Who Is Kacey Musgraves’ “High Horse” About?
Kacey Musgraves cheesed off a few of her straight-laced country fans when she released the disco-infused track “High Horse” off of her recent album Golden Hour. But that is not the only reason the song has stirred commentary and controversy since its release. What many people want to know is, who is “High Horse” about?
If you’re hoping for a straight answer, sorry to disappoint you. Just like the authors of similar songs, Kacey has kept this classified information close to the vest to keep the intrigue and interest in the song alive. Whether it’s Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” or Taylor Swift’s “Mean,” these songs work best when their muse is left to the imagination. But Musgraves has dropped a few hints on the subject here and there, while some pretty serious allegations continue to swirl about the song’s target.
In a recent Buzzfeed video, when asked point blank if she would ever reveal who “High Horse” was about, Kacey gave the camera a pretty chilly “Did you really just ask me that?” stare, and then answered point blank, “Probably not.” But that won’t do much to stifle the rumors swirling in multiple sectors that the subject of “High Horse” is none other than Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Sturgill Simpson.
Explanations from multiple close sources say that Kacey was inspired to write “High Horse” about Sturgill Simpson after he pulled his busking stunt in front of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville during the 2017 CMA Awards. You remember that incident, where he dragged his Grammy and his guitar downtown to take requests from passers by, and answered a bunch of unscripted questions?
“Oh, I bet you think you’re John Wayne
Showing up and shooting down everybody …” goes the opening line of “High Horse.”
Sturgill Simpson and Kacey Musgraves don’t have any personal history between each other, aside from fairly commonly sharing the stage at Willie Nelson-sponsored events such as Farm Aid, Outlaw Fest, and Willie’s 4th of July Picnic. There is no specific reason animosity would exist between the two. They both inhabit a space left of center in country music proper, which may lead one to believe they’d get along swimmingly. But again, it’s not just fan conjecture that has fingered Sturgill Simpson as the one Musgraves thinks needs to come off his “High Horse.” The chatter is pretty substantial.
Saving Country Music reached out to Kacey’s representatives to confirm or deny that Sturgill Simpson is indeed the subject of the “High Horse,” but of course they’re not talking, and they’d be silly to. For her part, Kacey Musgraves also did say in the recent Buzzfeed feature, “It’s about a lot of people though, actually. Like, multiple.”
An informed guess is one of those multiple people is probably Sturgill Simpson.
Seth of Lampasas
October 25, 2018 @ 9:07 am
I would think Eric Church is one of those multiples. She’s dissed him a few times. The song would also be appropriate if it was about herself imo…
63Guild
October 25, 2018 @ 9:08 am
Is Kacey talented, yes, but just her overall demeanor anymore just isn’t my cup of tea.
Black Boots
October 25, 2018 @ 11:58 am
🎶why would she wanna be🎶
Black Boots
October 25, 2018 @ 9:15 am
SCM is basically the yeehaw enquirer, huh? Cool.
Corncaster
October 25, 2018 @ 11:44 am
Well, Kacey sure does look like a porn star …
Black Boots
October 26, 2018 @ 1:07 am
AKA the only way you’ve seen a woman naked
Corncaster
October 26, 2018 @ 8:41 am
Are you 12 years old?
Paulo
October 26, 2018 @ 12:05 pm
dude,
if black boots is 12,
you are still a sperm
swimming to reach
your mama’s uterus.
probably, kacey was writing about you.
AV
October 26, 2018 @ 6:22 pm
You were the one denigrating a woman for her looks. He responded in kind
Rusty Trombone
October 25, 2018 @ 3:14 pm
“SCM is basically the yeehaw enquirer, huh? Cool.”
Nomination for comment of the year.
eckiezZ
October 25, 2018 @ 11:55 pm
I second this motion to rename this blog The Yeehaw Enquirer.
OlaR
October 25, 2018 @ 9:17 am
“High Horse” is one of the best songs of the year.
The Travis Collins song.
