Islands on the Coast
Band of Horses Lyrics
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The rest that you know
And put the kind words to bed
For man don't say why
Or even know how
It's only awful as
The hell that you know
When islands want to coast
Islands want to coast
They'll know how
Yeah, they'll know how
And only hours before
The house had burned down
He shut the other door
But if I don't see now
Or even know why
It's only awful
As the hell that you know
When islands want to coast
Islands want to coast
They'll know how
Yeah, they'll know how
Home
Home
Home
Home
He was riding in
The next thing you know
Let's take the other door
Now if I don't think right
Or even know how
It's only awful
As the hell that you know
When islands want to coast
Islands want to coast
They'll know how
Yeah, they'll know how
Home
Home
Home
Home
The lyrics of "Islands on the Coast" by Band of Horses are a bit cryptic and could be interpreted in different ways, but one possible interpretation is that they deal with the struggle of being stuck in a bad situation or mindset, and the desire to escape or change it. The chorus, "When islands want to coast, they'll know how," can be read as a metaphor for the idea that when one is ready to move on from a situation, they will have the tools or knowledge to do so.
The lines "The rest that you know, and put the kind words to bed" and "He shut the other door" hint at a sense of finality or resignation, as if the singer has given up on trying to make things better. However, they still acknowledge the possibility of change, even if it's unclear or undefined: "And only hours before, the house had burned down/If I don't see now, or even know why." The repetition of "home" at the end could also be seen as a longing for a place of peace or comfort, which may be elusive or unknown.
Overall, the lyrics of "Islands on the Coast" are impressionistic and evocative, and leave room for individual interpretation, which is one of the strengths of Band of Horses' songwriting. The melody and instrumentation also contribute to the atmosphere of melancholy and yearning.
Line by Line Meaning
The rest that you know
Forget everything you know
And put the kind words to bed
Stop saying nice things
For man don't say why
People don't explain why
Or even know how
Or how to explain
It's only awful as
Things are only as terrible as
The hell that you know
The terrible things you're familiar with
When islands want to coast
When isolated places want to connect
They'll know how
They'll find a way
And only hours before
Just a few hours earlier
The house had burned down
The house was destroyed by fire
He shut the other door
He closed an alternate exit
But if I don't see now
But if I don't understand
Or even know why
Or don't know the reason why
It's only awful
It's only terrible
When islands want to coast
When isolated places want to connect
They'll know how
They'll find a way
Home
The place you belong
Home
The place of comfort
Home
The place where you feel safe
Home
The place you long for
He was riding in
He was driving
The next thing you know
Suddenly
Let's take the other door
Let's use a different route
Now if I don't think right
Now if I don't have the right mindset
Or even know how
Or don't know how to do something
It's only awful
It's only terrible
When islands want to coast
When isolated places want to connect
They'll know how
They'll find a way
Home
The place you belong
Home
The place of comfort
Home
The place where you feel safe
Home
The place you long for
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BENJAMIN BRIDWELL, CREIGHTON BARRETT, ROB HAMPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind