The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Hogtied Like a Rodeo" by the artist "White Buffalo, The"

The song "Hogtied Like a Rodeo" by White Buffalo tells the story of a man on the fringes of society, having lost both his mind and his freedom.

The lyrics paint a picture of a man betrayed and abandoned by those he trusted ("He was selling you all that he found and he stole / But now they got his mind, he's in with the feds"). His mental state is deteriorating ("He's getting more restless, he's getting more insane"), and he seems trapped in the past, a "homeless millionaire with a story."

The recurring line "He's been acting bad / It must be his mother's fault" can be interpreted in two ways. On the one hand, it's a sarcastic remark on how society tends to blame mothers for everything. On the other hand, it could reflect a real childhood trauma that led the protagonist to his current state.

The image of being "hogtied like a rodeo" conveys a sense of hopelessness and loss of control over one's own life. This man is trapped by his circumstances, like an animal in a rodeo, doomed to humiliation and defeat.

The ending of the song is bleak and hopeless: the protagonist, like a hunted animal, is surrounded by police who are ready to "rough him up." His fate is sealed, and all he can do is stare "through the passing cars / At the windows on the other side" with his crazy, wild, glassy eyes.