The Kacey Musgraves song…not so much.
TwangBob
October 25, 2018 @ 9:23 am
Much like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” it’s a songwriter’s standard credo to state that song subjects are a composite of multiple people, although the original inspiration may have been a single person.
Russet O.
October 25, 2018 @ 9:28 am
Did the rumors start before or after the video for that song was released?
Trigger
October 25, 2018 @ 10:10 am
Yes.
North Woods Country
October 25, 2018 @ 9:29 am
Sometimes you accidentally grab the wrong thing off the top shelf.
Blockman
October 25, 2018 @ 9:42 am
Waylon said about DAC ‘if you are such a bad motherfucker you don’t gotta run around telling everyone you are’ (close enough). I think Sturgill who is the (a) darling of the industry should take notes. When Waylon was nominated for such things he plain didn’t show up as far as I recall. Didn’t busk out front to try and make some grander statement. Best keep quiet.
King Honky Of Crackershire
October 25, 2018 @ 1:01 pm
Blockman,
I suspect maybe you’re misunderstanding Sturgill’s motives. His whole reason for doing what he did, was because he felt like the CMA was trying to silence leftism within the industry, and he was mad about it.
It really had little to do with music.
Stinks
October 25, 2018 @ 10:03 am
I remember that sturgill fella. He was great at making country music, but then that darned rock n roll took him. I sure do miss him and laur together
Aaron
October 25, 2018 @ 10:13 am
I think its about Miranda Lambert. It’s no secret there has been bad blood between the two ever since the Mama’s Broken Heart drama. Plus the big shutout from Blake right after it was released further supports this. https://twitter.com/blakeshelton/status/981207019041579013?lang=en. It’s honestly probably about a lot of people rolled into one, I think shes great.
Kristen
October 25, 2018 @ 5:39 pm
Who cares what Kasey thinks. As far as Miranda maybe she should just be happy that Miranda made that a hit and enjoy the proceeds.
Paulo
October 25, 2018 @ 10:39 am
i mean… as a now struggling songwriter i don’t give a flying fuck concerning high horse’s main subject…
when i listen to it, i personally think about the assholes surrounding myself. or even when i’m an asshole and choose between the high road or the high horse.
i mean: every one really knows someone who thinks they’re cooler than everybody else. we all do.
i’m so rooting for kacey on awards season and she’s just been announced as a PERFORMER at the CMAs.
Paulo
October 25, 2018 @ 10:41 am
and, please, can anyone explain me how the music video links to s. simpson?
Russet O.
October 25, 2018 @ 2:08 pm
Take it with a grain of salt, but the Japan scenes reminded me of Sturgill’s affinity for Japan.
Don’t have a dog in this fight. I like them both.
Paulo
October 25, 2018 @ 3:48 pm
no sense at all.
kacey’s been promoting golden hour on japan like crazy.
Russet O.
October 25, 2018 @ 4:14 pm
Well, yeah – like I said, grain of salt. Or a shaker. Whatever.
Paulo
October 26, 2018 @ 5:52 am
all in good gossip fun 😛
we’ll never know
or will we?
wayne
October 25, 2018 @ 11:15 am
Don’t listen to her. Don’t care. When an artist such as her is lovingly embraced by the various media sources it is a liberal love-fest when the subject material fits their agenda. Glad I haven’t listened to the rubbish.
GrantH
October 25, 2018 @ 11:30 am
The last thing we need in country music right now is diss tracks.
Corncaster
October 25, 2018 @ 11:41 am
Y’all been smokin Willie Weed. Kacey Musgraves is talking about FUZZY!
You’re famous, Fuzz!
Fuzzy TwoShirts
October 26, 2018 @ 6:35 am
What
patty
October 25, 2018 @ 12:15 pm
I don’t know what Kacey thinks about MAMA’s Broken Heart she co wrote with a couple others. She agreed to let Miranda record it…It has sold something like 3million copies. I would think she has enjoyed the money. As far Sturgill Simpson working at being noticed outside of the arena when people were gathering for The CMA’s. I say Great Music is what gets one noticed. The Pistol Annies have released another great single today….if you have an extra 4i/2 minutes go take a listen!
