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


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

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Second Home By The Sea song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +1
    General Commentif anyone's wondering why this one's so short it's the second half of home by the sea which makes it 11 minutes long for some reason.

    Home by the Sea was done just at the time the big long songs were fading out of sight, and it's one of the last done. So people don't get bored of it nowadays, they split in two and the second part is mostly instruments and acoustics.

    It is a pretty good song if you manage to listen to it for nearly 12 minutes, and rather than the people on the first half's comments, I'm gonna be blunt.

    IT'S ABOUT A HAUNTED HOUSE THAT SOME IDIOT BURGLAR BREAKS INTO AND GETS TRAPPED IN. THE SHADOWS/GHOSTS DECIDE TO BORE HIM TO NOT-QUITE-DEATH BY TELLING HIM STORIES OF LIFE BEFORE THEY GOT TRAPPED.

    I mean, you can tell half that just by looking at this verse!
    Typhoon TAon June 28, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentLyrics for second home by the sea only

    Images of sorrow, pictures of delight
    Things that go to make up a life
    Endless days of summer longer nights of gloom
    Just waiting for the morning light
    Scenes of unimportance like photos in a frame
    Things that go to make up a life
    As we relive our lives in what we tell you
    WiseOldGuyon December 18, 2022   Link
  • 0
    General CommentWhat a spectacular song! More instrumental than the initial half, but still captivating :-). As for the two above me, don't say "This is what the song is about" when it is up to the audience to take whatever they want from the piece, and don't squabble on a lyrics site. Its no competition. You won't get a medal for having your view put forth stronger. Leave the fighting for the playground Kindy-Kids.
    Arialon November 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentSongfacts.com confirms what Typhoon says about the ghosts. However, it contradicts him on what he said about the living being a burglar.

    But that's about Home By The Sea. This track is Second Home By The Sea. It has no original lyrics, and very few lyrics at all. So I'm guessing it is the details of the stories the ghosts are telling.

    About 3 minutes into the song there's this catchy guitar line. Someone once told me that that is supposed to be a whale. I don't know where he got that from, but the association does seem fitting. So everytime I hear it, I imagine a whale, and now everytime *you* hear it, you'll think of a whale :)
    Anguson February 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI always thought of a more obvious meaning.

    A group of old people in a home (or maybe even asylum?) waiting to die telling the same old stories eadch day..
    NickBrookeron June 01, 2008   Link
  • -1
    General CommentRather than let any of you believe the above tripe, I'm also going to be blunt.

    The song is NOT about a damn haunted house. What's the point of a burglar breaking into a haunted house with ghosts that want to bore him to death? Sounds to me like you're talking out your ass.

    The thing to keep in mind with Genesis songs (that isn't a love song) is that they have deep lyrics about straightforward concepts. This is going to be a song about something simple like a prisoner in Alcatraz but eloquently described. This isn't going to be about a lame haunted house. If they wanted to do that, they'd have written "Ghostbusters"...and Ray Parker Jr. beat them to it.

    The point is, you can speculate but until Phil Collins plunks you down in a chair and says to your face what the song means, you can't put in all caps that "this is what it is about."
    actionfrankdollon July 03, 2007   Link
  • -1
    General CommentIs 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.
    Typhoon TAon August 22, 2007   Link
  • -1
    General Commentoverreacted here. for the full story, read the home by the sea lyrics, because I can't be bothered to write it again.
    Typhoon TAon September 02, 2007   Link

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