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Undress the World Lyrics
Somewhere outside London where the wheels turn on nothin' I know she's cold
Plagued by thoughts that linger, simple nothing bigger, nothing whole
"Manalive," you tell yourself, "I'm stuck I just can't seem to pick a hole"
The sights or sounds or places, God I know the face ... still untold
Go on hold me
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
Witness what I listen. There's a world here you're missin' to behold
A fiery night under the skies could warm your heart and hide away the cold
Venture out a little further and somehow you might find the courage to go
'Cuz if you stand there long enough, you will realize you're really on your own
Go on hold me
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
This time be my only girl
We could undress all the world
I'll unearth your things
Then you'll see
Go on hold me
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
Go on hold me
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
Plagued by thoughts that linger, simple nothing bigger, nothing whole
"Manalive," you tell yourself, "I'm stuck I just can't seem to pick a hole"
The sights or sounds or places, God I know the face ... still untold
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
A fiery night under the skies could warm your heart and hide away the cold
Venture out a little further and somehow you might find the courage to go
'Cuz if you stand there long enough, you will realize you're really on your own
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
We could undress all the world
I'll unearth your things
Then you'll see
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
Go on hold me
Hold on, Beautiful
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In this song, the author expresses his heart while falling in love with traveling the world. The more he uncovers its mysteries, the more wild, vast and wonderful it seems in spite of him becoming more acquainted with it. Dare he say it, it's much like the intimacy of a close friendship (or more).
" 'Manalive,' you tell yourself, 'I'm stuck I just can't seem to pick a hole' The sights or sounds or places, God I know the face ... still untold"
In the first verse here, he's is expressing the initial unfathomable awe of exposing oneself to the world abroad and all its beauty for the first time. In my own experience - as I'm sure many others would confirm - you realize for the first time just how big the world is with all the interesting stories, cultures, landscapes, and niches that it has to offer, to the point of simple jaw-dropping wonder. You can't even pick a place to stay put and plant your roots. You can't burrow in any one den. You've only just begun to see it all.
Consequently, like a man in love, you let yourself get carried away by the wonder and beauty:
~Go on hold me Go on hold me Hold on, Beautiful~
Then the second verse blows me away as I've never better heard the emotions it conveys so well expressed:
"Witness what I listen. There's a world here you're missin' to behold A fiery night under the skies could warm your heart and hide away the cold Venture out a little further and somehow you might find the courage to go 'Cuz if you stand there long enough, you will realize you're really on your own"
This very easily speaks for itself. It's almost as if some homebody dared to ask an adventurous spirit why on God's green Earth he would want to leave his comfort for the unfamiliar territory beyond, he would simply respond: "Because it's God's green Earth! God's beautiful green Earth! Why should I need to explain?" If this poor adventurous soul should be forced to explain his sense of adventure, it would be a hopeless endeavor to so justify it. His only hope on doing so would be to recite this verse. Note particularly the first brilliant line again:
"Witness what I listen. There's a world here you're missin' to behold A fiery night under the skies could warm your heart and hide away the cold"
Beautiful words. Well written, Kenneth Pattengale!
[Edit: Better punctuation]