The Story Behind The Song: A Horse With No Name by America (2024)

What price would any sane bookmaker offer on three American youths meeting one another in the UK, scoring a hit with a single that wasn’t even on their debut album’s first pressing, then becoming one of the biggest-selling acts of the 70s? Probably very long odds. But in fact it’s exactly what happened when guitarist/singer Dewey Bunnell, pianist/singer Gerry Beckley and guitarist/singer Dan Peek – all sons of US servicemen – crossed paths during the late 60s.

What price would any sane bookmaker offer on three American youths meeting one another in the UK, scoring a hit with a single that wasn’t even on their debut album’s first pressing, then becoming one of the biggest-selling acts of the 70s? Probably very long odds. But in fact it’s exactly what happened when guitarist/singer Dewey Bunnell, pianist/singer Gerry Beckley and guitarist/singerDan Peek – all sons of US servicemen –crossed paths during the late 60s.

“Our fathers were stationed at an Air Force base in West Ruislip, just outside of London,” says Bunnell, composer of the song that would change their lives. Bunnell was actually born in the Yorkshire town of Harrogate.

“We were fortunate to be in England at such a pivotal time in music,” he observes, “but our first album was also influenced by the best of the American bands – that whole magical, multi-layered vocal harmony thing.”

The trio decided to call themselves America, and got a deal with Warner Brothers after a gig at London’s Roundhouse and some radio exposure from Bob Harris. Enlisting hot session men Joe Osbourne and Hal Blaine on bass and drums, they recorded their debut album at London’s Trident Studios. Released in January 1972, it did moderately well.

Much of the material that appeared on America had been written on borrowed acoustic guitars, as the trio tapped into the slumbering West Coast zeitgeist of The Eagles, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and Linda Ronstadt. However, the group’s manager believed even bigger things were possible and sent them to Morgan Studios to add some extra songs.

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Among them was a Bunnell tune called Desert Song that they had thought lacked hit potential. Later re-titled A Horse With No Name, it went on to top the American singles chart for three weeks in early 1972 and reached No.3 in the UK.

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“Everybody had a song called I Need You in mind as the single,” Bunnell chuckles. “It was initially felt that A Horse With No Name was good but perhaps a little too quirky. At first it felt like a bit of a novelty song. It was a shock that it became so popular.”

Neil Young grumbled a little at the tune’s familiarity when A Horse With No Name displaced his own Heart Of Gold from the top of the US chart. Bunnell shrugs: “I never shied away from the fact that I was inspired by Neil, who was and remains a great hero.”

With its lyrics of feeling ‘good to be out of the rain’, the meaning of the song was rooted in escape from the drudgery of everyday life in the city – not promoting drug use, as a Kansas City radio station that banned it wrongly assumed [‘horse’ being a slang term for heroin].

“I’d spent time in the desert and always loved nature,” Bunnell says, “and being in rainy old England, maybe I mentally gravitated back towards all of that.”

America notched up several more hits after relocating back to the US, and in 1975 achieved the considerable feat of outselling every other Warner Bros artist in their homeland. And yet a full decade separates the group’s other two British chart entries, Ventura Highway [from the trio’s second album, Homecoming, in 1972], and 1982’s You Can Do Magic.

“We let things slide in Britain,” Bunnell rues. “We left it so darned long that we couldn’t get a gig in London.”

In what Bunnell describes as “the first stumble of our career”, Baptist-raised Dan Peek quit in 1977 for religious reasons. But the remaining two ploughed on through both good times [which include being produced by George Martin and Janet Jackson borrowing the riff to Ventura Highway for her 2001 single Someone To Call My Lover] and bad [winding up on an independent label; playing in South Africa during the no-go days of apartheid].

Although they did once try to drop A Horse With No Name from their live set, after promoters intervened it was reinstated and remains there today.

Although they’ve released a Christmas album and a slew of compilations and live records, America’s creativity seemed to dry up after 1998’s Human Nature album. But help came along when celebrity fans Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Fountains Of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger stepped in to co-produce their album Here & Now in 2007, which featured various guests including Ryan Adams.

