Some thoughts on my own question ... a 'hobbled' horse can be one restrained by a rope on a hoof. The writer can't stand fences or hobbles - things which fasten you in place. The song is about freedom and the revulsion to hobbles makes sense.
Yeah, I’ve not heard anything else that is really similar to me. They manage to have a distinct sound of their own despite their music being so varied in theme, composition, structure, timing, etc. My wife and I have been listening to them almost daily for nearly a decade, very unusual for both of us. You might get a kick out of this. Nightwish’s current singer, Floor Jansen, appears as a guest singer with Epica’s Simone Simon. Nightwish is sometimes compared to Epica but they still sound very different to me. Simone and Floor actually have somewhat similar voices though, but I believe Floor is a more versatile vocalist. This piece is Sancta Terra.
I like the piano solo and words in this song. When mama was passing, she ask me to play it all the time.