North Woods Country
October 25, 2018 @ 4:07 pm
She agreed to let Miranda record if Miranda would let her sing harmonies, which she did. I’ve never heard of any bad blood surrounding that song. Kacey’s version is better, probably because she sings it and doesn’t bark it.
Barfyman362
September 4, 2020 @ 9:36 pm
Re: “You’re So Vain.” If the guy who the song was written about correctly guessed it was about him, wouldn’t that only show his intelligence and not his vanity? After all, he did guess the correct answer. Maybe he’s just an observant realist. It would only make sense if Carly Simon was running around with a lot of men back in those days, wherein, in that situation, a guy would have to be vain to believe he was the one she was focused on out of all the possibilities.
Barfyman362
September 4, 2020 @ 9:40 pm
This reply was supposed to go somewhere else.
Sam
October 25, 2018 @ 6:45 pm
No. Tired of her cashing in on a 3 year old divorce. Or maybe it’s about East. But tired of it. Don’t care. Anyhoo. I always read High Horse was about Lambert. Especially after when she sang MBH at concerts and named songwriters but left Kasey off. Just another mystery. Oh You’re So Vain was written about Warren Beatty. I thought everyone knew that.
King Honky Of Crackershire
October 25, 2018 @ 12:56 pm
I would’ve assumed that Kacie was cheering Sturgill’s leftist tirade on, since they are of like mind. This doesn’t make sense.
Marmarbama
October 25, 2018 @ 1:28 pm
She could have written it about herself…..like I said, psychedelic musings. Weird songs. She comes across very narcissistic. But I like her voice. And her talk about dropping acid should prob remain private info.
Blockman
October 25, 2018 @ 1:13 pm
That’s more contrived than I thought than. Same still applies.
TxMusic
October 25, 2018 @ 1:20 pm
It seems like a big stretch to say it’s about Sturgill when Kacey and Sturgill have so much in common. They share similar political views. Both Grammy winners who get overlooked by Country award shows and country radio. They’re outsiders.
This is the only place I’ve seen saying it’s about Sturgill.
KGD
October 25, 2018 @ 1:26 pm
It’s about Mick Jagger
*yawn*
LG
October 25, 2018 @ 3:04 pm
You mean this song isn’t a cover of a Hall & Oates tune from 1983?
albert
October 25, 2018 @ 3:17 pm
who cares who its about ?..its one of the best crafted , catchiest POP songs out there . it was a fun gutsy thing for her and her producer to do …she’s following her musical muse ….like sturgil or patti griffin or ashley monroe …. it is sonically subdued but delicious .I totally get why people wouldn’t liked the song OR the album . personally I’m totally fine with that . who THIS song is about is just an ‘ entertainment tonight’ filler piece at best . enjoy the musical merits of it and the rest of GOLDEN HOUR .
A Country-Pop Fan
October 26, 2018 @ 9:56 pm
Finally a comment I can agree with
Benny Lee
October 25, 2018 @ 3:50 pm
(Start reading article) So why are we talking about Kacey Musgraves?
(Keep reading) … Ohhhhhhh, it’s about Sturgill…
(Finish article) Wait, why are we talking about Sturgill?
CEO
October 25, 2018 @ 4:48 pm
ANYONE, using drugs in any way are contributing to the drug cartel mess which people are having to flee from and come north. You would think grown people could figure that out. Shame on us as a civilized society.
ScottG
October 25, 2018 @ 6:03 pm
“ANYONE in any way”…Please explain how the money from legal weed bought in my state and other legalized states (and now Canada), where it is grown and taxed, is ending up down there.
Paulo
October 26, 2018 @ 5:56 am
dude,
you know beer fucks up minds way worse than weed. hope you don’t drink it.
cheers from a teetotaler.
Mike W.
