This song is about waking up from the doldrums. The guy who said "anyone who has worked in the corporate world" nailed it. The song beautifully captures the malaise of day-to-day existence fueld by going to your job and driving home, sleeping, repeating the cycle day after day after day. The subject of the song has snapped out of it for a moment, I picture him sitting in traffic at a stop light or something and just looking at his hands and looking up and seeing what used to be familiar in an entirely different light. He at once is remembering everything he dreamed of doing.
He dreams of turning the dirt of his life into sand. Dirt is filthy, something that must be washed away. Sand is play, fun, relaxation.
The final part of the song clearly reads two ways. He's either leaving his dreaming behind, gathering his things and getting back to the grind or he's doing the opposite, gathering his few things and just going for it. Sleight of hand refers to a magic trick. How changes in life can be so sudden and thougths can spur you to do things you never imagined were possible in an instant. The subject of the song is being reminded that each day he chooses this life. At any moment he can choose to wave goodbye to this routine, the uniform, these mondays, and go to the "other side" eg his dreams of a different life. The act of waving is the sleight of hand, the physical movement of a hand that symbolizes much more. By simply waving his hand goodbye to what his life presently consists of he can change it. Best song on this record.
This song is about waking up from the doldrums. The guy who said "anyone who has worked in the corporate world" nailed it. The song beautifully captures the malaise of day-to-day existence fueld by going to your job and driving home, sleeping, repeating the cycle day after day after day. The subject of the song has snapped out of it for a moment, I picture him sitting in traffic at a stop light or something and just looking at his hands and looking up and seeing what used to be familiar in an entirely different light. He at once is remembering everything he dreamed of doing.
He dreams of turning the dirt of his life into sand. Dirt is filthy, something that must be washed away. Sand is play, fun, relaxation.
The final part of the song clearly reads two ways. He's either leaving his dreaming behind, gathering his things and getting back to the grind or he's doing the opposite, gathering his few things and just going for it. Sleight of hand refers to a magic trick. How changes in life can be so sudden and thougths can spur you to do things you never imagined were possible in an instant. The subject of the song is being reminded that each day he chooses this life. At any moment he can choose to wave goodbye to this routine, the uniform, these mondays, and go to the "other side" eg his dreams of a different life. The act of waving is the sleight of hand, the physical movement of a hand that symbolizes much more. By simply waving his hand goodbye to what his life presently consists of he can change it. Best song on this record.
very well explained. Quite thought provoking!
very well explained. Quite thought provoking!