A Horse With No Name

Hey there, Zoo Freaks! The Zoo Crew is spinning the iconic "A Horse With No Name" by America, from their debut album America. This folk-rock gem, written by Dewey Bunnell, was originally titled "Desert Song" and came to life while the band was staying at the home of musician Arthur Brown near Puddletown, Dorset, England. Inspired by a Salvador Dalí painting of a desert and an M.C. Escher image of a horse, Bunnell crafted the song as a metaphor for escaping life’s chaos to find peace, not as a drug reference as some radio stations mistakenly thought—leading to bans in places like Kansas City, where "horse" was slang for heroin. Bunnell wrote it in just a couple of hours out of pure boredom, and his mother, upon hearing it live when it was still called "Desert Song," remarked, “I do like that horse thing.”

The song’s journey to stardom wasn’t planned. America’s debut album was first released in Europe in late 1971 without "A Horse With No Name," but when Warner Bros. heard the track, they pushed for its recording. Producer Ian Samwell convinced the band to rename it from "Desert Song," and it was cut at Morgan Studios in London. Released as a single in the UK on November 12, 1971, it hit number 3, and after its US release on January 12, 1972, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, famously knocking Neil Young’s "Heart of Gold" off the top spot. Its unique guitar tuning (D E D G B D) and simple two-chord structure made it a favorite for budding guitarists, though its cryptic lyrics, like “plants and birds and rocks and things,” sparked debate—Penn Jillette once claimed the band admitted to being high while writing it, but Bunnell denied this, insisting it was about nature and solitude.

The song’s cultural impact is undeniable. It’s been covered by artists like Danish rock band D-A-D and sampled in Michael Jackson’s "A Place with No Name," released posthumously in 2014. It’s popped up in TV shows like Breaking Bad (titled “Caballo sin Nombre” in Spanish), Friends, and BoJack Horseman, where Patrick Carney and Michelle Branch’s version added a haunting vibe. The San Francisco band The Loud Family even named their 1993 debut album Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things after its lyrics. Despite some backlash from Neil Young fans who thought Bunnell’s vocals mimicked Young too closely, Bunnell embraced the influence, noting he was inspired by Young’s structure and tone but never meant to copy him. A viral video in 2020 by a quarantined Amsterdam couple acting out the song was shared on America’s official fan site, showing its enduring charm.

America—the band, not the country—formed in London in the late 1960s, a trio of US Air Force brats: Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek, all sons of servicemen stationed in the UK. They met at a US military high school near London, bonding over music and their American roots. The band’s name came from an Americana jukebox at the West Ruislip base cafeteria where Peek and Bunnell worked as dishwashers. They honed their sound rehearsing for hours daily, often in Bunnell’s Morris Minor car for its acoustics, perfecting intricate harmonies and guitar licks. By 1970, they were gigging around London, signed with Warner Bros., and recorded their debut at Trident Studios. After Dan Peek left in 1977 to pursue Christian music, Bunnell and Beckley kept the band alive, touring and recording to this day, with hits like "Ventura Highway" and "Sister Golden Hair" cementing their soft-rock legacy.

Want to dive deeper into America’s world? Check out their official website at venturahighway.com for tour dates and news. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and throwback vibes. Fans can connect on the official America Fans website or join the America Fans Facebook group to share stories and celebrate the band’s timeless tunes. Keep it groovy, Zoo Freaks!