Synopsis

A surreal parade unfolds against stark, colorful backdrops. A silhouetted Ian McCulloch leads a cow on a leash while a cameraman follows, turning the ordinary animal into the video's central "dancing horse." Elsewhere, suited figures drag along a man wearing a horse or unicorn head. The strange procession eventually intersects with McCulloch, who exchanges a black heart with the masked figure before taking his place in the procession. The result is an enigmatic, theatrical visual companion to the song's dreamlike atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1985 as a promotional film for the song, which was later included on the compilation *Songs to Learn & Sing*.

• "Bring On the Dancing Horses" was the only newly recorded track on *Songs to Learn & Sing*. It was also recorded for the soundtrack to the 1986 John Hughes film *Pretty in Pink*, helping the song reach a wider American audience.

• The clip's deliberately artificial look comes from its use of silhouetted performers, colored backgrounds and green-screen-style compositing rather than a conventional performance setting.

• The animal at the center of the procession is a cow, not a horse. The visual joke is reinforced by the surreal exchange between the cow handler and the horse-headed figure.

• The song reached No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 15 in Ireland.

• A later Echo & the Bunnymen video, "People Are Strange," reused material from this clip.