HANDS
Chantal Kreviazuk Lyrics


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Oh, oh, oh, oh

There's a man outside my door tonight
He cries for help, he sings a pleadin' song
The times are tough for everyone
Gotta hold on to what I got, and just kinda cruise along

Well, I do
Want to be helpful
But it's cold and I'm told
You can't be too careful

Out of the mouth of a mother
And into the hands of a brother
And into the heart of a lover
And out of the hands of another
Do, do, do, do, do

You can never tell who your neighbor is
Or what he's doin' tonight
Or who his friends are
Well, you don't know where he's from
Or where he's been, or who he knows
You know you can't be too careful
These days

Well, I do
Want to be helpful
Well but it's cold and I'm told
It might just be the devil

Out of the mouth of a mother
And into the hands of a brother (do, do, do, do, do)
Into the heart of a lover
And out of the hands of another (do, do, do, do, do)

Well, I don't take chances
And I don't take time to see
And I don't take nothin' from nobody
No way, not me (do, do, do, do, do)
Ah (do, do, do, do, do)

Out of the mouth of a mother
And into the hands of a brother (do, do, do, do, do)
Into the heart of a lover
And out of the hands of another (do, do, do, do, do)
Out of the mouth of a mother
Ho
And into the hands of a brother (do, do, do, do, do)
Into the heart of a lover
Ho
And out of the hands of a child

Into the eyes of a child
Into the ears of a child
Into the heart of a child
Do, do, do, do, do
Into the heart of a child




Do, do, do, do, do
Into the heart of a child

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Chantal Kreviazuk's "Hands" talk about the uncertainties of life and how we can never tell who our neighbor is, what they are doing, or who they know. The man outside her door is crying for help, and she wants to be helpful, but she is told she can't be too careful. The song reflects on the times we live in, where we cannot trust anyone blindly and must take precautions to safeguard ourselves. The chorus has a repetitive pattern of "Out of the mouth of a mother, into the hands of a brother, into the heart of a lover, and out of the hands of another." The lines emphasize how we cannot trust people to do the right thing and how things can slip out of our hands.


The lyrics "Out of the mouth of a mother and into the hands of a brother" are thought to be a reference to Genesis 4:9 in the Bible, where Cain questions God, "Am I my brother's keeper?". The lyrics reflect on the fact that we cannot always save or help people, and sometimes we need to look after ourselves.


The song's haunting melody is backed by layers of piano, guitar, and other instruments, with the lyrics possessing a somber and melancholic undertone.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a man outside my door tonight
Someone is crying and appealing to the singer for help.


He cries for help, he sings a pleadin' song
The person outside is trying to get the singer's attention by crying and singing.


The times are tough for everyone
Everyone is experiencing difficult times.


Gotta hold on to what I got, and just kinda cruise along
The singer wants to take it easy and preserve what she has in life.


Well, I do
The singer wants to be helpful.


Want to be helpful
The singer wants to assist someone in need.


But it's cold and I'm told
The weather is cold and people are warning the singer to be cautious.


You can't be too careful
The singer is being advised to take precautions and not take unnecessary risks this day and age.


Out of the mouth of a mother
Advice from a mother.


And into the hands of a brother
Advice is passed onto siblings.


And into the heart of a lover
Lovers take advice to heart.


And out of the hands of another
People don't trust others with sensitive information.


You can never tell who your neighbour is
The singer indicates the unpredictability of people around her.


Or what he's doin' tonight
It is difficult to gauge what others may be up to in present times.


Or who his friends are
The singer does not know who their neighbour is acquainted with.


Well, you don't know where he's from
The singer does not know where their neighbour may have come from.


Or where he's been, or who he knows
The singer does not know about the places their neighbour has been, or who they may be familiar with.


Well, I don't take chances
The singer does not want to risk anything.


And I don't take time to see
The singer is not interested in observing their surroundings.


And I don't take nothin' from nobody
The singer does not want to receive handouts from anyone.


Out of the mouth of a mother
Advice is passed onto others as wisdom from a mother.


And into the hands of a brother
Brothers are sometime the confidantes for growing up.


Into the heart of a lover
Lovers take advice as a precious gift to cherish.


And out of the hands of another
Trust is important and not everyone can be trusted.


Into the eyes of a child
The eyes of a child reflect innocence and the singer points out the importance of cherishing innocent qualities in children.


Into the ears of a child
Children's ears capture sounds of the world and need to be protected and nurtured.


Into the heart of a child
Children's hearts need to be nurtured with love and care.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chris Burke Gaffney

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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