October 25, 2018 @ 5:09 pm
I mean, I doubt Sturgill or Eric Church or Isbell or whoever else this may be directed to really cares. I like Kacey, but the hard reality is her career has leveled off hard. She chose to try and play the middle-ground game in Nashville, where she was too edgy for Country radio, but lacked the songwriting chops to be taken seriously by the Americana fanbase.
Basically, she tried to be the female Stapleton. Someone who had enough edge and talent so that Americana/Alt-Country fans respected and liked, but was also palatable enough for the mainstream Country fan occasionally looking for substance in between their Luke Bryan binges. She failed at walking that line and now looks increasingly stuck in a “purgatory” of sorts in terms of her career.
ERIN
October 25, 2018 @ 6:29 pm
I don’t think her career has “leveled off” at all. Pretty sure she will be nominated for a Grammy for her album this year,it’s still on every best of 2018 lists. Hardly would call that a back step in an artists career.
White Cleats
October 26, 2018 @ 7:01 am
Which she’ll get because the voters love her politics. Those best lists? Liberals themselves who want to reward someone they see as a “brave liberal”, an “out of the box liberal”. Because you know, she’s country and country is chock full of racist red neck republicans and Kacey is just sooooo edgy and shit. *insert eye roll here*
This is after all how the Dixie Chicks got their all-genre awards.
faux cheese country
October 25, 2018 @ 5:11 pm
kacey musgraves is doing the bait and switch pop thing like taylor swift. have you heard belle plaine’s new cd malice grief and wrath. great song with colter wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLbMM1Rs95o
Sara Ross
October 25, 2018 @ 6:14 pm
I don’t call what Sturgill did an incident. He enjoys playing for people. Nothing wrong with that.
Erik North
October 25, 2018 @ 7:00 pm
This is just pure speculation on my part, but I think one of the people Kacey might be referring to (in composite form) may very well be Keith Hill, the wag who suggested in 2015 that women like Kacey were the “tomatoes” of the country music salad, and that Bromeisters like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean were the “salad”. Women like Kacey have clearly gotten the Deep Shaft at country music radio over really the last fifteen years, and Hill, alias Mr. Tomatogate, might be one of those that she’s going after (IMHO).
jessie with the long hair
October 25, 2018 @ 7:27 pm
I really don’t understand why anyone cares who she is writing songs about. She’s irrelevant, a just okay singer and songwriter BUT… smoking hot and liberal. If she was ugly or conservative, we wouldn’t be hearing about her. I’d bet money that she is a boring hang and a big time narcissist. I don’t cringe on the rare occasions when I’m subjected to her music but I’m bored out of my mind.
Ulysses McCaskill
October 26, 2018 @ 5:12 am
I don’t have any comment on this song, but if you haven’t checked out her cover of Roger Millers’ Kansas City Star, you ought too. It’s killer.
Dirt Road Derek
October 26, 2018 @ 5:57 am
My reaction to this track was the same as Meant To Be; on my first listen I thought it was a so-so pop song but it was tiresome by the third time I heard it.
I really liked her first two albums, and Space Cowboy is really good.
Paulo
October 26, 2018 @ 6:42 am
Dude,
i bet the whole majority who criticize Kacey here are really just against what she fights about (especially reading the comments), not her music, which is great.
Kacey’s album Golden Hour is a bit poppy, because it’s obvious she wants to win awards and country radio ain’t giving shit to her (who’s actually selling albums).
But, have you really understood what she said on “another gear in a big machine don’t sound like fun to me” – it’s essencially what SCM keeps fighting against (FGL, Luke Bryan, that dude who’s country music satan or something).
Saving Bro Country Music
October 26, 2018 @ 6:45 am
Confused. Isn’t this a common theme in her music though? It’s essentially the same lyrical message as “Step Off” or “Biscuits.” Why do we assume this one is so much more specific and personal?
