Atlas Hands

So I have the scoop on this song. I actually spoke with Ben last night at one of his shows and I specifically asked. He may have been giving me the abridged version, but he told me he wrote it right after he finished high school [college] and he had all this pressure to go to University. He knew that that's not what he wanted to do, so he pretty much started this life of music he's got. My guess is that he's still in love with the place he grew up, and that that's what he'll remember. Who knows, maybe there's a girl he didn't tell me about. With this information, the whole Atlas hands things is literally himself convincing everyone, possibly even himself, that it'll be fine, and he'll find his way. He's going to let the lessons he's learned be his guide, his atlas.

So that's what I got from our little convo. He's a really sweet guy. He actually performed this song while sitting on the ground and having us all sit with him. There were only about ten of us, so when the harmony at the end came, I had to sing it. I was the only one there who even knew the song. It was kind of fantastic. =]

love this. love this. love this. Got the account specifically to say how much i love this.

"Jump right in and swim until you freeze"...i could be wrong but hear "Jump right in and swim until you're free"

This is about a man who is in love, but his love and the world around him are tying him down.

The first verse shows his dire need to explore the world and let go of any definite purpose. He just wants to explore the world, go on "a ship without a name" to the middle of the sea.

The chorus explains that he loves a girl, but he is conflicted because he doesn't think she will still be there when "the stars are the only things we share". She is too grounded and wouldn't go with him to see the world.

The second verse is more abstract, but I think the use of hands is a symbol for control of one's life. He says that money is in her hands and controlling her life. The people in church are singing "above their hands", or leaving their whole life up to God and not making an effort to understand it.

The "atlas" he holds in his hands symbolizes the ability to go anywhere he wants in the world. He holds in his hands this ability and that's where he's going to take his life.

As said in a previous comment, when he learns what he needs to learn about life, he'll come back. He just wants to see the world first and has to let go of his love to do that.

this is one of my favorite songs ever.

i love this song. all thanks to the Indie Spotlight on iTunes :) probably one of the best that they've put up there

What I get out of this beautiful song is that some guy feels trapped by the world around him. Although he wants to get away, he still loves his girl and wonders if she'll always be waiting. He is asking to be taken to the docks to a ship without a destination. He wants all the hardship to go away and so he wants to travel to a place where he can "Jump right in and swim until you're(he's) free." He will always remember her because he will always love his home. Then, he ends the song saying "I've got a plan I've got an atlas in my hands I'm gonna turn when I listen to the lessons that I've learned." This makes me think that he knows why he is leaving and that he wont get lost. He has a reason for his departure, and once he fulfills that reason, he will come back.

This is my interpretation, but I don't understand the connotation behind thw word "hands" and whys its used so much. I am also confused as to these lyrics. "Money came like rain to your hands while you were waiting For that cold long promsie to appear People in the churches started singing above their hands They say "My God is a good God and he cares"

Whats are your oppinions?

Isn't the title about Atlas? Atlas who held the world on his shoulders?

My favorite part of this song is, "People in the churches started singing above their hands They say, "My God is a good God and He cares" Soo beautiful. We all have different ways of coping with life and come to believe in different things. While some choose to believe in a personal God, the speaker in this song believes in an Atlas. He believes he can things into his own hands and makes a plan. Beautiful

I will add there's only one way to know, catch the ship, or sit and wonder yourself ill. Sink or swim. As for me, just keep swimming.. "Not all those who wander are lost."

I just wanted to comment because I believe some of these lyrics are wrong, and not just here but on other lyrics sites as well. It's almost like they were copy and pasted from one site to the other. I've seen that done a lot. But anywho, the first thing that I see wrong, and this is just knitpicking really, is "cold long promise" should be "cold old promise". It only changes the meaning slightly, but "old" is the correct way to sing it. Also, I believe instead of "above their hands" the correct lyrics should be "about their hurts". I know there has been some discussion about the meaning of this line, but I think this correction makes much more sense and I hope it clears up any confusion as to the meaning. There are just a few more mistakes, but I think they are mainly just typos or just insignificant mistakes that aren't substantial enough to warrant any discussion here. I hope this helps guys. Peace and love to you all.