known that the writer was on a substantial amount of psychadelic mushrooms when writing this song. He tried to proofread it when he had come back down from the high, and thats where he connected this surreal experience to his own life.
America's greatest hits album is probably one of the most popular albums sold ever. Please consider every tune on that
Love it!
I have it
Exactly, so many extraordinary memories to that album from back in the 80's.
America was formed by three teenagers whose parents were stationed in England with the US military. These three met in high school and bonded through their love of music. They chose the name America and "Horse With No Name" was their first, and most successful, hit off of their first album, in late 1971 and early '72 in the US. They're considered a folk/rock group. And BP you're right. Dewey Bunnell, who wrote this song, based it upon his childhood memories of family vacations driving through Arizona and New Mexico. Their musicianship, harmonies, and creative song writing made them a favorite right away. Their catalog of albums is massive and you definitely need to check out their many subsequent hits. They're military "brats" just like you, BP. I continue to appreciate your reactions.
America has a great catalog from the 70's & 80's. Writer Dewey Bunnell has explained that "A Horse with No Name" was "a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place".
This band has some the most recognizable and best first lines to songs that I can think of. Sister Golden Hair starts with, "Well I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed, that I set my sights on Monday and got myself undressed.' What a powerfully visual line to start a song.
I always thought the lyrics were underrated
Flying me back to Memphis looking for my Daisy Jane
Great lyrics
@@badplay156ooh. Another one of my favs!!!
I was born in the 60's, I'm from a Reservation in the western part of this U.S. I'm Native American. Growing up we lived on a ranch, and for fun my cousins would go out, within a 100 mi. radius, and find 'mustangs'🐴roaming free on BLM lands. They'd find 'em, rope 'em, and brake 'em!
I remember them smiling from ear to ear riding their 🐎 mustangs!!! We were 8-13 yrs!!! Yeah this doesn't happen anymore 😓😥.
Wow, that's awesome. Thank you for sharing the memory.
“If you name me, you negate me. By giving me a name, a label, you negate all the other things I could possibly be.” Søren Kierkegaard - Danish philosopher
Perhaps that's the reason why some groups of people insist on *labeling* other people. :) To me, there *are* no sides. There's only the Common Good for All. When we label each other we negate all the other things that we, as free people, could possibly know or need or have experienced or have managed to learn during *our* lives. Perspective and personal experience negate labels.
...thanks Wayne. Sorry, I am also a big Mike Myers fan #WaynesWorld
Oh that's brilliant!
Horse pucky! Going through life as "Hey You!" is no way to live. Besides, you can think of yourself as Julius Caesar all you want, but to other people you're just the stinky guy on the corner.
Unfortunately BP's interpretation is incorrect and this song is about being in the desert where it's quiet enough to remember your name because there's no one around to bother you and you can think clearly.
Dude! You are reacting to all the songs on my “Favorites of all Time” list. 66 yrs old, and we had the best music of all time.
I'm 72. I AGREE COMPLETELY ❤
I'm also 66 and I agree with you.
Sister golden hair !
I am a white 70 year old woman and I love your Channel and you. I wait for my husband to go to bed, and I spend some time watching your channel - thanks for being you!
Drugs or no drugs, it sounds like a description of a vision quest. Many indigenous cultures practice such vision quests for personal enlightenment, focus and growth.
For me, this song is a positive take on isolation. The desert is often associated with death, but in this story, it gives him life. "It feels good to get out of the rain" signifies leaving worries and problems behind. "You don't remember your name because there's no on to give you pain" is a really powerful line because it shows that the people in his life that know him by name (friends and family) bring him only pain. They are not adding value and positivity to his life, so he is CHOOSING to escape to the dessert to start anew on his own.
It's rough and he goes through hard times, but in the end, the dessert turns to sea. To me, this means that he was successful in creating new life for himself, despite being on his own and having everything against him.
That what the song means to me.
You misquoted the same line he miss interpreted. The line is "In the desert you CAN remember your name, cuz there ain't no one for to give you no pain." Meaning you can think because there isn't people yammering in your ears to the point where you can't even remember your name anymore like it is in the city.
"Sister Golden Hair"is a good one too.
Don't think the songs of the 70's over, they're just what they are. Amazingly beautiful...
I used to work at KKFM and we had them come out and do a concert at the baseball stadium here. They were absolutely the nicest guys. So talented and humble.
