Apples and Horses

William Overington

This song was written on Thursday 26 September 2002, before 7.00 am. The inspiration was that, on the previous day, in a discussion in the Unicode mailing list, (details at the http://www.unicode.org website) I had put forward an idea and a gentleman had responded using the phrase "to mix up apples and horses", adding "I feel that the usual "apples and oranges" is not enough to convey the idea fully.".

I liked this turn of phrase, which I had never heard before, perhaps it is original.

Later, thinking of the idea, I thought of the possibility of a wallpaper design, in a pale green colour, showing pictures, almost engravings, of various scenes, such as horses grazing and apples on trees.

Early the next morning, I was thinking of my research and of the phrase apples and horses and a few lines of a song began to form.

Rather than lose them I found a pen and a piece of cardboard, and wrote down what I had thought (which are now the first and fifth verses) and added some more verses to fill in the gaps.

Please sing slowly.

Apples and Horses

In an orchard
In the twilight
Walk seven pure white horses
Together, yet separate
In a route no one forces
    Over and over
    Without any sound
    Apples and horses
    go round and around
Apples on tree branches
Horses on the ground
The horses now sleeping
Make not a sound
    Over and over
    Without any sound
    Apples and horses
    go round and around
From shiny green apples
Which will ripen in sunlight
In the midst of the darkness
The reflection of moonlight
    Over and over
    Without any sound
    Apples and horses
    go round and around
Just before the morning
When the sun its path will take
A breeze whispers across the apples
As the horses awake
    Over and over
    Without any sound
    Apples and horses
    go round and around
In the morning, just after sunrise
As streams run their courses
The wistful misty memory
Of apples and horses
    Over and over
    Without any sound
    Apples and horses
    go round and around
The wistful, misty memory
Of apples and horses
The wistful, misty memory
Of apples and horses