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On clearer days I can see the lights from my bedroom door,
On windy nights I can smell the lake as it drifts to me from the shore
The traffic lights silently change a thousand times a day
But I'm still waiting, yeah, and I'm still waiting
And if my hand could block the sun,
Would we ever wake up?
And if I turned back all these clocks,
Would that be time enough? I can't remember exactly when this longing began
But I know it wasn't before the day you touched my hand,
Laugh and shout in blissful daze and numbers are exchanged,
But I'm still waiting, yeah, and I'm still waiting
And if my hand could block the sun,
Would we ever wake up? And if I turned back all these clocks,
Would that be time enough?
So put your hands where I can see them,
And shut your mouth, I know who you are,
In a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark
Let's break this down, let's make this count,
Let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now [repeat x2]
The angels dance like feathers float, they're here to see and to be seen,
The clock strikes two, the music slows and each one slowly dons their wings,
Once outside they all pair off and hand in hand they leave
But I'm still waiting, yeah, and I'm still waiting
And if my hand could block the sun,
Would we ever wake up?
And if I turned back all these clocks,
Would that be time enough?
Will we ever wake up?
On windy nights I can smell the lake as it drifts to me from the shore
The traffic lights silently change a thousand times a day
But I'm still waiting, yeah, and I'm still waiting
And if my hand could block the sun,
Would we ever wake up?
And if I turned back all these clocks,
Would that be time enough? I can't remember exactly when this longing began
But I know it wasn't before the day you touched my hand,
Laugh and shout in blissful daze and numbers are exchanged,
But I'm still waiting, yeah, and I'm still waiting
And if my hand could block the sun,
Would we ever wake up? And if I turned back all these clocks,
Would that be time enough?
So put your hands where I can see them,
And shut your mouth, I know who you are,
In a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark
Let's break this down, let's make this count,
Let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now [repeat x2]
The angels dance like feathers float, they're here to see and to be seen,
The clock strikes two, the music slows and each one slowly dons their wings,
Once outside they all pair off and hand in hand they leave
But I'm still waiting, yeah, and I'm still waiting
And if my hand could block the sun,
Would we ever wake up?
And if I turned back all these clocks,
Would that be time enough?
Will we ever wake up?
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I see what everyone mean when they post theyre understandings of the song, but I just want to add one extra thing:
"in a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark."
I understand this as there are alot of people who want to make a change in the world, but they are only small torches, their light cant reach all the corners off the earth that is filled with darkness. They create small change (light) but they are not enough to make a big difference that can change the world.
Well- thats all I had to add!
Rise Against for LIFE! =)
this is my personal opinion. please let me know what you think about. this is probably in my top five favorite songs
The guy can't leave his "bedroom" because it is jail. The lake drifts to him from the shore, and he can't get there, but he's still waiting to be released from prison.
Chorus:
The wonders whether if his hand blocked the sun if people would ever realize that the world is messed up. His "crime" didn't make people notice, he was just shunned and jailed. And if he "turned back all these clocks" he would never have enough time to make people realize the wrongs being committed.
Second verse:
This verse is about a girl who meets the guy, and loves him, but he is sent to jail for what he believes in.
"so put your hands where I can see them, and shut your mouth, I know who you are, in a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark":
This is the part that gives away that he is in jail, but in a world void of feeling or heart, those who want to fix things are the torches in the dark.
"let's break this down, let's make this count,
let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now":
The guy wants to break out of jail for the girl and leave town, while the time is right.
"the angels dance like feathers float, they're here to see and to be seen, the clock strikes two, the music slows and each one slowly dons their wings, once outside they all pair off and hand in hand they leave but I'm still waiting, yeah I'm still waiting":
This bridge sort of thing here means that everyone who wants to leave and go off and have a life together can do it, but the guy who is in jail and the girl who love him cannot do it.
In my opinion this is RA's second best song besides Heaven Knows. It is absolutely incredible in every way. I wish they would play it live again...
have you no respect?
contrary to what you think, a songs meaning is shaped is based on your own experinces. even if it isnt what you think, fucking grow up. give your opinion about the song. thats it.
i absolutely love the imagery in this song. i always put my hand in front of the sun to block, but never did i think to myself what i do now until i heard this song.