I had a student that didn’t like driving in the desert. She thought it was an ugly place that there was no beauty there. When I hear a horse with no name, I hear a reminder that you can find beauty and wonder anywhere you just have to be willing to see it! Letting nature free you of all your stresses.
this song was life changing for me when it came out. Bullied every goddam day, wanting to die, the song told me there was a place i could go to be alone with nature and away from the world, no one there for to give me no pain. I did eventually kind of live in a desert, but it was really high country plains, still isolated tho. The imagery still has a hold on me and I still live a somewhat isolated life, and I do have horses although they all have names!
America is very poetic and instrumental...really an awesome band
@@SuperCommando60 💌🤗glad you're still with us all!
From Southern Arizona here. 90% of our rivers are dry except for during the Monsoon season. If you see rain, Stay out of them. They can become rivers in minutes. Awsome song too.
This was a monster FM hit in the 1970's...heard this my entire life in the 70's . I was 10 in 1970 so my entire teenage life was in the greatest decade of all time!!! The 70's
I had a horse when I was younger and didn't give it a name because of this song just called him "Horse" I feel so free when I rode him without a name and had this tune in my head 😀
Back then we didn’t always try to analyze the lyrics. We realized that it’s however you want to interpret it or it’s don’t even try to interpret it!
Neil Diamond defined it describing Holly Holy. It is a Stream of consciousness song, you don't try to decipher the lyrics but let the music evoke your feelings..
And some songs are not that complicated and don't need interpretation like this one. It's just a guy riding on a horse in the desert to get out of the city and the rain and the troubles. To have some peace and quiet so that he can remember his name and do some thinking. It's really that simple.
It is very strange how when I was growing up parents were always like “but what does it mean?” and we never really thought too much about lyrics. Now my children are always more so really interested in the lyrics rather than just vibing to the music like we did.
YES!!!!
We? Speak for yourself. I've always looked for deeper meanings in lyrics even 50 years ago. Those who don't swim in shallow waters.
Dewey Bunnell, the songwriter for America's song "A Horse with No Name", has said that the song is a metaphor for escaping life's confusion and finding peace and quiet.”
I heard it was for the duration of going through drug withdrawal! The addiction was 'the horse with no name' !
Lots of people went down the Horse=Heroin path, but that's not correct.
Here is MY analysis of the meaning of the song:
The song is about finding yourself and introspective thoughts without the distractions of that rat race of modern society and the many people effecting you. Desert is the lack of most things, not just water. The desert of sand and rocks and things (the common image we have of a desert) is an analogy for being away from most things in a isolated simple environment with few objects. As the song progresses he ventures farther and farther into isolation where the few things keep dropping out of sight.
The horse has no name because it is just a mode of transportation to greater and greater isolation, and not being a companion on his journey. He eventually lets the horse go free because he does not need it to take him further - he goes on to deeper isolation with fewer and fewer things by himself.
He's been to the desert, so he's no longer there. He freed himself of all the crap that was making his life miserable and hectic, and is now on a more peaceful and calm path in life.
It's a good idea to take a vacation that is not busy with many events, clubs & partying, or rushing to see site after site. Rather, take a trip to get away from the hectic events and demands of your normal life and be able to take it slow, get out in nature, and think about your direction in life; and if you'd be better to change things.
I’m 73 and yes I agree,we were a generation of finding ourselves..many of us needed the journey into our lives to discover and heal our identity crisis from all the crap around us..As long as you return to yourself eventually or finally
Being a teen, living in the west surrounded by the desert and the Sierras, AMERICA was just a crucial part of our musical DNA
It's indescribable. I still listen to this driving the highways. With it all layed out in front of me.
I think you might be nit-picking the lyrics too much. Technically yes, it takes less than two days to get sunburned, and there are riverbeds in the desert(dry, 90% of the time). The songwriter is taking you on a metaphoric journey. I used to get away by 4 wheeling in the deserts of Ca. and Nv. The lyrics have deep meaning to me
This song made so much sense to me when I was living in the Mojave desert in California in 1976. The ocean is a desert with it's life under ground and the perfect disguise above
I LOVE this song!!! ❤ Such a classic!!
These kinds of songs are missing in today's music. Memories.......❤❤
I think that Talent is missing in today's music. All computer mixed almost anybody can be a singer in this day and age.
He sounds MAD like Neil Young. You are totally correct
Im 75, and this band was one of my favorites. When this came out, there were some who said it was describing heroin effects because horse was a very common metaphor for heroin. I was living in Phoenix, so, I knew the imagery of the song.
I remember that too, I'm 69
That's what I was told it was about. Also in my 60s
@@traciemcdaniel3660but it's not true.
