This article is about the 1991 Daryl Braithwaite song. For other uses, see Horse (disambiguation).
The Horses
single
CoverDaryl Braithwaite The Horses.jpg
ArtistDaryl Braithwaite
AlbumRise
B-sideI Can't Wait
Released28 January 1991
GenrePop
Length4:16
LabelCBS
WriterRickie Lee Jones, Walter Becker
ProducerSimon Hussey
Prev year1990
Next year1991

"The Horses" is a song written by Rickie Lee Jones and Walter Becker. It was originally performed by Jones on her 1989 album, Flying Cowboys. While not released as a single, the original version did appear in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire and was also included on the film's soundtrack. The song was covered in 1990 by Daryl Braithwaite; his version reached No. 1 in Australia, and by 2022, it had been certified decuple platinum.

Background and release

The song was covered by Daryl Braithwaite on his 1990 album Rise. It was released as a single on 28 January 1991 and reached No. 1 on the Australian Singles Chart in May.[1][2] "The Horses" has been certified ten-times platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[3] Margaret Urlich provided the female vocals on the recording but chose not to appear in the music video due to other work commitments. A model, Gillian Mather, lip-synced Urlich's voice for the music video.

In May 2016, while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the song peaking at No. 1 in Australia, Braithwaite said: "I would never have thought that 25 years down the track, 'The Horses' – a song that I heard quite by accident and then recorded, would be liked by so many people for so many different reasons. And for this I am eternally grateful. I am sure that Rickie Lee Jones and Walter Becker could never imagine how endearing the song would and has become."[4][5]

Reception

In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the "most Australian" songs of all time, Daryl Braithwaite's version of "The Horses" was ranked number 14.[6] In 2025, the song placed 30 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.[7]

Track listings

Australian 7-inch, CD, and cassette single[8][9][10]

  1. "The Horses" − 4:16
  2. "I Can't Wait" − 4:12

European maxi-CD single[11]

  1. "The Horses" − 4:16
  2. "Let Me Be" − 5:36
  3. "You Could Be Wrong" − 3:23
  4. "I Can't Wait" − 4:12

Personnel

  • Daryl Braithwaite – vocals
  • John Watson – drums
  • Scott Griffiths – keyboards, piano
  • Jef Scott – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Tommy Emmanuel – electric guitar
  • Alex Pertout – shaker, sleigh bells, vibraslap, tambourine
  • Jeremy Alsop – bass
  • Simon Hussey – keyboards
  • Margaret Urlich – backing vocals

Charts

"The Horses" made its ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart debut at No. 38 on 3 March 1991 before peaking at No. 1 on 19 May 1991. The song spent 23 weeks in the Australian top 50.[2]

Weekly charts

Chart (1991)Peak
position

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)Position
Australia (ARIA)[12]4

See also

References

  1. ^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from: 28/01/91 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 53)". ARIA. Retrieved 17 July 2017. – via Imgur
  2. ^ aus
  3. ^ auscert
  4. ^ "Happy 25th, Daryl Braithwaite's Horses!". www.auspop.com.au. 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Daryl Braithwaite 'The Horses' Celebrates 25th Anniversary". www.noise11.com. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Countdown #1 to #100 - Hottest 100 Australian Songs". triple j. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
  8. ^ The Horses (Australian 7-inch single sleeve). CBS Records. 1992. 656617 7.
  9. ^ The Horses (Australian CD single liner notes). CBS Records. 1992. 656617 2.
  10. ^ The Horses (Australian cassette single sleeve). CBS Records. 1992. 656617 4.
  11. ^ The Horses (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Epic Records. 1992. 658199 2.
  12. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1991". ARIA. Retrieved 31 March 2021.