Hide in your shell 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride
What will you gain making your life a little longer?
Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave your eyes of steel?
Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker

Too frightening to listen to a stranger
Too beautiful to put your pride in danger
You're waiting for someone to understand you
But you've got demons in your closet
And you're screaming out to stop it
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you scramble for

Don't let the tears linger on inside now
'Cause it's sure time you gained control
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know
Well, let me show you the nearest signpost
To get your heart back and on the road
If I can help you, if I can help you
If I can help you, just let me know.

All through the night as you like awake and hold yourself so tight
What do you need, a second-hand-movie-star to tend you?
I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?

Too frightening- the fire's getting colder
Too beautiful- to think you're getting older
You're looking for someone to give an answer.
But what you see is just an illusion
You're surrounded by confusion
Saying life's begun to cheat you
Friends are out to beat you
Grab on to what you can scramble for
Don't let the tears
Just let me know
I want to know
I want to know you
Well let me know you
I want to feel you
I want to touch you
Please let me near you
Can you hear what I'm saying?
Well I'm hoping, I'm dreamin', I'm prayin'
I know what you're thinkin'
See what you're seein'
Never ever let yourself go

Hold yourself down, hold yourself down
Why d'ya hold yourself down?
Why don't you listen, you can
Trust me,
There's a place I know the way to
A place there is need to feel you
Feel that you're alone
Hear me
I know exactly what you're feelin'
'Cause all your troubles are within you
Please begin to see that I'm just bleeding to
Love me, love you
Loving is the way to
Help me, help you
Why must we be so cool, oh so cool,?
Oh, we're such damn fools



Lyrics submitted by aaana, edited by Sunnyhill

Track duration: 06:51

"Hide in Your Shell" as written by Roger Hodgson, Richard Davies

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Hide In Your Shell song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:It seems to me the lyrics are about someone trying to comfort and relate to another who is depressed - not a relative but girl / boy friend. There seems to be great understanding of how depressed people feel by the writer [as someone said in the comments 'It was written for me' :( ] It all makes sense to me......

    Hide in your shell, 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride
    [Depression >> withdrawal / catastrocising[?] thinking everyone is against you]
    What will you gain, making your life a little longer?
    [Life not worth living]
    Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave you eyes of steel?
    [Novel description of some one who is not enjoying life due to whatever triggered their depression]
    Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker
    [Clowning around to hide unhappiness]

    Too frightening to listen to a stranger
    Too beautiful to put your pride in danger
    You're waiting for someone to understand you
    But you've got demons in your closet (You've got demons in your closet)
    And you're screaming out to stop it (And you're screaming out to stop it)
    [While the demons are making life 'hell' for him/her, it is hard to let anyone help due to guilt / shame etc]

    All through the night as you lie awake and hold yourself so tight
    What do you need, a second - hand movie star to tend you?
    I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
    [Maybe this is a factor in depression - growing up with the belief that life will unfold like a fairy tale .... then when you find it's not working out that way, something goes haywire in the mind. Maybe its should be that All You Need Is Love but that's not reality. The dream is over.]

    How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?
    [Not sure who is saying this, the depressed person or the other]
    Flag Sunnyhillon March 18, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Brilliant song.

    Some of the lyrics in the cd insert are wrong too - the submitter has coped from them.

    This is what I came up with.

    Hide in your shell, 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride
    What will you gain, making your life a little longer?
    Heaven or hell, was the journey cold that gave you eyes of steel?
    Shelter behind painting your mind and playing joker

    Too frightening to listen to a stranger
    Too beautiful to put your pride in danger
    You're waiting for someone to understand you
    But you've got demons in your closet (You've got demons in your closet)
    And you're screaming out to stop it (And you're screaming out to stop it)
    Saying life's begun to cheat you
    Friends are out to beat you
    Grab on to what you scramble for

    Don't let the tears linger on inside now
    'Cause it's sure time you gained control
    If I can help you, if I can help you
    If I can help you, just let me know
    Well, let me show you the nearest signpost
    To get your heart back and on the road
    If I can help you, if I can help you
    If I can help you, just let me know.

    All through the night as you lie awake and hold yourself so tight
    What do you need, a second - hand movie star to tend you?
    I as a boy, I believed the saying the cure for pain was love
    How would it be if you could see the world through my eyes?

    Too frightening - the fire's becoming colder
    Too beautiful - to think you're getting older
    You're looking for someone to give an answer
    But what you see is just an illusion (What you see is just illusion)
    You're surrounded by confusion (You're surrounded by confusion)
    Saying life's begun to cheat you
    Friends are out to beat you
    Grab on to what you can scramble for
    Don't let the tears linger on inside now
    Cos it's sure time you gained control
    If I can help you, if I can help you
    If I can help you, just let me know
    Well let me show you the nearest signpost
    To get your heart back and on the road
    If I can help you, if I can help you
    If I can help you, just let me know

    I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know, I've got to know
    I wanna know you, I wanna know you, well let me know you
    I wanna feel you, Oh, I wanna touch you,
    Please let me near you, let me near you
    Can you hear what I'm saying?
    Well I'm hoping, I'm dreamin', I'm prayin'
    And I know what you're thinkin'
    See what you're seein'
    Never ever let yourself go
    Hold yourself down, hold yourself down
    Why don't ya hold yourself down?
    Why don't you listen, you can trust me
    (So what you're gonna take it to?) There's a place I know the way to
    (So what you're gonna make it do?) A place there is need (So what's he gonna...) to feel you (So what's he gonna...)
    To feel that you're all alone (So what's he gonna do?)
    Oh won't you hear me (So what, you're gonna take it to?)
    I know exactly what you're feelin' (So what, you're gonna make it do?)
    Cos all your troubles are within you (So what's he gonna...)
    So begin to (So what's he gonna...) see that I'm just bleeding to (So what's he gonna do?)
    Love me, love you (So what, you're gonna take it to?)
    Loving is the way to help me, help you (So what, you're gonna make it do?)
    Why must we be so cool (So what's he gonna...), oh so cool? (So what's he gonna...)
    Oh, we're such damn fools (So what's he gonna do?)
    (So what, you're gonna take it to?) (So what, you're gonna make it do?)
    (So what's he gonna...) (So what's he gonna...) (So what's he gonna do?)
    Flag Sunnyhillon March 17, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:In the end, after Roger Hodgson came down off his LSD trip, I'm afraid even he couldn't explain what his lyrics meant. Indeed, it has been reported he was doing the LSD thing during that time much to the chagrin of Rick Daves.
    The structure of the song is interesting though. It starts off with a heavy hard rock sound rather normal at first with a verse and then to a second part of what one thinks is a chorus. That second part of the song is really quite heavy which starts off with, "Too frightening to listen to a stranger!"
    At the end of this false chorus, the direction tends to spin off narrowing down surprisingly to the real chorus, as Roger tends to break out of the negativeness of the song and even depart from the album (these are the only positive parts of the overall dark album).
    I don't know why he adds the conclusion to the song at the end. The thoughts he coaxes in the head of the listeners must have some kind of meaning which I've never understood. Maybe I need to smoke some peyote? I don't know. In the end, I think we should all be cold stoned sober.
    Flag Rompingon August 15, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This is a great singing performance - so much feeling, and pulls out all stops towards the end, brilliant
    Flag xtheuniverseon June 14, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:yea a lot of lyrics aren't there or wrong
    Flag pirate87on February 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about anxiety and a complete lack of social confidence
    Flag pirate87on February 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm probably wrong, but I like to think of this song as being about a concerned son trying to care for his elderly/sick father, trying to make his last days comfortable. He is the only one who truly cares, and others simply want his money or estates. I don't think I'm doing it justice, but that's how I feel.
    Flag AlmostMeon August 02, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction:There are quite a few grammatical errors present. The user who submitted it didn't proofread it and check with the official lyrics, unfortunately.
    Flag RedEchidnaon May 23, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:In my view this song is about the relationship you have with yourself. It describes a call out from the inner self (your true self) to trust in your self and let go of the hurt "ego" you are identified with. Amazingly beautifil and powerfull song.
    Flagged Phil66on April 14, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:this song has always been amazing to me... i was just 10 when this came out... this song grabbed my attention... when i was younger, i always identified with the person who the song was written to... i was crushed and defeated from an even younger age... i have embraced this song and i have wanted to be the person to reach out to others... i have wanted this love that the singer was looking for... he sees the pain in the other girl and he wants to help, but he NEEDS to be loved just as much as he needs to love... this song is so beautiful... this is not about sick people... this is about real people... this is about the real pain inside... i feel it so much as i write this comment... as a young boy myself growing up i embraced the line about a cure for pain is love... i still cry everytime i listen to this song...
    Flag max64on April 10, 2010   Link

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