This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Creeping up the blind side
Shinning up the wall
Stealing through the dark of night
Climbing through a window
Stepping to the floor
Checking to the left and the right
Picking up the pieces
Putting them away
Something doesn't feel quite right
Help me someone, let me out of here
Then out of the dark was suddenly heard
Welcome to the home by the sea
Coming out of the woodwork
Through the open door
Pushing from above and below
Shadows but no substance
In the shape of men
Round and down and sideways they go
Adrift without direction
Eyes that hold despair
Then as one they sign and they moan
Help us someone, let us out of here
Living here so long, undisturbed
Dreaming of the time we were free
So many years ago
Before the time when we first heard
Welcome to the home by the sea
Sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit, down, sit down
As we relive our lives
In what we tell you
Images of sorrow, pictures of delight
Things that go to make up a life
Endless days of summer
Longer nights of gloom
Waiting for the morning light
Scenes of unimportance
Photos in a frame
Things that go to make up a life
Help us someone, let us out of here
'Cause living here so long undisturbed
Dreaming of the time we were free
So many years ago
Before the time when we first heard
Welcome to the home by the sea
Let us relive our lives
In what we tell you
Sit down, sit down, sit down
'Cause you won't get away
No, with us you will stay
For the rest of your days, sit down
As we relive our lives
In what we tell you
Let us relive our lives
In what we tell you
Shinning up the wall
Stealing through the dark of night
Climbing through a window
Stepping to the floor
Checking to the left and the right
Picking up the pieces
Putting them away
Something doesn't feel quite right
Help me someone, let me out of here
Then out of the dark was suddenly heard
Welcome to the home by the sea
Coming out of the woodwork
Through the open door
Pushing from above and below
Shadows but no substance
In the shape of men
Round and down and sideways they go
Adrift without direction
Eyes that hold despair
Then as one they sign and they moan
Help us someone, let us out of here
Living here so long, undisturbed
Dreaming of the time we were free
So many years ago
Before the time when we first heard
Welcome to the home by the sea
Sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit, down, sit down
As we relive our lives
In what we tell you
Images of sorrow, pictures of delight
Things that go to make up a life
Endless days of summer
Longer nights of gloom
Waiting for the morning light
Scenes of unimportance
Photos in a frame
Things that go to make up a life
Help us someone, let us out of here
'Cause living here so long undisturbed
Dreaming of the time we were free
So many years ago
Before the time when we first heard
Welcome to the home by the sea
Let us relive our lives
In what we tell you
Sit down, sit down, sit down
'Cause you won't get away
No, with us you will stay
For the rest of your days, sit down
As we relive our lives
In what we tell you
Let us relive our lives
In what we tell you
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea Lyrics as written by Phil Collins Michael Rutherford
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The Night We Met
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Is a burglar going to care who/what lives in a house he's about to try and rob? He's more interested in what they own that he can sell!!
For people who've read the comments on Home by the Sea, rather than just jumped at the chance to have a go at somebody, Phil Collins has said that this song is about the supernatural. So I can write what I wrote, smartass.
Also for ghosts trapped somewhere for ages, what else are they going to talk about? The view out the windows? From their point of view their lives prior to getting stuck somewhere would be the most interesting thing they could talk about.
Finally, who the heck knows what people are going to write songs about? People think of all kinds of different things and turn them into songs, some that don't even have words.