There's a man at hand
There's a way between
The sinking sand
And a crooked dream
And collared off at the modern age of nine
Summoned off for walking down the line

[Chorus]
They lost eyes in old city streets
Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek

He filled his boots
And he tipped his cap
And a root to toot
With the boss and that
And told a girl of the summer by the sea
Said to her would you like to go with me

Wind is turned
And the Tonka trucks
And the singers changed
And the hard to soft
In with changes, always out with time
Nothing left but walking down the line

[Chorus]

Dragging loose less through the den
And I come out less with sporting wear
More to fit than you'd be feeling now
She is aware that he is always how

Then her sweetness and his sweeter scented
And her fury's swimming till the fury's bended
And lost in all might be to lost in time
What joy the darts might be to walk the line

[Chorus: x3]

Overall Meaning

The song "Eyeless In Holloway" by Johnny Flynn revolves around the idea of coping with the difficulties and hardships of life. The first verse speaks of a man who is lost within himself and is trying to find a way out of his miserable existence. He is stuck between the sinking sand, which could be interpreted as instability or chaos, and a crooked dream, perhaps representing an unattainable and unrealistic goal. The next few lines describe a young boy who is collared off at the age of nine for walking down a forbidden path. This could represent an individual in society who is chastised for not conforming to societal rules.

The chorus of the song talks about how people lose their way on the streets of the old city, and how the funeral pyres burn the last of the meek. This could represent the struggles of the underprivileged and marginalized classes in society who are often forgotten and uncared for. The second verse speaks of a man who is trying to enjoy the simple pleasures of life by spending time with his boss and telling a girl about his past experiences. However, we see a shift in mood in the following lines as the wind turns and the world changes. There is an acknowledgement that change is the only constant in life and that we must learn to adapt to it.

In conclusion, "Eyeless In Holloway" speaks about the inescapable struggles of life and the importance of finding joy in the small things that make it worth living. The song also highlights the impact of societal norms on individuals and the necessity of challenging them to break away from the monotony of everyday life.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a man at hand
A person is present and available

There's a way between
A path can be found between two options

The sinking sand
A precarious situation

And a crooked dream
An unrealistic or dishonest goal

And collared off at the modern age of nine
Arrested at a young age, perhaps for wandering too far from home

Summoned off for walking down the line
Arrested for breaking a rule or wandering outside of acceptable boundaries

[Chorus] They lost eyes in old city streets Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek
Someone or a group of people were blinded and killed or defeated in a past conflict

He filled his boots
He took advantage of an opportunity

And he tipped his cap
He acknowledged or respected someone

And a root to toot With the boss and that
He socialized and enjoyed himself with important people

And told a girl of the summer by the sea
He shared a romantic memory with someone

Said to her would you like to go with me
He asked her out on a date or an adventure

Wind is turned
The situation has changed

And the Tonka trucks
A symbol of childhood and innocence

And the singers changed
The music and performers have changed

And the hard to soft
Things have become more gentle or less intense

In with changes, always out with time
As things change, time keeps moving forward and leaving the past behind

Nothing left but walking down the line
There's nothing else to do but move forward

[Chorus]
Repeated reminder of the loss and destruction from the past conflict

Dragging loose less through the den
Moving through a difficult or unpleasant environment

And I come out less with sporting wear
He exits the environment with less than he started with

More to fit than you'd be feeling now
There's more to the situation than meets the eye

She is aware that he is always how
She understands and accepts who he is

Then her sweetness and his sweeter scented
Two people's qualities complement each other

And her fury's swimming till the fury's bended
She becomes angry and then calms down

And lost in all might be to lost in time
The significance of the past may be lost forever

What joy the darts might be to walk the line
Finding joy in moving forward and following a path, even if it's difficult or uncertain

Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADAM BEACH, JOE ZEITLAN, JOHN PATRICK VIVIAN FLYNN, MATT EDMONDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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2y↑2

There's a man at hand
There's a way between
The sinking sand
And a crooked dream
And collared off at the modern age of nine
Summoned off for walking down the line
They lost eyes in old city streets
Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek
He filled his boots
And he tipped his cap
And a root to toot
With the boss and that
And told a girl of the summer by the sea
Said to her would you like to go with me
Wind is turned
And the Tonka trucks
And the singers changed
And the hard to soft
In with changes, always out with time
Nothing left but walking down the line
They lost eyes in old city streets
Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek
Dragging loose less through the den
And I come out less with sporting wear
More to fit than you'd be feeling now
She is aware that he is always how
Then her sweetness and his sweeter scented
And her fury's swimming till the fury's bended
And lost in all might be to lost in time
What joy the darts might be to walk the line
They lost eyes in old city streets
Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek
They lost eyes in old city streets
Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek
They lost eyes in old city streets
Where the funeral pyres burned the last of the meek