Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Two, three, four
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
Well, my heart knows me better than I know myself
So I'm gonna let it do all the talking
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
I fell in fear upon my back
I said don't look back, just keep on walking
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
When the big black horse that looked this way
Said, hey lady, will you marry me?
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
But I said no, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
(Ooo, woo, hoo)
And my heart had a problem in the early hours
So it stopped it dead for a beat or two
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that
And it won't forgive me after all these years
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
Now it won't come back 'cause it's oh-so-happy
And now I've got a hole for the world to see
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
But it said no, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no, no, no
Said, no, no, you're not the one for me
(Ooo, woo, hoo) (not the one for me, yeah)
(Ooo, woo, hoo)
Said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
You're not the one for me
Said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
You're not the one for me
Big black horse and a cherry tree
I can't quite get there 'cause they've all forsaken me
Big black horse and a cherry tree
I can't quite get there 'cause they've all forsaken me
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
Well, my heart knows me better than I know myself
So I'm gonna let it do all the talking
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
I fell in fear upon my back
I said don't look back, just keep on walking
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
When the big black horse that looked this way
Said, hey lady, will you marry me?
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
But I said no, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
(Ooo, woo, hoo)
And my heart had a problem in the early hours
So it stopped it dead for a beat or two
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that
And it won't forgive me after all these years
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
So I sent her to a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
Now it won't come back 'cause it's oh-so-happy
And now I've got a hole for the world to see
(Woo, hoo, woo, hoo)
But it said no, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
No, no, no, no, no, no
Said, no, no, you're not the one for me
(Ooo, woo, hoo) (not the one for me, yeah)
(Ooo, woo, hoo)
Said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
You're not the one for me
Said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
You're not the one for me
Big black horse and a cherry tree
I can't quite get there 'cause they've all forsaken me
Big black horse and a cherry tree
I can't quite get there 'cause they've all forsaken me
Lyrics submitted by Joekubrick
Track duration: 02:54
"Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" as written by Katie Tunstall
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
Shes talking about HEROIN and her GUITAR.
White horse is coke, black horse..heron. Her guitar is the Cherry tree
'She was in a dark lonely place in life with only heroin and her guitar. She was scared at first, but heroin lured her. She says no its not for her but late one night shes almost stops her heart doing it. Again she says no its not for her but she cuts a cord and shoots up the next time, her heart hasnt forgiven her for that after all these years.
So she just gave in and let her heart go to the heroin, now shes got a hole in her arm everyone can see.....and a cherry guitar
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree
(translation: I was alone with a black guy with my virginity)
I fell in fear upon my back
I said don't look back, just keep on walking
(translation: I laid down on my back and though I was afraid I thought well I better follow through on this)
When the big black horse that looked this way
Said, hey lady, will you marry me?
(translation: the black guy looked at me and asked her if she consents)
But I said no, no, no, no, no, no
I said, no, no, you're not the one for me
(translation: this is where it get's a little hazy, she may have had last minute resistance for fear or some other reason maybe regret during or after the act, but we know that it doesn't stop, maybe she's thinking he isn't good long term relationship material)
And my heart had a problem in the early hours
So it stopped it dead for a beat or two
(translation: it hurt like hell to begin with so I made him stop for a moment)
But I cut some cord, and I shouldn't have done that
And it won't forgive me after all these years
(translation: she has lost her virginity and regrets it either emotionally or physically as maybe she was not expecting to be torn so much...)
Now it won't come back 'cause it's oh-so-happy
And now I've got a hole for the world to see
(translation: she's saying that her innocence won't come back and now she has a sexual appetite, the hole could either be a hole in her heart or again going to the physical she may be complaining that she's been torn more than expected...)
That's pretty much it in a nutshell, most songs ARE about sex, but the artists veil their music so it doesn't get banned and also leaves something open to imagination/interpretation.
The next interpretation is slightly different than what I’ve read from others. When she “cut[s] some cord”, specifically the connection between her past and current self, she regrets not following what her past self wanted. She contemplates her imaginary life had she chosen the “Black horse”. This is presented when she sends “it”, her past self driven by her heart, to decide the life she would have had. She gives herself the same situation again, except this time, she makes a choice that makes her “oh-so-happy”, leaving KT to dread her current circumstances even more. After her imaginary life runs away, she realizes how bland reality is, hence leaving a “hole for the world to see”. No matter how hard she tries to alleviate the sadness, she can never get her decision back. She has forever been “forsaken”.
The song can represent various situations that illustrate more than just a decision between right and wrong. Also, the song demonstrates the danger of listening to your mind over your heart. Three main components besides the main character exist, which includes the black horse, cherry tree, and the heart. Most can claim that the black horse represents darkness, or a situation that one should keep away from. Though, the black horse is paired with a cherry tree, which can represent life or rebirth. Why are the two paired together? As mentioned in a previous comment, the two contrasting components can resemble a balance of life. For instance, for every bad, there will be good (I do not think the character is choosing between the black horse and the cherry tree. Instead, she is choosing between those two coexisting components and the road ahead of her). Though, why does the heart decide to leave the main character and go back to the black horse and the cherry tree despite the fact that the character decided to move on? One can answer that question through the lens of how society can play a role on an individual’s actions. We associate the black horse as a negative component in the song, because are used to perceiving villains dressed in dark clothing - that is how society has shaped us to distinguish evil. Though, your heart can see through society’s generalization and help you to make the right choice for yourself. Therefore, society’s influence to disregard your heart may negatively affect your ability to make the correct choice.
In the near beginning of the song, the character approaches the black horse and cherry tree. She tells herself that she cannot choose to stay because it is not right for her. Though, her decision was based on influences of society. In fact, society has molded her to see the difference between bad and good in a certain way. For instance, we can use an example of choosing a career. Parents - a less broad external force similar to society - push their children to pursue a promising occupation. Though, what if one wanted to pursue a career that may not necessarily meet the standards of their parents? Unfortunately, many end up choosing a career based on parental influences, because they eventually force themselves to believe that their parents are right. But, that career is probably not what the children are truly passionate about. Back to the song, the character’s heart “had a problem in the early hours.” This means that her heart did not approve of her decision, because she did not make a choice based on what she truly desired - she made a choice based on what society believes is right. In fear of following her heart’s desires, she decided to “cut some cord” to avoid the chances of feeling regret for her decision. In the end, the black horse, cherry tree, and the heart would not let her come back, because she betrayed herself when she decided to detach herself from them.
The song serves as a lesson that external forces can easily influence the mind. We are always contemplating on what choice would bear a better result based on what society deems as acceptable. We are then flawed in thinking that happiness can only be achieved if it is accepted in the eyes of our peers. We become forced into conforming to the beliefs of those around us. The heart serves as an objective determiner that will choose a decision based on what you really want. Though, once you decide to disconnect yourself from your heart, you will have a “hole for the world to see,” because there will be emptiness if you follow a road that you truly do not want to follow. In conclusion, believe in yourself and have confidence to do what you truly want in life.
B&N.com: Does that play into "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"?
KT: In a way. I was traveling in Greece as a teenager, and for those who haven't been to Greece, it's absolutely covered in olive groves -- stunted, gnarly little bonsai-type trees. And I was driving on a moped and a huge black stallion had pulled away from its stake and was just going nuts in this tiny, tiny, hobbit-like forest. It was just such a powerful image, this enormous beast let loose and going wild in a fairy-tale wood of tiny trees.
B&N.com: So what do those elements represent in the song?
KT: The song itself is really about going through the process of making the first album. It was a very strange experience and a very steep learning curve. For the previous 10 or 15 years, I'd been completely my own boss -- when you play a gig, you just play your new song, the new song is always your favorite. And here I was having to make an album of stuff that's never gonna go away. I was being asked to make these huge decisions, so really the song is just about learning to listen to your guts again. There's actually very few times in our lives now when we have to do that.
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is inspired by old blues, Nashville psycho hillbillies & hazy memories. It tells the story of finding yourself lost on your path, and a choice has to be made. It's about gambling, fate, listening to your heart, and having the strength to fight the darkness that's always willing to carry you off.