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  • A Horse With No Name

    Sue Rogers posted on May 10, 2013 00:06

    Download the Lyrics and Chords

    YOU CAN PLAY ALONG WITH THE VIDEO IN GCEA TUNING IF YOU PUT YOUR CAPO ON THE 2ND FRET!

    "A Horse with No Name" is a song written by Dewey Bunnell, and originally recorded by the band America. It was the band's first and most successful single, released in late 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the US, and topping the charts in several countries. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.Despite the song being banned by some U.S. radio stations because of supposed drug references to heroin use, the song ascended to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the album quickly reached platinum status. The song charted earlier in the Netherlands (reaching number 11) and the UK (reaching number 3, the band's only Top 40 hit in the country) than it did in the United States. The interpretation of the song as a drug reference comes from the fact that the word "horse" is a common slang term for heroin.The song's resemblance to some of Neil Young's work aroused some controversy. "I know that virtually everyone, on first hearing, assumed it was Neil", Bunnell says. "I never fully shied away from the fact that I was inspired by him. I think it's in the structure of the song as much as in the tone of his voice. It did hurt a little, because we got some pretty bad backlash. I've always attributed it more to people protecting their own heroes more than attacking me." By coincidence, it was "A Horse with No Name" that replaced Young's "Heart of Gold" at the number 1 spot on the U.S. pop chart.

    ****REFORMATTED for PDF songbook April 21, 2019 - SR****

    A video for this song:


    Posted in: Individual Songs, May 2013 - Anything goes... again!, September 16 2015 BUG Jam, May 2017 Anything Goes, April 2018 Anything Goes (0 Comments)

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