Hurricane
American Aquarium Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wears boards on all the windows
There's a storm blowing in
And I can tell by the way the wind blows
That she ain't coming to make friends

I can see you coming from a mile away
I can tell she's going to be rough
What took me my whole life to build
Took her one night to fuck it up

Tell me baby, was I a target
Or was I simply in the way
When the wind has lost it's force
And the rain has run it's course
And all you're left with is a name
The name of your hurricane

A wish followed me through Florida
About as calm as a gun for hire
But it wasn't till south Georgia
That girl really set my chest on fire

When it comes to women
Well, I figured she'd just burn out like the rest
But that damn girl nearly stole my heart
When she stepped out of that black dress

Tell me baby, was I a target
Or was I simply in the way
When the wind has lost it's force
And the rain has run it's course
And all you're left with is a name
The name of your hurricane

Well they say that the eye of the storm
Is the safest place to be
But if I spend one more moment in those eyes
My God, it's gonna be the death of me

I didn't get her
Hell, that's for sure
She stung me like a hornet's nest
I just can't wait to get back to Carolina
So I can lay those storms to rest

Tell me baby, was I a target
Or was I simply in the way
When the wind has lost it's force
And the rain has run it's course




And all you're left with is a name
The name of your hurricane

Overall Meaning

In American Aquarium's song "Hurricane," the singer finds himself in the midst of a storm, both figuratively and literally. He describes how he's boarded up the windows, indicating that he knows a storm is coming. He can "tell by the way the wind blows that she ain't coming to make friends," implying that he's encountered something or someone that will be difficult to handle. The storm becomes a metaphor for the woman he's encountered, and he describes how she nearly took his heart when she stepped out of her black dress. However, he questions whether she was targeting him, or if he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.


The line "tell me baby, was I a target, or was I simply in the way" highlights his confusion and uncertainty about the situation. He also uses imagery of the eye of the storm being the safest place to be, but acknowledging that if he spends one more moment there, it will be the death of him. This suggests that staying with this woman, despite the danger and chaos she brings, might be his undoing. The song ends with the singer expressing a desire to leave the storms behind and return to Carolina.


Line by Line Meaning

Wears boards on all the windows
Preparing for the storm by boarding up windows to protect from the approaching hurricane


There's a storm blowing in
A hurricane is approaching


And I can tell by the way the wind blows, That she ain't coming to make friends
The wind indicates that the hurricane is going to be severe and destructive


I can see you coming from a mile away, I can tell she's going to be rough
The singer knows that the hurricane will be rough and destructive


What took me my whole life to build, Took her one night to fuck it up
The hurricane destroyed everything the singer had built over his lifetime in just one night


Tell me baby, was I a target Or was I simply in the way
The singer wonders if the hurricane was specifically targeting him or if he was just in the path of its destruction


When the wind has lost it's force And the rain has run it's course And all you're left with is a name The name of your hurricane
After the hurricane has passed, all that remains is the memory of its destruction


A wish followed me through Florida About as calm as a gun for hire But it wasn't till south Georgia That girl really set my chest on fire
The singer thought he had escaped the hurricane's path until it unexpectedly hit him in Georgia


Well, I figured she'd just burn out like the rest But that damn girl nearly stole my heart When she stepped out of that black dress
The singer didn't think the hurricane would be as severe as it was, but it ended up being more destructive than expected


Well they say that the eye of the storm Is the safest place to be But if I spend one more moment in those eyes My God, it's gonna be the death of me
The eye of the hurricane may be the calmest place, but the singer knows that if he stays any longer, it will be deadly for him


I didn't get her Hell, that's for sure She stung me like a hornet's nest
The singer couldn't fully comprehend the hurricane and its destruction, but it hurt him deeply like a hornet's sting


I just can't wait to get back to Carolina So I can lay those storms to rest
The singer wants to return home to Carolina where he can leave behind the destruction of the hurricane




Contributed by Alice F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

B Suitt Entertainment

I'm so digging this groove!!!!

stephen smith

best track of this century. (by a mile)

DEACON006

Looking forward to Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2015. Seems this old NC band is on the radar in the TX music scene and beyond (Euro zone). Check their touring schedule. It is relentless and has been for many years. Hard work pays I hope. I wish them well.

meathdetal

yep! they are incredible

Cash 1969

great song

keith braithwaite

simply great trying to buy all of their albums but cannot get the first one in the uk

whitetrashscumbag

keith braithwaite the best album they ever made

Amanda Catlett

Miss you chase.

happydeepsiggi

V er R y V e R y N i C e

More Versions