The Big Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

Has it ever happened to you that you get swayed by the music of a popular song and then get a little surprised when you study the lyrics instead? "Band of a Gold" from the 70s is an example in this direction. Listening to that upbeat song you wouldn't realize it is in fact about a break-up. KT Kunstall's "Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" is another example in this direction. The lyrics of this song seem to be about regrets and lost opportunities that are completely lost in the emphatic beat of the music. Who knows what exactly the songwriter had in mind, but the big black horse could be a symbol for our deep-rooted passions that her "cultured" mind frowns on, while the cherry tree represents her natural earthly desires.

It turns out she said "no" to the big black horse 16 times, which should have given her pause that something is not quite right. Later in bed she realizes:

And my heart hit a problem in the early hours.
So I stopped it dead for a beat or two.
But I cut some cord and I shouldn't have done it.
And it won't forgive me after all these years.

Perhaps she should have tasted the apple of temptation, perhaps it was her karma to cry over the missed opportunity. Either way, the way out of the dilemma is to move forward instead. "Dark" passions should never be ignored. Perhaps I can change my mind - and more slowly, my sub-conscience - to what exactly is kosher. Perhaps I can lead the dark horse in an entirely different direction. The big black horse is always ready to run. You can't afford to run around with a hole in your heart like the singer did so go and do something about it. Horses are beautiful - you will enjoy enjoy its passion and power once you have guided it in the right direction.