"on clearer days I can see the lights from my bedroom door, on windy nights I can smell the lake as it drifts to me from the shore
the traffic lights silently change a thousand times a day but I'm still waiting, yeah I'm still waiting"
My translation: Life is pretty good, but there's something missing. It's like, the pretty lights, the smell of the lake, nothing out of the ordinary, it's good but I'm waiting for something.
"I can't remember exactly when this longing began but I know it wasn't before the day you touched my hand, laugh and shout in blissful daze and numbers are exchanged, I'm still waiting, yeah I'm still waiting"
My translation: I don't really know when I started to feel this way, but I know that it's because of you. We've got a great life, a great friendship, but I'm waiting. And I'm waiting for you.
"so put your hands where I can see them, and shut your mouth, I know who you are"
My translation: Actions speak louder than words, you don't need to say anything.
"in a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark"
My translation: The world is horrible, look at all of the bad, but we have each other and we need each other.
"let's break this down, let's make this count,
let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now"
My translation: We have to get out of here, you and I. I'm done with this ordinary life and I need to get out of this place, with you.
"the angels dance like feathers float, they're here to see and to be seen, the clock strikes two, the music slows and each one slowly dons their wings, once outside they all pair off and hand in hand they leave but I'm still waiting, yeah I'm still waiting"
[This is by far the most amazing part of the song, it's just... wow...]
My translation: Look at all of the happy couples. It seems like all at once, everyone is pairing off and moving on to a great life together, except for me. I'm waiting. I'm waiting for you.
"if my hand could block the sun, would we ever wake up? If I turned back all these clocks would that be time enough?"
My translation: This is like a dream to me, and I would do anything for it to never end. I would stop time if I could, just to stay with you.
I dunno, I see it as a love-oriented song. But that's the beautiful thing about art - it's open to so many interpretations and there's really no wrong way to see it, or hear it.
To me, I'd say this song is about a person who's stuck in a world that doesn't change and that they don't belong in. So they're "still waiting" for a meaning in it all.
Also,
"if my hand could block the sun, would we ever wake up? If I turned back all these clocks would that be time enough?"
It's sounds like the person's asking "will the world(we) ever wake up" and "If I could turn back time, would it be enough to put more time back in our lives to make a change" or something like that.
"I can't remember exactly when this longing began but I know it wasn't before the day you touched my hand"
A longing for change(not love/relationship). And for the "day you touched me hand" part, I think it means the day a need for a change was noticed by the person. The singer also said in an interview that books like 1984(by George Orwell) made him notice what's really going on in the world and that there needs to be a change. So it could be a reference to that.
"laugh and shout in blissful daze"
I think that's a reference to other people's ignorance.
"so put your hands where I can see them, and shut your mouth, I know who you are, in a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark"
I think this part means that there are others than just this one person that are waiting for change and that together they are "the torches in a dark, void world."
"let's break this down, let's make this count,
let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now"
Meaning to make the time those people have count and leave the boring old town they've been stuck in because there's no better time, pretty simple.
And
"the angels dance like feathers float, they're here to see and to be seen, the clock strikes two, the music slows and each one slowly dons their wings, once outside they all pair off and hand in hand they leave but I'm still waiting, yeah I'm still waiting"
It could either be that the others who wanted change leave the one person eventually for some reason and the person is yet again left waiting, or that those people the person thought understood the need for change were fake and the person is still alone.
That's what I think it's about.
There's a (very) small chance this song is about a relationship, but I still doubt it is. It just sounds to cliche.
But whatever works for you.
"if my hand could block the sun, would we ever wake up? If I turned back all these clocks would that be time enough?"
and
"so put your hands where I can see them, and shut your mouth, I know who you are, in a world void of feeling or heart I know that we are the torches in the dark
let's break this down, let's make this count,
let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now"
Sounds to general to be about a girl.
"the traffic lights silently change a thousand times a day but I'm still waiting, yeah I'm still waiting"
Yeah I'm still waiting too.
let's leave this one-horse town, no better time than now''
I dont understand this part..