Rhinestone Cowboy

"I've been walkin' these streets so long
Singin' the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway
Where hustle's the name of the game
And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain
There's been a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me"

1. Do you native speakers say 'walking these streets' or 'walking on these streets'?
2. "There's been a load of compromisin' on the road to my horizon."

What does horizon mean in the quotes above? Is it a common usage?

"Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Getting cards and letters from people I don't even know
And offers comin' over the phone"

3. Does offers mean job offers?

Well, I really don't mind the rain
And a smile can hide all the pain
But you're down when you're ridin' the train that's takin' the long way
And I dream of the things I'll do
With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe
There'll be a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me"

4. "And I dream of the things. I'll do with a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe."

Can anyone explain what the quotes above mean? Is it common or it's particularlly for this song.

Thanks,

Meantolearn wrote:

"I've been walkin' these streets so long Singin' the same old song I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway Where hustle's the name of the game And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain There's been a load of compromisin' On the road to my horizon But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me" 1. Do you native speakers say 'walking these streets' or 'walking on these streets'? It's cowboy lingo. 2. "There's been a load of compromisin' on the road to my horizon." The place far away, in the distance, my destiny. What does horizon mean in the quotes above? Is it a common usage? "Like a rhinestone cowboy Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo Like a rhinestone cowboy Getting cards and letters from people I don't even know And offers comin' over the phone" 3. Does offers mean job offers? Most likely.  I'm not sure what the film was about, but it might have been male prostitution. Well, I really don't mind the rain And a smile can hide all the pain But you're down when you're ridin' the train that's takin' the long way And I dream of the things I'll do With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe There'll be a load of compromisin' On the road to my horizon But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me" 4. "And I dream of the things. I'll do with a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe." Can anyone explain what the quotes above mean? Is it common or it's particularlly for this song. For this song.  "without much money" Thanks,

Feebs11 wrote:

3. Does offers mean job offers? Most likely.  I'm not sure what the film was about, but it might have been male prostitution. It was about dreams of a better life. You ought to see it  - one of the great films.

Grammar Geek wrote:

Are you talking about the Electric Horseman, with Robert Redford? The movie came well after the song, didn't it?

"Horizon" is quite common in metaphors that denote "the boundaries of one's life", or "imminent events".

Cf. these googles for examples:

Horizon Stuff

In the "imminent events" meaning, the metaphor is from celestial phenomena, rising above the horizon; in the "boundaries" meaning, from travelling by sea, etc.

(It isn't a very good metaphor for "goals", when you think about it: you never can in fact reach "your horizon".)

MrP