@@alisonflaxman1566 OK
Pausing at 7:37 ish.
I found this band through my parents. I was born 1978.
Something about them always spoke to me. ok, clicking play
My wife loves this song it's one of her favorites she wanted me to tell you. I love this song too. ❤
This is one of those songs that somehow always comes on radio during a long road trip and you just crank max volume and before you know it you’re good for another hour at least…
Sister Golden Hair Surprise
He would be thinking of his wife .
My fav!
@@laurarominger2073one of my all time favorites as well
AMERICA IS A GREAT BAND.
I LUV ALL THEIR MUSIC!!!!
THANK YOU FINALLY PIC'N THEM
DON'T STOP KEEP LEARNING ABOUT AMERICA 🎶 🎵
One of my favorite bands since I was a little girl. They are the soundtrack of so many wonderful memories. I can't believe they're touring this year and I have tickets to see them. I'm so excited!!!!
Wiccan's love patchouli, they are an interesting group of folks. They like those essential oils, they live as the American Indians do at least mentally. Some folks call them witches because of their lifestyles and the potion making and spells. A Wiccan guideline "An it harm none, do what ye will”, serves as a fundamental moral guideline.
I've heard them being interviewed. They said some of their lyrics were put in only because they rhymed. I'm not sure if it was more than one song. So, good luck trying to figure it out
You're on it - The Horse of the song is the vehicle he is travelling on in his search to understand his life. It's also a bit about environmentalism. You didn't take it wrong. It really is that deep - and simple - as you were thinking. Love your reaction videos! When you said it sounds like a drug song, you're kind of right. A lot of people thought the "horse" stood for "heroin", but that is really just a jaded outlook. It was a sound of the 60's and 70's. That was how our music was then.
Ventura Highway by America is one of my all time favorites.
I live in Nevada, the Mojave Desert. Two days in the sun when it hits over 110 your skin is past red....No hogwash. As for America, don't over think it, just enjoy the music and the vibe, it is all they intended.
Nice choice. Another of their songs is at the top of my all time favorites list, VENTURA HIGHWAY is a classic.
i saw America at Maryland University Cole Field House. Outstanding group that was short-lived. Their harmonies where insane.
I've always loved this group. So many classic, unique songs. One of my favorites of theirs is "Sandman", The lyrics are snippets of conversation between Air Force pilots they overheard in a waiting room at an American Air Force Base in England.
I frequently talk to myself. It helps me figure stuff out. No drugs. I never understood anything America rambled on about but their music was very catchy
I talk to myself all the time, it helps ….
This song has been a running earworm in my head since the early 80s.. just watching this guarantees I wake up to this playing on the never-ending playlist in my head for at least a week. Love this song. ❤
Music can be interpreted in so many different ways, and this is one of the things I love about it. Sister Golden Hair should be the next song by them you play.
My favorite song of all time. Has been since i was about six years old.
Their music always makes me feel happy. Don't know why and don't care. Anything that makes us happy is a positive force in the world.
Im loving your journey through music. Its like being sat in the living room with your mates and them saying oooh you gotta listen to this amd flicking through the vinyl and then chatting about it. ❤
Always takes me back to 8th grade woodshop. As we worked on our projects the teacher would play music and this was one of the songs, we heard most days.
This song is also on America's Greatest Hits, which I have on vinyl record. I grew up with this song, and album, still love to play it now and again.
America is a good rabbit hole to go down. Some of my all time favorite music ❤
I am 53, and I have commented on a few of your reactions, I have been a fan and listener of all kinds of music from Classical to Rap, and what I look for in music to consider it amazing is music that makes you think and feel emotions, if it doesn't do that it is good music, but doesn't hit amazing. I enjoy watching your reactions and reliving some of my own memories while you are making new ones. Keep em coming.
This came out when I was 10 and listening to the radio was a huge part of my entertainment in life. This song is just sooooooo good!! The rhythm, the harmonies, the mood, the story... it all speaks to my soul. And there are so many meanings you can take out of the lyrics.
Perplexed Black Pegasus? America has so many excellent tunes and you'll love them all!
America are one of the most relaxing bands around. You can put on their albums and just chill!💖
My favorite group in my teenage years I'm 64 and still listening to America!
Was one of my favorite lead singers in the 70's.
Well you got the trademark look on your face.....opened the eye's wide and show your smile. "I'm as old as dirt and had forgotten how some of these classics made me feel. " You "did" get it.
