Darlingside is an American indie folk band from Boston, MA. The band consis… Read Full Bio ↴Darlingside is an American indie folk band from Boston, MA. The band consists of Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner, and David Senft.

Describing themselves as “string-rock”, the band started up in 2009 and quickly took hold of New England’s musical imagination. Playing over 100 shows during their first year of touring, the band created a seamless, exhilarating sound at the intersection of rock, classical, and folk music. Their self-produced six-song EP 1 earned high praise for its craftsmanship and originality, and their brand new subscription album Pilot Machines was released in 2012.

Surround
Darlingside Lyrics

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I don't care for you informing me of gospel I didn't know of
Thinking bless my soul, I lost my hold on every wishbone I let go of
I hope your good things said have nothing to do with the distance
I'm standing right next to you
But I'm not there inside your semicircular view
Oh, I guess I said too much too late
And you don't feel it

So hear me now
Give me once around
Hear me out
I surround, I surround

Understand, I'm heart in hand, and I am holding out to be shaken
Hoping with good things said I've nothing to lose
But you never looked at the lines
Too worried I'm in the words, inside your semicircle again
Oh, I guess I said too much too late
And you don't feel it

So hear me now
Give me once around
Hear me out
I surround, I surround

I don't care for you informing me
Thinking bless my soul I lost my hold
Tell me good things, good things
Tell me good things, good things
I said too much too late, and you don't feel it

So hear me now
Give me once around

Hear me out
I surround, I surround

Overall Meaning

The chorus of the song "Surround" by Darlingside is about the singer wanting to be heard and understood by someone close to him. He's not physically distant, but there's an emotional distance between them. The first verse seems to be directed towards someone who is religiously motivated and wants to share their beliefs with the singer. The singer doesn't care for this and feels like he's lost control of his own wishes. He hopes that the "good things said" have nothing to do with the emotional distance between them.

In the second verse, the singer is more directly addressing the person he wants to be understood by. He is "heart in hand" and holding out to be "shaken," meaning he is vulnerable and open to the other person's influence. He hopes that the "good things said" will have a positive effect on their relationship. However, the other person doesn't seem to recognize the singer's attempts to connect, and the singer feels like he's said too much too late.

The chorus is a plea to be heard and understood. The singer wants the other person to "give me once around," meaning to take a closer look at him and his feelings. He wants them to hear him out and recognize that he is there, even if they don't see him. The phrase "I surround, I surround" suggests that the singer is always there even when the other person doesn't acknowledge him.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't care for you informing me of gospel I didn't know of
I'm not interested in hearing new information from you

Thinking bless my soul, I lost my hold on every wishbone I let go of
I feel like I've lost control over my wishes and dreams

I hope your good things said have nothing to do with the distance
I hope your positive comments aren't because you don't really know me

I'm standing right next to you
Physically, I'm close to you

But I'm not there inside your semicircular view
But emotionally, I'm not what you want me to be

Oh, I guess I said too much too late
I realize I may have said too much too late

And you don't feel it
And you don't resonate with my words

Understand, I'm heart in hand, and I am holding out to be shaken
I'm vulnerable and ready to be moved

Hoping with good things said I've nothing to lose
I am hoping positive comments made about me won't backfire

But you never looked at the lines
But you haven't looked beneath the surface

Too worried I'm in the words, inside your semicircle again
You are too focused on the superficial, rather than truly knowing me