Songs and the City

A horse is a horse, until he gets a song of course

Pine Valley Cosmonauts' "The Executioner's Last Songs"
"Jukebox" by Cat Power
Hank Williams
Cowboy Junkies

"When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes." — William Shakespeare from "Henry V"

A cowboy ain't a cowboy without a horse. And that's a fact. It's time to forget the rider for a change and pay tribute to the cowboy's best friend.

"A Horse in the Country" by Cowboy Junkies

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This love letter to the narrator's horse is really a song of regret, a rumination about the loss of passion in a fading marriage, the increasing humdrum of the daily routine, and the dreams of escaping it all .While "these cold fall mornings seem to bite just a little bit harder," our protagonist takes comfort in knowing her trusty horse is ready when she calls. "One day I'll saddle up and the two of us will ride away."

"Silver Stallion" by Cat Power

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Originally recorded by the Highwaymen in 1990, Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) gives "Silver Stallion" the haunting treatment it deserves. Like the Cowboy Junkies song above, the horse represents freedom and limitless possibilities: "I'm gonna chase the sky forever/with the man, the stallion and the wind/The sun is gonna burn into a cinder/before we ever pass this way again."

"My Rifle My Pony and Me" by Rick Nelson and Dean Martin

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A duet by silky voiced teenage hearthrob Ricky Nelson and the King of Cool, Dean Martin, this gem from Howard Hawk's 1959 Western Rio Bravo perfectly embodies the independent spirit of the American cowboy: "Purple light in the canyon/that is where I long to be/With my three good companions/just my rifle, pony and me."

"That Buckin' Song" by Robert Earl Keen

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Not all horses are a cowboy's best friend, as evidenced by this rollicking Robert Earl Keen track. A horse named Bad Luck is destined to deliver nothing but trouble: "If ya got a bucker, don't ever buck around/that buckin' mother bucker'll buck ya on the ground."

"The Pale Horse and His Rider" by Hank Williams

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Speaking of trouble, a horse that's even scarier than Robert Earl Keen's "Bad Luck" is one that's pale and mounted with a rider named Death. As the fourth horse of the Apocalypse, he is followed closely by Hades, ready to "kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."

Hank, in this posthumously released gospel cut from 1951, warns sinners to change their ways or prepare for the arrival of the evil steed. Unfortunately, old Hank would witness the pale horse riding by just a few years after recording this foreboding track.

"New Pony" by Bob Dylan

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Taken from the vastly overlooked 1978 album "Street Legal," "New Pony" is a wicked blues number that pulses with life. Seemingly a straightforward ode to the narrator's horse, the overt eroticism makes it pretty clear that the pony is merely a stand-in for some wicked lover: "Come over here pony, I, I wanna climb up one time on you/Well, you’re so bad and nasty/But I love you, yes I do."

"Horses" by The Pine Valley Cosmonauts

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A man getting ready to meet his maker on the gallows dreams of his freedom. As is a common theme on this list, that freedom is represented by the horse: "I'd be riding horses if they let me/Sleeping outside at night and not take fright/I would ride the range and never worry/I would disappear into the night."

"Chesnut Mare" by The Byrds

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The Byrds are best known for such jangly folk rock hits as "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "Mr. Tambourine Man," but in my opinion the band really hit its stride when it veered into country rock territory in the late '60s. Written for a planned country rock musical, the song features Roger McGuinn's chiming 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and some stellar country-style picking from the vastly underrated Clarence White. Lyrically, the song tells of one man's attempt to tame a wild horse, a creature that's the ultimate embodiment of nature and freedom.

"Ballad of a Runaway Horse" by Emmylou Harris

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This Leonard Cohen-penned track is pure poetry, a beautiful song that expertly captures the connection between a woman and her beloved steed. As usual, Emmylou's crystalline voice takes center stage, wrenching every ounce of emotion out of Cohen's breathtaking words.

"Buckin' My Horse" by Sir Mix-A-Lot

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Umm, I have a feeling this song isn't really about a horse.

Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

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