Hannah Alley. A2 Media Studies.

Lyric analysis of Guns & Horses by Ellie Goulding

You're so quietBut it doesn't faze me

You're on timeYou move so fast, makes me feel lazy

Let's join forcesWe've got our guns and horses

I know you've been burnedBut every fire is a lesson learned

I left my houseLeft my clothesDoor wide openHeaven knows

You're so worth it, you are

But I wish I could feel it all for youI wish I could be it all for you

If I could erase the painMaybe you'd feel the same

I'd do it all for youI would [x4]

Let's tie words'Cause they amount to nothing

Play it downPretend you can't take what you've found

But you found meOn a screen you sit at permanently

I left my houseLeft my clothesDoor wide openHeaven knows

You're so worth it, you are

But I wish I could feel it all for youI wish I could be it all for you

If I could erase the painMaybe you'd feel the same

I'd do it all for youI would [x4]

It's time to come cleanAnd make sense of everything

It's time that we found out who we areCause when I'm standing here in the dark

I see your face in every star

But I wish I could feel it all for youI wish I could be it all for you

If I could erase the painMaybe you'd feel the same

I'd do it all for youI would [x3]

I'd do it all for you, I'd do it all for you [x4],

Instantly directing this sentence someone. Informs the audience

that there is a special someone in her life that will be the main

subject of this song.

Represents Ellie as a strong, non-

judgemental person.

Movement is created through the adjective “fast”.

“Makes me feel lazy” portrays Ellie as a more relatable artist because every

teenager can be lazy.

“Join forces” creates army imagery. Contrast in the previous verse to this more

“violent”, military portrayal.Also shows she wants to initiate a

relationship with this person.

“Guns” illustrastes quite a fierece, powerful image

Contrast with “horses” which depicts flowing of movement,

nature and freedom.“We’ve” embodies teamwork.

“Burned” highlights the fiery tone to this verse. Represents brutality.

Tells the audience that the object of Ellie’s affection has been hurt in the

past. Tells a story.Idea of fire is

reinforced here. Suggests that the object of Ellie’s

affection has done wrong.

Suddenly tells the start

of a narrative.Makes the

audience feel like they are

following Ellie on a journey.

“Door wide open” could be a metaphor for her heart being

left open.

“Heaven” holds connotations of bliss,

innocence and softness. Vibe is being changed in

this verse.

Talking directly to her lover.

Sudden emotional verse to end the lyrics

Represents that Ellie wants honesty.

“Clean” represents purity and innocence.

There is confusion and mess in their

situation.

Mystery with their identities. Ellie is unaware of “where

she stands” with her object of her affection, and she needs

clarity.

The audience can see that Ellie thinks about her unofficial lover very much so. She

compares him almost to an angel with “stars”. We realise

she likes him a lot.

The audience feel sympathy for

Ellie because she feels as if she is

not enough

The audience realise that the object of Ellie’s affection

does not like her as much as she likes him. It is unrequited love.

“Do it all for you” and repetition of “I would” represents Ellie’s desperation and makes the

audience realise how devoted to him she is that she would do anything for him.“Tie words” portrays confusion

and “they amount to nothing” suggests superficiality and that

his words mean nothing.Suggests that the object of her

affection is fake and pretends that he cannot handle her love. Makes

the audience feel sympathetic.

We discover that their

relationship is online, through

“screen you sit at

premanantly”. There is

a sudden revolution

of their situation.

Repetition of the ideas/annotations I

explained on the first chorus.