Don't hold yourself like that
cause You'll hurt your knees
well I kissed your mouth, and back
But that's all I need
Don't build your world around
Volcanoes melt you down

And What I am to you is not real
What I am to you, you do not need
What I am to you is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I'll ask for the sea

Don't throw yourself like that
In front of me
I kissed your mouth, your back
Is that all you need?
Don't drag my love around
Volcanoes melt me down

What I am to you is not real
What I am to you, you do not need
What I am to you is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I'll ask

What I give to you is just what I'm going through
This is nothing new, no, no just another phase of finding
what I really need is what makes me bleed
But like a new disease, Lord, she's still too young to treat
Volcanoes melt you down
She's still too young +what iam to you+you do not need+is not real
I kissed your mouth
You do not need me



Lyrics submitted by paranoia_girl

Track duration: 04:39

"Volcano" as written by Damien George Rice, Brian Patrick Crosby, Dave Brian Geraghty, Paul Anthony Noonan, Dominic Michael Phillips

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Volcano song meanings
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129 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about a man and a woman who are just basically passing through each other's life. They are together but not as in bf/gf. She definitely feels more for him than what he does for her. The most important verses are: "You give me miles and miles of mountains
    And I'll ask for the sea". The girl is giving him the only thing she can offer him (which is mountains) but no matter how many mountains she gives him (miles and miles) it will never be enough; because he doesn't want mountains, he wants the sea.
    Flagged zamboa112on February 20, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is a sad song about a guy who doesn't want to be with this girl and basically wanting her away and to move on :(
    Flag yellowinkon January 17, 2013   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:It doesnt really matter who feels more than the other, this song is about imbalance.

    The key phrase is:
    "You give me miles and miles of mountains and I'll ask for the sea."

    Mountains are not "better" than the see or "more difficult to cross" (think of all the people got lost because of the sea or its forces), they are just different.

    In this case, two people met, got involved a little bit and figured out, that in this moment they just need different things. It's nobodys fault, it's just life.

    Although I love the thought of life imitating art, I dont think they are referring to a significant age different being their initial challenge. There seem to be wounds that still hurt too much for them to be healed. Maybe these wounds are from past relationships. Maybe one of them or even both don't know what they want. And that's why nothing the other can offer - neither the mountains nor the sea - can ever be enough.

    Much like the phrase: If you don't know what port you are sailing to, no wind is favorable.
    Flag Whatiamon October 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I had heard this song so many times and for some reason it seemed to me that the girl didn't feel as strongly as he did. In short...he had stronger feelings than her. Although...I just got out of a 5 year relationship a few weeks ago. Now I completely see that it was the other way around. Damien is taking the words right out of my soul. I had been with my girlfriend for that long and was still not convinced that she was the one.
    She could give me miles of mountains and I'd still ask for the sea...symbolizing that she is just not fulfilling me, no matter what she does. The song has taken on so much more meaning for me now. I've always loved it, but it's kinda my theme song at the momemt. It completely describes my situation.
    The "What I am to you, is not real" part really gets me.
    I feel exactly that way. It killed me to hurt her, but she perceived me as this perfectly happy boyfriend...soon to be husband. I had been waiting this long, thinking it was me. That I had to accept the relationship and that she was a wonderful girl...I thought it was a matter of time until I came around to the idea. Well, after 5 years there's still no spark there. She was not seeing me for how I really felt...I'm assuming kidding herself that she could possibly have been fulfilled by a man that she was not fulfilling.
    We never ever had a fight in almost 5 years. No passion on her part at all. I never strayed except emotionally.
    "And what I really need, is what makes me bleed" really gets me too. I really need somebody to figuratively make me bleed...or have so much passion for someone that it kills me. Or that person really has the ability to hurt me. Either way it signifies the "right" person.
    I am the volcano that makes her melt...or I just melted her and all of her dreams down when I had to break the news that I just didn't feel about her the way that she feels for me.

    That's my take on it. It seems extremely applicable to my current situation. It's great. There's not too many songs that explain this type of situation from the "leaver's" point of view. Most are always from the perspective of the one that had been left, or the one that got hurt. Such as "I Can't Make You Love Me". That would be from my ex's point of view. Great to have a rare song like "Volcano".
    Ciao
    Flag SkiinDeepon July 31, 2012   Link
  • -1
    My Interpretation:I think this is a song about a woman who a sexual, and a man wants an emotionally supportive one.

    Evidence:
    What do volcanoes do? The spurt out liquid. She is building her world around cumshots. She "holds herself like that" to be seductive. He doesn't want this, and can't relate - he tries to help her ("you'll hurt your needs") but their standards are completely different. "All he needs" is to kiss her "mouth and back", but she needs him to go further. They're each doing what they think is right, but they what they want from each other is just incompatible: "you give me miles and miles of mountains, and I ask for the sea".

    She needs sex and isn't getting it, he needs emotional support and isn't getting it either, and they are both fully aware of it and the fact their relationship will never last, but he still can't get over this and is still in love with her; "she's still too young to treat".
    Flag Negrul1on July 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Don't get this one, and apparently nobody can agree on its meaning. Dang, what help are y'all!
    Flag BornToFightBackon May 10, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Opinion:I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the relationship between Damian Rice and Lisa Hannigan (the female vocalist) so far. Obviously the demo was made way before they were involved but, with the eight year age difference and an apparently quite volatile relationship, there are some definite hints of life imitating art! Hannigan was still a teen when they met, think she was just out of music college, and he was already a seasoned musician. She was enthralled by him and the success and the chemistry between them, which is visible in live performances. The reason behind the split was that after some time she wanted felt entitled to a little more musical input and control and Rice wasnt willing to give her that. She had grown from being this besotted girl who went with his decisions into a a self possessed woman. I dont thine either of them knew how to handle the shift of dynamics and thats why the professional and emotional relationship broke down, and to this day Damian Rice regrets letting it happen.

    “I love her so much. And I love her so much that I love that she hasn’t spoken to me—because even in that I have learned so much over the last two years.”

    So sad because they are both incredible artists
    Flag bunktrunkskunk86on January 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm suprised it hasn't been stated yet, but volcanoes are one of the most common euphemisms for sex.
    Volcanic eruption = Climax

    It's a realtionship built around sexual gratification.
    Flagged Ulyangon October 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:See, I think it's more of a one-night-stand thing, or something along those lines. Obviously she was head over heels for him, and all he wanted was the physical attraction. "I kissed your mouth and back. Thats all I need." And personally I see her literally on her knees, begging for him. "Don't hold yourself like that. You'll hurt your knees."

    I see them the next morning-her thinking that something would come from that night-and him telling her it was just a one night thing. She seems more bitter than he does, and I see her completely disgusted with him when he rejected her. "She's too young to treat" : She's too young to date or take seriously.
    Flag abravar2on August 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:When I first heard this song I immediatly thought of a book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child called "The Book of the Dead." One of the characters Diogenes, seduces the vulunerable Constance, only to try to get her to kill herself, (read the book it will all make sense), in the end she pushes him into a volcano. I song fit the two characters and the situation so well I thought Damien had to have read the book, it could be a coincidence, but if it is its a big one.
    Flag Robynhoodintightson March 27, 2011   Link

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