Standing on the shore
Waiting for the ship in call
There's something in the way I move that keeps them on their own

The stars explodes a storm
A billion seasons born
A shock to the waves I know, breaking far from shore

Don't want to talk
All I hear is noise
Don't want to talk

The future's in my hands
I hold it in my palms
Engrave it the leylines running right down her arms

Speak in silent tongues
Lies reflect the times
The ghosts and the shadows fill the living scene

Don't want to talk
All I hear is noise
Don't want to talk


Lyrics submitted by f2f12f1f2

Standing on the Shore Lyrics as written by Nick Littlemore Luke Steele

Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Standing on the Shore song meanings
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  • +3
    General Comment

    Okay well I have one interpretation but that's all it is, can't know for sure what they were really talking about :)

    -i started getting ideas from the middle onwards and then looked at the start again so i'm going to put the 'meaning' i got in that order starting from:

    The future's in my hands I hold it in my palms Engrave it the leylines running right down her arms

    -this part reminds me of how we have ipods and iphones and all this handheld technology that allows us to control our lives, like we literally hold the future in our hands with this new technology. -the leylines bit almost feels like there's this pressure to control the future and take on this technology as a part of your life, engraved like the way palm readers can read the lines in your hand that tell you future, you have no say in the matter, you're born with these prophetic markings.

    Speak in silent tongues Lies reflect the times The ghosts and the shadows fill the living scene

    -this reminds me of how communication is all via texting, and the internet etc so nothing is heard in the 'real world' -and how lies can be created so easily via this medium because everyone is in control and has a voice so we have the opportunity to use this voice to tell lies without being detected -and the ghosts and shadows are us in the real world, we're more alive in the cyber world than in real life, aren't fully alive until connected with this technology

    Don't want to talk All I hear is noise Don't want to talk

    -and the chorus really feels like a protest against this technology and pressure to have a voice via technology because "all i hear is noise" so no one is actually being heard (think of twitter, how many pointless tweets go unread on that site) -so pretty much saying what's the point in talking if you're just going to join the noise that's polluting the world (via the net and phones etc.)

    -then back to the start

    Standing on the shore Waiting for the ship in call There's something in the way I move that keeps them on their own

    -this was almost tying in with this no real voice idea, they're waiting for their 'call' but in the masses they remain unheard, not acknowledged because there are too many voice out there, screaming to be heard -the 3rd line is hard, i don't know what that could mean

    The stars explodes a storm A billion seasons born A shock to the waves I know, breaking far from shore

    -this part could be describing all the voices of everyone expressing themselves and trying to be heard but i don't know.. -and the shock line could almost be talking about those from the older generations who aren't breaking on the shore (so who aren't "with it") and are almost alarmed by the exlosion of voices modern technology has created.

    anyway let me know what you think, even if my interpretation isn't "right", that's the beauty of songs isn't it? we can all get what we want from it :)

    jessicaknowson August 22, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    SO I'M TAKING THIS FROM A NAUTICAL POINT OF A VIEW

    Ship in call could be his object of affection; waiting for the girl he likes to return

    The way he moves; His actions, split them apart

    Star could be destruction of their love, or could mean the begging of it like the explosion is kind of the big bang. Or maybe the star referring to how the north star was used for guidance when sailing but with it exploding no longer there no guidance to the relationship. seasons referring to time spent together

    The shock referring back to the star explosion, the waves could be their feeling break away from shore/Him, where he is standing

    Don't want to talk, the noise he hears could be the fighting between them

    Future in hands/palms it's up to him, he has the power to change things

    Engrave his actions by fixing things with her, ley lines could be her veins running down her arm, meaning her physical existence, all in all gaining the love back, engraving his actions/feelings into her resulting in them being together

    Silent tongues; confusion miss communication

    Lives reflecting time/Time spent together

    Ghosts&shadows being Haunting memories filling the sin being the fact that they're apart cause it's meant to be

    stoggieLoveon December 18, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    this song is so good.

    tenderonion February 02, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    got no idea what this song is about/means could someone help me out.

    Sonnybillon August 02, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Interpretation:

    He's waiting for his life to begin, as he envisions it, but he doesn't fit in with the social norms, and he doesn't want to explain himself, and doesn't want to hear your explanation for his existence or how he should feel.

    He feels as if he has seen or experienced life in a billion seasons and that's what makes him different and this creates this barrier between him and others.

    Just what I think.

    coenvlietstraon April 10, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think when he says "the futures in my hands" he's meaning that his future literally depends on his actions. And the chorus really speaks to me, sometimes I don't want to talk or hear anyone talk, it's just all noise to me when I'm in this mood. And maybe since the future is in his hands he doesn't want to talk because it's stressful. Life is stressful sometimes.

    monetezumaon April 19, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I would characterize this song as a song for the discoverer, the inventor, the explorer.

    It's a song considering the future, and considering all the unseen forces that have brought the author's eternity to this point in time (i.e. cosmic forces impacting the tides). That then morphs into the idea of people who impart their opinions and perspectives on his future, and thus he believes that ignoring the talk and noise are crucial to him making his way forward.

    Guitarearlon December 22, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about blockage. The guy is standing on the shore waiting for a connection with something and/or someone. But he is blocked from something within, most likely fear and ego. He is afraid to open his eyes and see what is out there, afraid to open up his heart and mind and let new knowledge and love inside. So he resorts to not wanting to communicate or talk to people and face the reality. He just keeps turning inward and avoiding what is out there.

    I connect with this mostly about a guy running from a relationship. Especially with the lines "The future's in my hands, I hold it in my palms, Engrave it the leylines running right down her arms" He KNOWS he has a connection with this girl, the meridian lines are connected. And he holds the future in his hands with the actions he needs to take. But he is scared of the intensity and the passion and how that changes him.

    I think that it can also be about avoiding spirituality too. And hiding from the reality that there is something out there bigger than us and facing that reality is really hard and it is much easier to just hide and pretend that the world and the universe is just about the 3D life we live.

    Both concepts are often connected anyway, so i think it applies to both! It's easier to just live in a distracted world create noise in our head to drown everything out.

    equestrianellenon December 19, 2015   Link

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