Always loved this song. ❤ I live in a world of philosophizing. It's therapeutic for the mind and soul. I appreciate cryptic lyrics too, especially when they paint a picture you can't readily understand. *Ventura Highway* is another chill "America" song.
Their best songs in my experience are the immortal classic “Ventura Highway,” the beautiful, dreamy “Tin Man,” and the rarely-played but haunting “Never Had the Time,” with gorgeous harmonies.
We had such great music to grow up with. Took it for granted thinking it would always be there but times change and so does music. Love their songs Daisy Jane, Sister Golden Hair, You Can Do Magic, Ventura Highway, Lonely People, Tin Man, I Need You & more. Love your reactions, thanks for sharing.
CRAZY HORSE TRUE NATIVE AMERICAN HERO !
WHEN I WAS A YOUNG TEEN, I WAS INTO GYMNASTICS COMPETETIONS, AND WON ONE, USING THIS SONG AS MY MUSIC. FUN TIMES, , 66 YEARAS OLD NOW.
I LOVE THIS SONG SINCE I WAS A KID IN THE 70'S....AMERICANA CLASSIC ! TRY "SISTER GOLDEN HAIR" ANOTHER BIG HIT OF THEIRS FROM 1975 !!!!
"The ocean is a desert with its life underground, and a perfect disguise above." I've always found that to be a clever line.
such a good band , ventura highway makes me nostalgic and kind of sad , brings back memories to me in a i miss the old days kind of way.. weird .
One of the best songs ever!
there's lots of dry riverbeds in the Arizona and New Mexico deserts.
Their music is classic and some of the best
SO YEAH ROBERT, THIS WAS THEIR BIGGEST HIT BY FARRRR, AND WHAT A GREAT SONG WITH SOUNDS AND OF COURSE THOSE INSANE HARMONIES!!!💯😊OTHER GREATS OF THEIRS? VENTURA HIGHWAY, SISTER GOLDEN HAIR, SANDMAN 👍THERE'S JUST A FEW FOR YOU! ENJOYYYY THIS AWESOME SOFT ROCK CLASSIC BAND!
Facts
Don't forget Tin man, my favorite! 😊
What about Sister Golden Hair?
Thought Sister GoldenHair was their biggest hit or Ventura Highway
I need you is a great song too.
Bunnell, "A Horse with No Name" was "a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place".
"The ocean is a desert, with the perfect disguise above '
"Horse with no name" was my first favorite song.
I was 8, and I sang it so much my brothers would get mad. Still love it!
I so loved America in high school in the 70's! Some of the best and beautiful songs.
iam so glad i was a teenager in the 70s best music ever CHEERS FROM CANADA
"Sister Golden Hair" ✌️❤️
This album was produced by Sir George Martin of Beatles fame
You’ll love their song “For All the Lonely People”.
America is the SH!+ sister goldenhair, tinman, Ventura highway, you can do magic, lonely people and some great ones as well
These guys have so many good songs.🔥🔥🔥
Love America, great rabbit hole for you to go down
Your name Robert is given,your soul belongs to you!🙏
America was formed in England by sons of US servicemen who were stationed there. Lead singer Dewey Bunnell wrote "A Horse With No Name" when he was 19. Although the song is commonly misinterpreted about being on drugs, it is not: Bunnell based the images in the lyrics on things he saw while visiting the US.
This was originally titled "Desert Song," since Bunnell wrote it based on the desert scenery he encountered when his dad was stationed at an Air Force base in Santa Barbara County, California.
The song tells a rather abstruse tale about a trip though the desert. While the landscape is unforgiving, the singer also finds comfort in that scenario.
According to Dewey Bunnell, the "horse" represents a means of entering a place of tranquility, and this tranquil place was best represented by the desert, which sounded pretty good to him while he was stuck in rainy England.
As for why the horse had no name and why it went free after nine days, Bunnell doesn't have any answers - it seems the various listener interpretations are far more colorful than any meaning he assigned to it.
Oh wow, one of my favorite songs. ❤❤
VENTURA HIGHWAY is another favorite and hit of AMERICA
I remember my 60 yr old little brother singing this song when he was 8. Bringing back good vibes. Thanks for the memories ❤
We all got extremely philosophical about the lyrics when this song came out. They were the subject of many discussions, one of my favorite songs of all time.
The 70s had some of the best music 4sure and that music still holds up today. I'm glad I was there when it was happening.
One of my favorite 70s bands. Such great story and the harmonies are stellar. Good clean music. Love it.
Great 70's music