The Clock
Atoms for Peace/Thom Yorke Lyrics
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But you just move the hands upon the clock
You throw coins in the wishing well
For us
You just move your hands upon the wall
It comes to you begging you to stop
Wake up
Throw coins in the wishing well
For us
You make believe that you are still in charge
The Clock by Atoms for Peace/Thom Yorke is a song that explores the existential fear of running out of time. The lyrics speak to someone who is seemingly in control, but is actually powerless to stop the inevitable ticking of the clock. The lines "Time is running out for us, but you just move the hands upon the clock" suggest that time waits for no one, even those who think they are in control. The use of "us" implies that the singer is not alone in their fear of time slipping away.
The phrase "you throw coins in the wishing well for us" suggests that the person in control is making wishes on behalf of others, but their actions are ultimately futile. The repetition of "you just move your hands upon the wall" emphasizes the powerlessness of the subject, who is unable to stop time even though they may try to appear in control. The line "it comes to you begging you to stop" suggests that the singer is pleading with someone to pause or slow down time, but their pleas fall on deaf ears.
The final line "you make believe that you are still in charge" is telling of the human desire to control their own destiny, despite the fact that time will inevitably catch up with us all. The Clock is a haunting reminder that time is finite and cannot be controlled, no matter how much we may wish otherwise.
Line by Line Meaning
Time is running out for us
We are running out of time and need to take action.
But you just move the hands upon the clock
You are not taking action and just letting time pass.
You throw coins in the wishing well
You are hoping for something to change, but not actively making it happen.
For us
You are doing this for our benefit, but it's not enough.
You just move your hands upon the wall
You are not doing anything productive, just making empty gestures.
It comes to you begging you to stop
The situation is desperate and we need you to stop ignoring it.
Wake up
We need you to realize the urgency of the situation.
Throw coins in the wishing well
You are still hoping for change without taking action.
For us
You are doing this for our benefit, but it's not helping.
You make believe that you are still in charge
You are pretending to be in control, but you are not taking responsibility for the problem or working to fix it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: THOMAS EDWARD YORKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Fuentes
Lyric:
Time is running out for us
But you just move the hands upon the clock
You throw coins in the wishing well
For us
You just move your hands upon the wall
It comes to you begging you to stop
Wake up
But you just move your hands upon the clock
Throw coins in the wishing well
For us
You make believe that you are still in charge
Zeppolino100
To all those Generation X and Millennials out there that think that all of
us Baby Boomers are stuck in the past, this 64 year old loves this!
YoshimizRobots
and this 42 year old too
DownIsTheNewUp
41. Best.Music.Ever.
MANIRES
23 and i dont care about your age, you have a great taste in music !
Michele Morselli Composer
Aaaaand here's a 16 years old boy. Waiting for a 10 year old kid, so we covered a lifespan with people who listens to marvelous music.
A Slightly Savage Burrito
This thread. <3
Wonky Power
Rhythm Rhythm Rhythm! It's like every live track they perform places the listener in a light trance. Genius work.
MangyMako
The energy that Thom and Flea bring to the stage is insane.
deerhooffan413
oh my god. the one song i didn't think they could pull off live, and yet here it is. INCREDIBLE performance all around.
Jordan Toomajon
These musicians have done so much in their lives and don't look to be stopping anytime soon. Such a great feeling to watch this!