Darren Hanlon is a singer/songwriter from Gympie in Queensland, Australia.<… Read Full Bio ↴Darren Hanlon is a singer/songwriter from Gympie in Queensland, Australia.

Before becoming a solo artist in 1999, he was a member of The Simpletons, and contributed backing guitar and keyboards for The Lucksmiths, The Deerhunters, and Mick Thomas.

Darren is known for his engaging and down-to-earth folk-pop storytelling as well as his often charming lyrics.

Wrong Turn
Darren Hanlon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the journey that you take from womb to worm
You're silently pushed into each wrong turn
What gives?

I found a bar filled up with ancient Chinese sages
All playing bingo, pinball
Could've stayed for ages
In there

In there

For I belong with them
I wish I'd have met them sooner
Although I'm alien
And over thirty years their junior

But it's not me to make like a chandelier
So I folded up my map and drained my beer

I'm gone
I'm gone

Overall Meaning

The first line of Darren Hanlon's "Wrong Turn" sets the tone for the rest of the song, with a philosophical statement about the journey of life from "womb to worm." The next line introduces the theme of the song - the idea that sometimes we are pushed into making the wrong turn, despite our best intentions or efforts. The question "what gives?" seems to reflect a sense of frustration or confusion about this phenomenon.

The song then moves into a more concrete example of what the singer means by a wrong turn. He describes stumbling upon a bar full of ancient Chinese sages, playing games like bingo and pinball. He is drawn to them, feeling a sense of kinship despite his relative youth and "alien" status. He wishes he had met them sooner, but ultimately decides to leave - perhaps implying that even this encounter was a wrong turn in some way. He finishes the song by declaring, "I'm gone," indicating a sense of finality or closure.

Overall, "Wrong Turn" seems to be about the inevitability of making mistakes or taking missteps in life, despite our best efforts to navigate it properly. The bar full of Chinese sages may be a metaphor for the wise and ancient knowledge that we often seek, but may not know how to find. Ultimately, the singer seems to accept his own limitations and imperfections, suggesting a degree of humility and self-awareness.

Line by Line Meaning

On the journey that you take from womb to worm
Throughout your life, from birth to death

You're silently pushed into each wrong turn
You often make mistakes or wrong decisions without even realizing it

What gives?
What is the reason for this?

I found a bar filled up with ancient Chinese sages
I stumbled upon a bar where wise, experienced individuals were gathered

All playing bingo, pinball
Engaging in seemingly trivial activities despite their wisdom

Could've stayed for ages
I would have enjoyed spending more time with them

In there
Inside that bar

For I belong with them
I feel a sense of kinship with these wise individuals

I wish I'd have met them sooner
I regret not having encountered them earlier in my life

Although I'm alien
Despite feeling like an outsider or different from them

And over thirty years their junior
And much younger than they are