Motivated by love for mankind and a disgust for worldly cynicism, “The Change” expresses the desire to rescue one lost soul even though a thousand more may perish (“It’s not the world that I am changing/I do this so the world will know that it will not change me”). Likewise, “Ireland” is the poetic diary of a soldier prepared to die for his country.
“That Ol’ Wind” implies that intimate relations between strangers can produce genuine love. A veiled reference to sex appears on “It’s Midnight Cinderella.” “Rollin'” describes a sexual proposition from a wild woman, and mentions “getting naked.” On the number-1 country hit “She’s Every Woman,” the artist explains that he has had numerous lovers-and fantasized about others.
As musically enjoyable as Brooks’ earlier efforts, Fresh Horses is just as lyrically inconsistent. Too bad there aren’t more tunes like “The Change,” which proves Garth is at his best when he doesn’t “party on.” Find the single. Skip the disc.
