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On The Beach
Comsat Angels Lyrics
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I look for somewhere
All I see is other faces,
All I find is nowhere
I'll like a place or
Some space that no-one gets up to
She says "A town is just a town, full stop."
Here comes a great wave to wash it all away
No piece of glass or chrome remains
Here comes that wave again, see how fast it flows
We'll wash this place right down the drain
In the dark a thousand
Cars hiss by my window
A steel tide on a asphalt beach
They come and they go
I hear a beat in the motor seat
That I could die too
She says "A town is just a town, full stop."
But what does she know?
Here comes a great wave...
Here comes that wave again...
The song "On The Beach" by Comsat Angels is a beautiful yet melancholic track that hints towards an underlying sense of longing for something more in life. The opening lines "As I ride the motor tide, I look for somewhere, all I see is other faces, all I find is nowhere" paints a picture of someone who is perhaps feeling lost and directionless in a fast-paced world that seems to be moving too quickly for them.
The lyrics go on to describe a desire for a place or some space that is uniquely their own – a place where "no-one gets up to." However, the singer's partner responds with a cynical view of the world, suggesting that "a town is just a town, full stop." This juxtaposition between the two perspectives highlights a sense of disillusionment with modern life, where even seemingly simple pleasures have become out of reach or impossible to attain.
As the song progresses, the theme of feeling overwhelmed and insignificant continues, with the imagery of a steel tide on an asphalt beach, hinting at a feeling of being washed away and forgotten amidst a sea of people and change. However, despite the bleakness of the lyrics, there is a certain beauty in the way the simple melody and haunting vocals combine, hinting towards a longing for something more, something beyond what life currently offers us.
Overall, "On The Beach" is a song that speaks to the human condition and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often feels out of our control.
Line by Line Meaning
As I ride the motor tide
The singer is traveling on a motorcycle
I look for somewhere
The singer is searching for a specific place
All I see is other faces,
The singer is surrounded by people
All I find is nowhere
The singer is unable to find the place they are looking for
I'll like a place or
The singer wants an isolated place
Some space that no-one gets up to
Where no one else goes
She says "A town is just a town, full stop."
Someone else is trying to minimize the singer's desire for an isolated place
But what does she know?
The singer rejects the other person's opinion
Here comes a great wave to wash it all away
The singer anticipates a destructive force to come
No piece of glass or chrome remains
The destructive force will annihilate everything
Here comes that wave again, see how fast it flows
The destructive force comes repeatedly and quickly
We'll wash this place right down the drain
The singer regards the place as worthless and expendable
In the dark a thousand
The following lines describe a scene at night
Cars hiss by my window
Traffic noise fills the background
A steel tide on a asphalt beach
The cars on the road are compared to waves on a beach
They come and they go
The cars, like waves, are transient
I hear a beat in the motor seat
The motorcycle creates a rhythmic sound
That I could die too
The singer contemplates existence and mortality
She says "A town is just a town, full stop."
Someone else's opinion is dismissed once again
But what does she know?
The singer is aware of the other person's ignorance
Here comes a great wave...
Repetition of the earlier lines
Here comes that wave again...
Repetition of the earlier lines
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ryanjackson3428
I'm going to say yes. The song itself is quite Ballardian. The following lyrics are almost right out of Crash, for instance:
In the dark a thousand
Cars hiss by my window
A steel tide on a asphalt beach
They come and they go
I hear a beat in the motor seat
That I could die too
She says "A town is just a town, full stop."
But what does she know?
@morkami9521
O'Barr's Crow brought me here, thank you
@richarddevaottien7724
Classic deep wave,...one of my staple bands as a teenager in late 70,s Auckland NZ
@melamorales
I had a cassette of this made by a friend and we would drive all over town listening to this at full volume in my little toyota celica 1981-82 ish.....? Great underrated band.
@chrisbarlow2131
Brutal yet beautiful.
@shawniemar
This album! Such an important one in my life.
@richarddevaottien7724
Me too
@Haw9467
Still have my vinyl...listen and play along to it every now and then...What an appropriate song for today..."here comes a great big wave, we'll wash
this place right down the drain"... Floods due to automotive excess...Ballardian.
@laisurprises
@drake128
I’m leaving this comment so my son may hopefully find it when he’s grown and go “ oh shit dad had taste “
@bengallup9321
Under appreciated band. Great debut album.