Trigger
October 26, 2018 @ 8:17 am
All I can tell you is that MANY people, including folks who would be in a unique position to know such information, have divulged that Sturgill Simpson is the primary target, or one of the primary targets for this song. Like Kacey says, it probably is a more general target overall, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t inspired by a few specific folks.
TxMusic
October 26, 2018 @ 11:23 am
Who are these people? You’re the only person I’ve seen saying it’s about Sturgill.
Name names.
White Cleats
October 26, 2018 @ 6:55 am
The only real problem I have with High Horse is that I have to hear Kacey sing it.
#MoreAutoTune
SteveG
October 26, 2018 @ 7:49 am
I frankly don’t care about either of them when a Whitey GD Morgan album is about to drop.
the realist
October 26, 2018 @ 8:16 am
Considering Kacey Musgraves is a liberal and was an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton, I would venture to say the song was about Donald Trump. Note to Kacey: The witch lost, get over it..
Paulo
October 26, 2018 @ 12:07 pm
even hillary clinton is over it, now.
maybe the song is about omarosa.
the realist
October 26, 2018 @ 2:48 pm
Coming to a city near you, Hillary and Bill have just launched a $750/person “what happened?” tour. https://www.vividseats.com/blog/bill-hillary-clinton-tour-dates
Paulo
October 27, 2018 @ 10:18 am
yes, her book.
her life.
she winning the public vote.
a husband who was almost impeached because of infidelity.
while donald trump is lord jesus himself with miss stormy daniels as mary magdalene.
the realist
October 30, 2018 @ 10:55 am
You’re wrong on many levels. Bill Clinton was actually impeached in the House of Representatives, but it failed in the Senate. It wasn’t because of infidelity either, it was because he lied under oath. Furthermore, Donald Trump wasn’t President when he was involved with Stormy Daniels. Bill Clinton was President when he got a blow job by Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office.
Kat
November 16, 2018 @ 11:14 am
Hearing she was an ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton who has committed horrific crimes against children, as referenced in the IG report assures I will never support her or her music. What justification does anyone have to support HRC and her evil, depraved crimes? I don’t like Kasey’s preachy songs either. Talk about a High Horse!
Marianne
October 26, 2018 @ 9:36 am
Don’t mean to kill the buzz here, but perhaps a more interesting subject might be why otherwise seemingly progressive female musicians feel the need to wear ridiculously high heels and go onstage half-dressed to have a career. It seems Ashley McBryde is the only real female country musician out there right now. And she can sing circles around just about everyone I am alluding to, to boot.
Gina
October 26, 2018 @ 10:20 pm
I like them both and I don’t see how it could be about Sturgill. Seems odd to me, but it’s more publicity for him so good I guess?
Hank
October 29, 2018 @ 7:40 am
I’m sick of that motherfuckin’ autotune so lets talk about it.
#Kaceysucks
Nan
October 30, 2018 @ 5:03 pm
This gal always seems, imo, to have a ‘cool, 70’s vibe’ going on.
I respect her a lot for being a songwriter, and doing it her way.
The early ‘Grammy Award’ buzz I read about, has her Album “Golden Hour” as a possible AOTY, best-of, for All Categories–very exciting.
I always liked “You’re So Vain”—esp musically. The opening is a unique sound, the chorus so enjoyable. For years there was the mystery of who it was about. The rumors seemed to link it for a while to Mick Jagger, then I think Carly finally ended the mystery in recent years, admitting it was Warren Beatty.
This article isn’t a review of “High Horse”, but I listened to it since it’s featured here. I turned it off after @40secs. I don’t think I’ve ever done that to a song, couldn’t stand the sound of it. Not even as a ‘Pop song’. Everyone has their preferences, but I don’t get anyone who likes this, but can’t stand music from other Country-Pop Artists. Give me Jake Owen’s “Down to the Honkytonk” after this, like some nice (halloween now) candy, after a bad taste of medicine.
mark Kershner
February 11, 2020 @ 12:57 pm
I was starting to become a fan , but the unfunny President Trump put down stopped everything , she’s liberal fool!