Stoned, half a mile from home
I was dragged a million miles away
To the nearest place where I could see the beauty & feel that all's not lost

In a bad motel
Is where I fell
I found honest love
Whoa, I got stoned!
In a bad motel
Is where I fell
I found true & honest love at last

Awake, to find yourself at war
On all (on all) fronts, including my core
A search to find the quiet peace of mind which lets me know that all's not lost

In a bad motel
Is where I fell
I found honest love
Whoa, I got stoned!
In a bad motel
Is where I fell
I found true & honest love at last

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Thomas Dybdahl’s song “All’s Not Lost” speaks of the search for hope and love amidst the struggles one faces in life. The singer appears lost and disconnected as he opens the song with his state of half-consciousness, being “stoned, half a mile from home”. However, as he gets to the nearest place where he could see the beauty, he realizes that despite feeling dragged a million miles away, all is not lost. He eventually finds honest love in a bad motel, providing a hope and a glimmer of light in an otherwise dark situation.

The second verse opens with the singer finding himself at war on all fronts, including his core. He seeks to find a quiet peace of mind, a reassurance that all is not lost. Despite the internal turmoil, he finds hope once again, revealing that he found true and honest love at last. The overall theme of the song highlights the importance of hope, even in the direst of situations. The search is long and hard, but there is always something or someone that could provide one with strength and a renewed sense of purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

Stoned, half a mile from home
I was under the influence of drugs, and far from my home.

I was dragged a million miles away
Despite being close to home, I felt like I was miles away from where I needed to be.

To the nearest place where I could see the beauty & feel that all's not lost
I went to a place where I could appreciate the beauty around me and feel that there is still hope.

In a bad motel
I was staying in a run-down motel.

Is where I fell
It was here that I had a significant experience.

I found honest love
I discovered a genuine love.

Whoa, I got stoned!
I was under the influence of drugs at the time.

Awake, to find yourself at war
I was awake and realized that I was fighting a battle.

On all (on all) fronts, including my core
I was fighting on every aspect of my being, including my innermost self.

A search to find the quiet peace of mind which lets me know that all's not lost
I was searching for a sense of peace and calm, which would reassure me that everything was going to be okay.

Is where I fell
Once again, I had this experience in the same run-down motel.

I found true & honest love at last
In that place, I finally found genuine and authentic love.

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