Bunnell is mindful of the fact that people associate the band America with the likes of Bread, the Doobie Brothers and Chicago, but insists his band’s live show betrays the undesirable label of ‘soft rock’.

“Being called ‘middle of the road’ used to make me flinch,” he admits, “but I’d like to think that we’ve carved out our own place in music history.”

The Story Behind The Song: A Horse With No Name by America (2024)

FAQs

What drug is the horse with no name? ›

1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, the “America” album was re-released in 1972 with the track. But the controversy surrounding the song wasn't that the horse didn't have a name, it was that some radio stations refused to play it because of its supposed references to heroin use. “Horse” is a slang term for heroin.

Who wrote "Been through the desert on a horse with no name"? ›

"A Horse with No Name" is a song by American folk rock trio America. Written by Dewey Bunnell, it was released on the Warner Bros. label, in late 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the United States.

Who sang lead on A Horse With No Name? ›

In January 1972, the folk-rock band America released “A Horse With No Name,” a loping ballad that many people mistakenly attributed to Neil Young. The mellow introspective song, by lead singer and guitarist Dewey Bunnell, reached No. 1 on Billboard's pop chart, and sent the band's eponymous album to No.

What is the true story behind the book horse? ›

The novel 'Horse' is the story of an enslaved man grooming a winning thoroughbred Lexington was a winning thoroughbred in the mid-1800's, and the basis of Geraldine Brooks' new novel, "Horse." Scott Simon talks with her about her story.

Is a horse with no name in Breaking Bad? ›

"Caballo sin Nombre" (Spanish for "Horse Without a Name") is the second episode of the third season of the American television crime drama series Breaking Bad, and the 22nd overall episode of the series.

What does A Horse With No Name represent? ›

What is the meaning of the song "A horse with no name" from the musical group "America"? Dewey Bunnell wrote the song. He said "A Horse with No Name" was a metaphor for a vehicle to get away from life's confusion into a quiet, peaceful place. “The central theme of the song was solitary thinking in a peaceful place.

What is the meaning of sister golden hair? ›

The song refers to a love that for some reason did or did not work. Third, the song is not about his sister. He uses the term sister golden hair, as a poetic way of saying a heavenly girl that is blonde. Yes he uses the term sister as in the meaning of nun. It doesn't mean she is a nun it means she is of that status.

Who did the song called the horse? ›

"The Horse" is an instrumental song by Cliff Nobles and Company. It was released as the B-side of the single "Love Is All Right" and is simply an instrumental version of that song.

Why was horse with No Name banned? ›

The song rode to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1972, despite getting banned by some radio stations for its supposed drug references. "It's true the song got banned from radio at one time because people said it was about heroin, which sometimes was called 'horse,'" Bunnell told American Songwriter.

What is the strumming pattern for A Horse With No Name? ›

The strumming pattern for “A Horse with No Name” is straightforward and repetitive. This also helps with learning as you'll essentially be using a simple strum pattern with simple chords. The basic pattern is down, down-up, up-down-up.

What is the tuning for A Horse With No Name? ›

On the original recording we have guitars tuned to an altered tuning (D E D G B D, low to high) and a 12 string guitar tuned to standard. The chords that are played on the 12 string are what we will cover in this lesson so you can play everything in standard tuning while retaining the sound of the original recording.

What is the history of the song the horses? ›

The Horses was written by Rickie Lee Jones and Steely Dan's Walter Becker in 1988, and released on her 1989 album Flying Colours. She wrote it for her daughter Charlotte and approved Braithwaite's cover of the song through her Australian publisher.

What is the story the lost horse about? ›

One day his strong and fast horse is terrified by a thunderstorm and runs away. Everyone tries to comfort Sai for his loss, but he does not believe that losing his horse is necessary a bad thing. A few days later the horse returns with another strong and fast horse.

What is the story behind the slow horses? ›

Premise. Slough House is an administrative purgatory for MI5 service rejects who have seriously failed a task but have not been sacked. Those consigned there are known as "slow horses", a play on "Slough House".

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