Step Inside
Ball/Blackburn/Gray/Ottewell/Peacock Lyrics


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Harry's on the run, he's got good reason
Since he bought a gun, he'll never sleep again
Widow sleeps alone, she never shuts her window
Mandy knows what's fun, she just don't know what's right

Come on, step inside
Come on, step inside, don't walk on by
Step inside
Come on, step inside

Sequins on his shirt, Stevie's up for dancing
Always been a flirt, carol steps in line
History to the bone, memory to the marrow
Old an' weary man, treads a traveled road

Come on, step inside
Come on, step inside, don't walk on by
Step inside
Come on, step inside

Standing in the sun, trolling cold maria
A hare Krishna drum sounds distantly in time
The blood comes off like grime, in the wash hand basin
Just another crime, reason with her

Step inside
Come on, step inside, don't walk on by
Step inside
Come on, step inside, don't walk on by




Step inside
Come on, step inside

Overall Meaning

The song Step Inside by Ball/Blackburn/Gray/Ottewell/Peacock is a blend of stories of different people with different backgrounds, each fighting their own battles. The opening lines depict Harry, who is on the run and has bought a gun, out of fear for his life. The following verse brings in the character of a widow who sleeps alone, probably to protect herself. Mandy is the next character and although she knows what's fun, she doesn't seem to know what's right. It's indicative of a generation lost in their way, unsure of what they really want in life.


The second half of the song talks about Stevie and Carol, where Stevie is up for dancing, while Carol steps in line. The lyrics hint at Carol's obedient nature, while Stevie is a flirt. The next line ‘history to the bone, memory to the marrow’ brings in a sense of nostalgia, perhaps for better days. The song then comes full circle back to the 'blood coming off like grime in the wash hand basin', possibly representing another crime. The overall message of song is to encourage people not to ignore the troubled people around them, but to step inside and help them.


Line by Line Meaning

Harry's on the run, he's got good reason
Harry is running away from something and he has a valid reason to do so.


Since he bought a gun, he'll never sleep again
Harry's gun purchase has put him in a state of constant fear and paranoia.


Widow sleeps alone, she never shuts her window
The widow sleeps all by herself every night and leaves her window open for some reason.


Mandy knows what's fun, she just don't know what's right
Mandy understands what's enjoyable but is unaware of what's morally correct.


Sequins on his shirt, Stevie's up for dancing
Stevie is wearing a shirt with sequins and is in the mood for dancing.


Always been a flirt, carol steps in line
Carol has always been flirtatious, but now she's behaving appropriately.


History to the bone, memory to the marrow
The person being referred to has a deep understanding of history and an astoundingly long-lasting memory.


Old an' weary man, treads a traveled road
The old man is tired, and he has already taken the same path multiple times.


Standing in the sun, trolling cold maria
Someone is standing under the sun, while simultaneously trolling a person named Maria.


A hare Krishna drum sounds distantly in time
The sound of a distant drum played by someone practicing the Hare Krishna religion can be heard.


The blood comes off like grime, in the wash hand basin
Cleaning blood off of one's hands feels like scrubbing off dirt in a sink basin.


Just another crime, reason with her
There was yet another offense, but someone is attempting to provide an explanation for it.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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