The Weekly Croissant: Equine Elvis

Finding Comanche the Horse in Kansas

Ever since I started playing “Equine Elvis” at live shows, folks have been helping me fill in more gaps around the story of Comanche the Horse.  What I knew before writing the song was that Comanche was in the US military, and became famous when he was found alive after the Battle of Little Bighorn, a walking, breathing ghost among the dead, riddled with bullet holes.  He recovered and was lauded as a war hero, and given the nickname Equine Elvis because of his inability to die.

What I did not know, until some sweet person told me at my merch table, is that Comanche, now, in fact dead, is stuffed and on display at the Museum of Natural History in Lawrence, Kansas. As it happened, when I was told that fact back in October, I was scheduled to play in Lawrence at the Bottleneck, and I made a note to try and sneak in a catch a glimpse of this horse while I was in town. 

Last night I woke up in Lawrence and googled the distance to the museum on my phone… 5 minute drive, 15 minute walk.  Van call was at 11, and although I was exhausted, I dragged myself out of bed and rushed out the door of the hotel, leaving all my gear with the receptionist, emails and texts be dammed.  It was 10:15 at this point and Uber was taking forever to find a drive. I googled the walk again, and it now said 35 minutes. How? No idea. But it seemed that this little pilgrimage might not be able to happen after all. Discouraged, and not wanting to commit the mortal sin of being late for van call, I wandered back to the hotel and answered my stupid emails before loading up the van. 

That previous evening, the crowd in Lawrence had been especially excited about Equine Elvis.  A woman came up to me at the Merch table and told me that Kansas is in fact called the Taxidermy State, because of a man named Lewis Dyche, who was a leader in the art, known for being able to make animals appear lifelike in their stance and stature.  She also told me that at the time, photography was rare and specialized, and Taxidermy was an important way to educate the masses on the large animals that existed around the world.  This very man is the one who was called upon to stuff our Comanche when he finally died of old age and natural causes. 

This woman at our show, had worked on the Dyche exhibit of which Comanche is now a part, and which features a vast array of giant stuffed animals! And I don’t mean the toys!

Anyway, we loaded up the van and it turned out we were going into town to a book store and coffee shop.  What’s the time frame? I asked.  30 minutes.  With renewed determination, I requested an Uber.  When my sweet Kansian driver (People really do be acting like Ted Lasso in this state!) pulled up, I said Hi, and pulled out a 20 dollar bill.  I have thirty minutes and I really need to go to the Museum of Natural History to see a horse that I wrote a song about.  Could I pay you this to wait for me outside and drive me back? I just need 5 minutes in there.  The man was thrilled! As we drove to the museum he went on and on about the story of this horse.  

When we arrived, he waited outside as promised and brought me back to the coffee shop with exactly 1 minute to spare in my 30 minute time limit.  And that is how I got to spend some precious precious moments with the Equine Elvis in Kansas this past Thursday morning.

When I wrote Equine Elvis, I was thinking about how we project our needs and morals onto these animals that truly do not GAF.  Sorry Comanche, for using you in our bullshit human agenda!  Thanks for your service. 

I was born free, on the texas desert 
Took a train out to Texas I was wild and hurt 
Ten dollars from the army never bought but I was sold 
Hot iron on my back, and my spirit gone cold

Now I carry a name from the people they slaughtered 
so I live in the middle not son nor daughter
Just a horse in a battle I don’t care to win
My souls like a well for the anger of men 

I’m the Equine Elvis you cant kill me
Black stripe with a star, the names comanche 
seven bullets in my hide like a meat and three
No blinders on, despite what I’ve seen

There was blood from the weapons of furious men
Who trade gold at the price of flying hot lead
But I’m just the legs that carry the souls
Across fields and forests but never back home 

Yeah I’m the Equine Elvis you cant kill me
Black stripe with a star, the names comanche 
seven bullets in my hide like a meat and three
No blinders on, despite what I’ve seen
Despite what I’ve seen 
Despite what I’ve seen 

Now they call me a hero, they praise my name
But i’m just a horse, and we all want the same 
To feed on sweet grass, to nuzzle our young 
To live in peace,  to die in the sun 

I’m the Equine Elvis you cant kill me
Black stripe with a star, the names comanche 
seven bullets in my hide like a meat and three
No blinders on, despite what I’ve seen