This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
With every sun that sets I am feeling more
Like a stranger on a foreign shore
With an eroding beach disappearing from underneath
And when my mirror speaks it never minces words
Because these eyes don't shine half as bright
As they used to do and they haven't for quite a while
Because I'm a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside my head
With nothing on either end
I always fall in love with an open door
With a horizon on an endless sea
As I look around the ones who were standing right in front of me
And then my mirror speaks with irreverence
Like a soldier I can't command
It sees a child in the body of a full-grown man
And he's a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside his head
With nothing on either end
There's nothing on either end
A new position for a different view
And nothing changes but the slightest hues
And I am standing face to face
With a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside his head
With nothing on either end
I'm a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside my head
With nothing on either end
There's nothing on the ends
No there's nothing on the ends
Like a stranger on a foreign shore
With an eroding beach disappearing from underneath
And when my mirror speaks it never minces words
Because these eyes don't shine half as bright
As they used to do and they haven't for quite a while
Because I'm a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside my head
With nothing on either end
I always fall in love with an open door
With a horizon on an endless sea
As I look around the ones who were standing right in front of me
And then my mirror speaks with irreverence
Like a soldier I can't command
It sees a child in the body of a full-grown man
And he's a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside his head
With nothing on either end
There's nothing on either end
A new position for a different view
And nothing changes but the slightest hues
And I am standing face to face
With a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside his head
With nothing on either end
I'm a man who hides from all that binds
And a mess of fading lines
And there's a tangled thread inside my head
With nothing on either end
There's nothing on the ends
No there's nothing on the ends
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This is my favorite of the new ep.
I feel like the person in the song isn't passionate about anything and therefore keeps looking for new things to find passion in. He can't seem to get his identity together and he's then the frightened child even though a full grown man.
Excellent song, of course
i'm noticing that this song seems to have some subtle references to other songs.
"It sees the frightened child in the body of a full-grown man" that one reminds me of Brothers on a Hotel Bed
"no longer easy on the eyes, but these wrinkles masterfully disguise, the youthful boy below. who turned your way and saw, something he was not looking for, both a beginning and an end. but now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident."
and "With an eroding beach disappearing from under me" could correspond to Transatlanticism, "I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere when the water filled every hole"
those are the most obvious two. it could be me just making connections, but they seem too obviously placed to be accidents
I would speculate that those lines you cite are more just general themes and motifs that Ben's using again, rather than conscious references.<br /> <br /> But still an interesting observation.
another similarity to "with an eroding beach disappearing from under me" is from Coney Island: "Brooklyn will fill the beach eventually/and everyone will go except me"
I agree with with a lot of the people are saying about the line "I always fall in love with an open door Or the horizon on an endless sea As I look around the ones who are standing right in front of me"
But, for some reason I feel it is more about falling in love with opportunity. This song just really seems optimistic to me.
This song tells a story of the realization of a man getting older and the unwanted move to the next step of getting married.
"With every sun that sets I am feeling more Like a stranger on a foreign shore With an eroding beach disappearing from underneath"
As time passes, the beach (youth) that he knows and loves is disappearing gradually beyond his control.
"And when my mirror speaks it never minces words Because these eyes don't shine half as bright As they used to do and they haven't for quite a while"
His true older age is validated by looking into a mirror. He realizes that he isn't as young as he used to be.
"Because I'm a man who hides from all that binds And a mess of fading lines And there's a tangled thread inside my head With nothing on either end"
He's running from anything that binds or the commit of marriage. "a mess of fading lines, tangled thread" refers to his unwillingness to "tie the knot". Nothing on either end means there is no want to tie that knot.
"I always fall in love with an open door With a horizon on an endless sea As I look around the ones who were standing right in front of me"
He always takes any opportunity to run from commitment, he sees it as endless possibilities. But he realizes he would be hurting the ones around him if he left.
"And then my mirror speaks with irreverence Like a soldier I can't command It sees a child in the body of a full-grown man"
The mirror shows him that he can't do this for much longer. He feels young in heart but the mirror shows that this isn't true.
A beautiful song with such deep undertones.
My personal favorite off the new EP. I think it's about someone who can never really focus on the present and what his life is. He always moves around, looking for new things to become interested in. He's not really committed to anything and just bops around life with nothing tying him down.
I think its like an homage to Kerouac. its ben's main influence. I agree with Jkjk13 as well. that its about somebody that sorta travels without strings attached and when he tries to settle down his soul sorta rebels lol.
I agree with jkjk13 and teamkantner.
I can only add that it seems like he's realising the negative aspects of that lifestyle when he takes an honest look at himself: how immature ("A child in the body of a full-grown man") and unfruitful ("These eyes don't shine half as bright as they used to do") it can be.
Possibly?
definitely the best song of the new ep. it doesnt sound similar to any of the stuff on narrow stairs, more like the earlier album something about airplanes. probs why it didnt make the cut for narrow stairs. too bad.
yeah lizzie88 i think "because im a man who hides from all that binds" and "and there's a tangled thread inside my head with nothing on either end" follow that theme of immaturity. it kind of sounds like ben is somehow disappointed...
my favorite off the open door as well. with the fear that it would've been commercialized, i'm glad it wasn't on narrow stairs.
So great! i think it's about some one who was oblivious to what he was doing untill one day he looks in the mirror and see's what he has truley become.