White Horse (Laid Back song)

"White Horse" is a song written and performed by Tim Stahl and John Guldberg of the Danish duo Laid Back. It was released as the B-side of their single "Sunshine Reggae" which became a major hit in several European countries. In the US, the A-side was mainly ignored and it was the B-side that became most successful. It was released as a single and went on to spend three weeks at number one on the Dance Charts.[4] The single also made the top five on the R&B singles chart and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although being played in European clubs, it failed to chart there when re-released as an A-side.

"White Horse"
Re-release A side front cover
Single by Laid Back
from the album Keep Smiling
B-side"So Wie So (US)"
Released1983
Genre
Length3:51
Label
  • Sire (US, 7-29346)
  • Medley (Denmark, MDS 272)
Songwriter(s)
  • Tim Stahl
  • John Guldberg
Producer(s)Laid Back & The Dwarfs
Laid Back singles chronology
"Sunshine Reggae"
(1983)		 "White Horse"
(1983)		 "Party at the White House"
(1987)

Lyrics

The song's lyrics, which refer to riding "the white horse" and "the white pony", have been interpreted as references to heroin and/or cocaine use. Rolling Stone described "White Horse" as "[p]erhaps the most unconvincing anti-drug song of all time".[5] An article in Miami New Times listed it as one of the "top 10 cocaine songs" and stated, "It's often debated whether the white horse in this song refers to cocaine or heroin. Either way, Laid Back's 1982 single starts out persuading you not to ride the white horse but rather to ride the white pony, also a slang term for coke."[6] The book Totally Awesome 80s described "White Horse" as "a song with very few words that still managed to be about the joys of cocaine".[7] An article in the Tampa Bay Times stated, "While the title seems harmless, those in the know figured out the song was about drugs."[8]

Co-writer Tim Stahl referred to an alternative interpretation of the song when interviewed for the book Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited (published by iUniverse), saying, "Another cute anecdote about the song was when we got a letter from a little girl in Jutland in 1983, thanking us for making a song for her white pony!"[9]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1984) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 18
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 27
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 49
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 26
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[16] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[17] 5
US Cash Box[18] 22

Year-end charts
Chart (1984) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19] 43

See also

References
  1. "Hello Dolly: Welcome to the Chart". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 36. 6 September 1997. p. 128. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. "Funkstar De Luxe – Keep On Moving (It's Too Funky in Here)". Vibe. Vol. 9, no. 3. March 2001. p. 200. ISSN 1070-4701.
  3. Sylvester, Daniel (22 May 2012). "Laid Back – Cosyland". Exclaim!. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 150.
  5. Aaron, Charles (17 September 2014). "100 Best Singles of 1984: Pop's Greatest Year > 91. Laid Back, "White Horse"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  6. Duran, Jose D. (9 September 2010). "Top ten cocaine songs". Miami New Times. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  7. Rettenmund, Matthew (1996). Totally Awesome 80s. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 72. ISBN 0312144369.
  8. Wuench, Kevin (15 November 2013). "If you want to reminisce, reminisce about Laid Back's 'White Horse'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  9. Michaels, Randolph (2005). Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited. New York: iUniverse. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-595-37007-8.
  10. "Laid Back – White Horse" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6755." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  13. "Laid Back – White Horse" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  14. "Laid Back – White Horse". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  15. "Laid Back Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  16. "Laid Back Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  17. "Laid Back Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  18. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 19, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.
  19. "Year-End Charts: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: 1984". Billboard. Retrieved 11 January 2021.


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