Before the age of nineteen thi… Read Full Bio ↴A singer-songwriter from New Zealand.
Before the age of nineteen this Southland girl had already been mentored by many of New Zealand's top producers, opened for Kelly Clarkson and The Script before eighteen, at seventeen honed her songwriting skills on a U.S. scholarship that took her to Nashville and the South By South West festival in Texas, and won the Smokefree Rockquest Female Musician Award and Play It Strange competition at sixteen and fifteen respectively.
Born and raised on a sheep farm in Tokanui - 60 kilometres south east of Invercargill, Annah has fond memories of singing with her two younger sisters at local jam-nights supported by the tight-knit township. Annah's childhood was also filled with countless family jams on road-trips and Australasian-wide adventures, including annual visits to the Tamworth Country Music Festival in New South Wales. By nine she had already won her first of three Gore Gold Guitar Awards.
Annah says that her songs are a mix of personal experiences and stories told from the perspectives of close friends - a sentiment that is clearly reflected in the lyrics of her debut album, 'Little Stranger'. Annah recorded the majority of the album at Roundhead studios with internationally renowned American producer Brady Blade, working with Josh Fountain from Kidz In Space at Woodcut Studios, and Wayne Bell and Ben King at The Lab to finish other tracks.
Here I Stand
Annah Mac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to find
A state of mind where I can hide away
Knocking on people's doors
Greeted with open arms
But it's no secret, I'm not welcome where I stay
And I've been struggling on
Trying to belong
But I give in to fear
And a curtained room
With no comfort but the warmth in his embrace
Oh
Oh if I could say
Without being afraid
Or him raising a hand
I'd say you know I have hopes
I have dreams and I have
The right to make a stand
So here is the line
The line to my place
The place that I call my own
And you will leave me alone
'Coz
Here I stand
It's cold outside
Crouched by a light
Holding up pictures in the same hand as my smoke
How happy I was then
Look at my smile
I must have been on dope
How the times have changed
How little danger
I get into by choice
Kids they keep me sane
Numb from the pain
'Coz they know how to raise their voices
Oh
Oh if I could say
Without being afraid
Or him raising a hand
I'd say you know I have hopes
I have some dreams
And I have the right to make a stand
So here is the line
The line to my place
The place that I call my own
And tell them
Here I stand
Here I stand
Here I stand
Here I stand
Oh if I could say
Without being afraid
Or him raising a hand
I'd say you know I have hopes
I have some dreams
And I have the right to make a stand
So here is the line
The line to my place
The place that I call my own
And tell them all
Here I stand
Oh 'cuz
Here I stand
Annah Mac's song "Here I Stand" is about a person who is struggling to find a place where they belong, and who has experienced mistreatment and abuse at the hands of someone they live with. The song opens with the singer describing their search for solace, as they knock on doors seeking refuge and acceptance. Despite being met with kindness, they feel unwelcome in their own home and continue to face familiar faces that make them anxious. The singer admits to giving in to fear and finding comfort in the arms of someone who doesn't always treat them kindly.
However, in the chorus, the singer takes a stand, declaring their right to have hopes and dreams, and to make a stand for themselves. They draw a line in the sand of what they call their own space and declare that they will not be intimidated or controlled anymore. In the second verse, the singer reflects on the past, and how pictures of happier times no longer hold the same joy. The singer indicates that staying grounded is hard to come by, but it is the children in their life who keep them sane by inspiring them to raise their voices.
The lyrics are a powerful statement of resilience, of standing up for oneself in the face of adversity, and pushing back against abuse and control. The use of imagery, including knocking on doors seeking refuge, holding up pictures and smoking a cigarette, reinforces the sense of displacement and search for home. The song's tempo and the use of a guitar creates a sense of emotional depth and intensity that carries the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
It's dark and I'm
I am in a dark place mentally
Trying to find
I am attempting to locate
A state of mind where I can hide away
A mental state in which I can feel comfortable
Knocking on people's doors
Asking for help from others
Greeted with open arms
Welcomed warmly
But it's no secret, I'm not welcome where I stay
I am not wanted where I currently live
And I've been struggling on
I have been continuing to fight
Trying to belong
Attempting to fit in
To face after familiar face
Encountering familiar people
But I give in to fear
I am succumbing to fear
And a curtained room
Hiding behind closed curtains
With no comfort but the warmth in his embrace
I find solace in this person's embrace
Oh
Interjection expressing emotion
Oh if I could say
If only I could express
Without being afraid
Without fear of repercussions
Or him raising a hand
Or fearing physical harm
I'd say you know I have hopes
I have aspirations
I have dreams and I have
I have ambitions
The right to make a stand
The right to stand up for myself
So here is the line
This is the boundary
The line to my place
The line that leads to my safe place
The place that I call my own
My personal space, where I belong
And you will leave me alone
I demand to be left in peace
'Coz
Abbreviation for 'because'
Here I stand
I am taking a stand for myself
It's cold outside
The weather is chilly
Crouched by a light
Sitting by a light source
Holding up pictures in the same hand as my smoke
Holding pictures with the same hand as I hold my cigarette
How happy I was then
Reflecting on my past joy
Look at my smile
Noticing my happy expression in the picture
I must have been on dope
I was likely under the influence of drugs at the time
How the times have changed
Reflecting on the changes in my life
How little danger
How infrequently I am in danger
I get into by choice
I am not deliberately putting myself in harm's way
Kids they keep me sane
Children help me stay grounded
Numb from the pain
Desensitized to suffering
'Coz they know how to raise their voices
Because children know how to make themselves heard
Here I stand
I am taking a stand for myself
Here is the line
This is the boundary
The line to my place
The line that leads to my safe place
The place that I call my own
My personal space, where I belong
And tell them
And make it known
Here I stand
I am taking a stand for myself
Oh 'cuz
Abbreviation for 'because'
Here I stand
I am taking a stand for myself
Contributed by Caleb W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.