Wild Horses

Grace Power's 'Wild Horses' is a poignant exploration of lost innocence and the harsh realities of growing up too soon. The song opens with the narrator expressing a desire to remain a child, to fall in love with the world and feel alive. However, circumstances force them into a role of responsibility and heroism, leaving their childhood behind. This immediate shift from innocence to maturity is a central theme, as the narrator reflects on the person they never got to be.

The metaphor of 'wild horses' is particularly powerful, symbolizing the freedom and naivety of childhood that the narrator yearns for but never experienced. The imagery of dancing through the trees and feeling the grass underfoot evokes a sense of lost paradise, a time when life was simpler and untainted by the 'horrors of the world.' The repeated line 'should've been wild like the horses' underscores the regret and longing for a carefree existence that was cut short by traumatic events.

The song also delves into the psychological aftermath of these experiences. The narrator describes a state of hypervigilance and a loss of trust in the world, encapsulated in the line 'safety's an illusion, fate is all chance.' This sense of perpetual unease and the burden of knowing harsh truths that others don't understand adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. The closing lines, where the narrator still feels the grass and the sun when they close their eyes, suggest a lingering connection to that lost innocence, a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.