Bell X1 are a quintessential Irish band, vastly underrated. Damien Rice was… Read Full Bio ↴Bell X1 are a quintessential Irish band, vastly underrated. Damien Rice was in the band at this stage and there is a glorious contrast between his softer, bitter-sweet songs and the rockier urges of the rest of the band. The version of 'Volcano' on this album illustrates this perfectly when compared to Damien's 'O' album version. However, for me 'Offshore' is the stand out, knock dead track - haunting, beautiful, mysterious and (as with most of Bell X1 music) it insinuates itself into you musical brain to the extent that you yearn for it after a days work to soothe your aching psyche and bones...

Offshore
Bell X1 Lyrics

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You haven't changed at all
Not much does in a frame on a wall
The paper's tarred and brown
If I hold you too close, you blur
Fearing it will fade away in darkness

So throw it overboard
And the next time we hit shore

I will stay behind
But she's washed up on the shore
Her salty spit her pours so pure
Leaves me choking on the sand
And her waves come in again
And she takes my hand

Gotta hold myself away
By blocking out the light of day
I can't hold you the way that I used to.
A picture you truly are
All legs and suicide
And where there's no room for lies
She lies across the breeze

Calling to me
Calling to me

Overall Meaning

The song "Offshore" by Bell X1 is a beautiful track that features engaging lyrics and a captivating melody. The song revolves around the idea of memories and how they can be both cherished and fleeting. The opening lines convey the feeling of nostalgia, where the singer talks about a picture on the wall, which hasn't changed at all. The paper on which the picture has been printed has become old, and the singer fears that the picture might fade away in darkness. Hence the singer suggests throwing it overboard and letting go.

The next couple of verses talk about the experience of being at sea and the strong waves that bring the singer closer to the shore. Despite the force of the waves, the singer cannot hold himself from the enchanting beauty of the waves and the shore. The singer also talks about a woman who is washed up on the shore and has saliva full of salt, which leaves him choking on sand. The singer is drawn towards her, and they take each other's hands.

The chorus is about how the singer is struggling to hold onto the memories and the person from the past. The idea of the picture in the opening lines is revisited, conveying how the image has now become a distant memory that can only be blocked out. The woman on the shore continues to call out to him, reminding him of simpler times, where there was no room for lies. The overall meaning of the song is about the fragility of memories and how difficult it can be to hold on to them.

Line by Line Meaning

You haven't changed at all
Your appearance remains the same as always

Not much does in a frame on a wall
Just like a picture keeps its unchanging structure on a wall

The paper's tarred and brown
The paper is old and discolored

If I hold you too close, you blur
When I come too close to you, I lose focus on you

Fearing it will fade away in darkness
Afraid that the picture may disappear in time

So throw it overboard
Let go of the past and move on

And the next time we hit shore
The next time we start a new chapter in our lives

I will stay behind
I will stay rooted in the past

But she's washed up on the shore
Yet, the memories of the past surface again

Her salty spit her pours so pure
The emotions that she entails are still raw and real

Leaves me choking on the sand
These emotions drown me and leave me feeling stranded