Hayley Williams’ “Dead Horse” Lyrics Meaning

Hayley Williams has described this song as one whereas she is addressing a “younger, weaker version” of herself. But this isn’t one of those general-advisory kind of scenarios.  Rather she is harping on a particular event, i.e. her relationship with her ex-husband, another musician by the name of Chad Gilbert. The way the story plays out is that she began seeing Chad while he was married to another woman. And to make a long story short he also cheated on her, while they were married, with another woman.

So the title of this song is based on the old adage of ‘beating a dead horse’, which in this case would point to the idea of entertaining a situation even after it has run its course.  Or more specifically, there was a point in time when Hayley knew she should have abandoned that relationship. But the good news is, as elaborated by the bridge, she did eventually reach the point where she was able to ‘say goodbye’. And in the process she is hoping that she caused her ex just as much grief as he caused her. 

So conclusively, whereas “Dead Horse” may have a nostalgic motif, it is by and large about a lady being in what she perceives as a troubled romance.

Writing Credits

“Dead Horse” was written by Hayley Williams and Daniel James, and the track was produced by Taylor York.

Release Date

This song was released via Atlantic Records on 21 April 2020 and is featured on Hayley Williams’ EP “Petals for Armor II”.