House Behind a House
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Lyrics


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There's a house behind a house
There's a dream behind a dream
There's a heart outside a heart
There's a hope behind a hope

When two people know that it's time to go
When do they give in
At what point in time do they really find
They must let it end

Lonely faces everywhere
Watch them starin' at their hands
As the walls keep closin' in
As the days go on and on

When two people see it can never be
When do they give up
When do they concede they must let it be
Now they've had enough They've had enough

Lonely faces everywhere
Watch them starin' at their hands




There's a house behind a house
There's a dream behind a dream

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "House Behind A House" by Bob Seger speak to the complexity of human relationships and the emotional struggle of letting go when a relationship has come to an end. The lyrics reflect a sense of emotional layering, with the imagery of a house behind a house, a dream behind a dream, a heart outside a heart, and a hope behind a hope. Each line carries an important message - that there are deeper layers to every situation, and there's always a hope hiding behind a hope when things seem bleak.


The song's central theme is the difficulty of defining a relationship's endpoint. As the lyrics ask, “When two people know that it's time to go, When do they give in?” The song reflects on the moment when a relationship has gone past its expiration date, and the sadness that comes with recognizing that it's time to let it end. The song speaks to the universal human experience of holding on too long to something that once had value, that had potential for love and happiness, but is now lifeless.


The lyrics also touch on the loneliness that follows a broken relationship, with “Lonely faces everywhere, Watch them starin' at their hands as the walls keep closin' in, As the days go on and on.” This reflects the sense of isolation and confusion that people can feel when contemplating the end of a relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a house behind a house
Oftentimes, people put on a facade to cover up what's really going on behind their closed doors.


There's a dream behind a dream
People may have hidden aspirations that they keep to themselves, due to fear of judgement or failure.


There's a heart outside a heart
People often hide their true feelings and may have trouble expressing their emotions to others.


There's a hope behind a hope
Sometimes, people may have a deeper meaning behind their hopes and wishes, but they keep it hidden in their heart.


When two people know that it's time to go
When two people in a relationship know that the end is near and it's time to move on,


When do they give in
they may question when they should finally give up on the relationship.


At what point in time do they really find
They may wonder at what specific moment they knew the relationship was truly over.


They must let it end
Eventually, they must accept that the relationship is ending and let it come to a close.


Lonely faces everywhere
When a relationship ends, there is often a feeling of loneliness and isolation.


Watch them starin' at their hands
People may become introspective and become lost in thought when dealing with emotions stemming from a breakup.


As the walls keep closin' in
The longer it takes to move on from a relationship, the more suffocating and restricting it can feel.


As the days go on and on
Time can feel slow and elongated when dealing with the pain and aftermath of a breakup.


When two people see it can never be
When two people realize that their relationship is impossible to fix or mend,


When do they give up
they may question when they should finally give up on trying to repair the relationship.


When do they concede they must let it be
Eventually, they must accept that the relationship cannot be salvaged and they must move on.


Now they've had enough
After trying to hold on and fix what was broken for so long, they have finally reached their breaking point.




Lyrics Š OBO APRA/AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

TycoTrainAL

Thanks for posting.the Distance album rocked ass! 5 stars ! Little Victories was my favorite track from this album , a very underated song!

jaymmzzs

i love this song ...ever since it came out

alan friday

Best song he ever did ! Never understood why it didn't get more radio play ....?

Mark J

Wicked song, wicked album!!!!

Red Clark

In 1980, I stood at the front wall, less than 6 feet from the stage, in front of 86,000 people at the Louisville summer jam. Seen the Rockets, point blank, Reo speedwagon and Bob Seger. Paid 12.50 for the ticket

Red Clark

@jaymmzzs that's been many years ago, I do remember riding the Storm out I ain't sure about golden country🥴🥴

jaymmzzs

NICE did REO do Ridin the storm out , and GOLDEN COUNTRY????????

John Smith

Paid $10 to watch Jim McCarty, The Rockets' lead guitarist at a riverside bar in Bay City, MI last weekend. He had Detroit area pals playing with him, they call the band Mystery Train. Even at 76, he can still strum it, very worth my while.

lisa jenkins

his best song

scwalker2000

I still have this on 45-lp. A great song.

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