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Introduction
Joji sketches a liminal space between hype and hollowness. The narrator strides through neon streets, designer tags and fleeting highs, yet keeps circling the same well of disappointment. The title nods to the proverb about leading a horse to water—the track explores what happens when the water always tastes identical, no matter how far you roam.
Verse
The verse fires off snapshots of restless motion and fragile bravado.
“Do or die, do or die / I forgive, but I still remember”
The repetition feels like a self-pep talk that never quite sticks. Forgiveness happens on the surface; memory keeps the wound open. The theme is unresolved resentment.
“If you hold me close, you can see the light / I can see the city, they done lit a fire”
Intimacy briefly illuminates, but the surrounding city burns brighter, hinting at external chaos that drowns personal connection. The narrator’s sense of place is both grounding and scorching.
“Lace me up, Hermès me up / If they mess me up, I’ll go Celsius”
Brand mentions act as armor, yet the threat of going “Celsius” suggests temperature rising—anger ready to boil over. Image management meets simmering volatility, revealing a struggle between self-protection and self-combustion.
Chorus
“Carried on my back and it’s all in the legs… / They say the water’s different, but it all tastes the same”
The burden lives in the body; the narrator feels weight with every step. The repeated water line punctures illusions of fresh starts. Environments shift, advice pours in, yet emotional reality remains unchanged. It’s resignation wrapped in muscle fatigue.
Outro
“They say the water’s different, but it all tastes the same”
The mantra becomes a closing loop, confirming the narrator’s skepticism. Repetition erodes hope, suggesting that external variety can’t cleanse internal sameness. The track ends not with resolution but with a shrug at the promise of change.
Conclusion
“Horses to Water” distills the ache of chasing renewal while lugging old scars. Joji’s speaker flexes, forgives, burns, and still ends up sampling the same stale sip. It’s a portrait of modern restlessness: mobility without transformation, loyalty asked for but rarely given, and a body that remembers every mile even when the mind tries to forget.
