Sand
Einstürzende Neubauten Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Young woman share your fire with me
My heart is cold, my soul is free
I am a stranger in your land
A wandering man, call me Sand

Oh sir my fire is very small
It will not warm thy heart at all
But thee may take me by the hand
Hold me and I′ll call thee Sand

Young woman share your fire with me
My heart is cold, my soul is free
I am a stranger in your land
A wandering man, call me Sand

At night when stars light up the sky
Oh sir I dream my fire is high
Oh taste these lips sir if you can
Wandering man, I call thee Sand

Oh sir my fire is burning high
If it should stop sir I would die
A shooting star has crossed my land
Wandering man, - She whispered, - Sand

Young woman shared her fire with me
Now warms herself with memory
I was a stranger in her land
A wandering man, she called me sand





He was a stranger in my land
A wandering man, i called him sand

Overall Meaning

The song Sand by Einstürzende Neubauten is a hauntingly beautiful and complex rendering of a moment of intense intimacy between a man and a woman. The song, which is lyrically simple, in fact, encapsulates a deeply profound moment of vulnerability, human connection, and the healing of past hurts that we all crave in our lives. The song begins with the plea of the wandering man to the woman to share her fire with him. His heart is cold, and his soul is free, and he has wandered into this land as a stranger. The woman responds with a hesitant "Oh sir my fire is very small" but agrees to hold him and call him Sand.


As the song progresses, the man's vulnerability takes on a new dimension as he confesses, "If it should stop sir I would die," revealing his dependence on the woman, and how much he is willing to risk to find some warmth and love in his life. The song reaches its climax when the woman shares her fire with the man, and he finds the refuge and the healing he so desperately needed. The song ends with the woman warming herself with the memory of the moment, and the man called Sand, forever transformed by this moment of connection with her.


In conclusion, Sand is a deeply moving ballad that captures the essence of human connection, vulnerability, and the healing power of love, even in the darkest moments of our lives.




Line by Line Meaning

Young woman share your fire with me
A man asks a woman to share her warmth with him.


My heart is cold, my soul is free
He feels emotionally detached but mentally unburdened.


I am a stranger in your land
The man acknowledges that he is not familiar with the woman's home.


A wandering man, call me Sand
He introduces himself using a metaphorical name that represents his free and transient nature.


Oh sir my fire is very small
The woman responds humbly but truthfully about her ability to provide warmth.


It will not warm thy heart at all
She warns the man that her fire may not be enough to give him what he seeks emotionally.


But thee may take me by the hand
Despite her fire being small, she still offers her presence to the man.


Hold me and I’ll call thee Sand
She reciprocates his introduction by using his metaphorical name and inviting him closer.


At night when stars light up the sky
The woman sets the scene for a romantic moment.


Oh sir I dream my fire is high
She shares her secret fantasy of being able to provide more warmth than she reality can.


Oh taste these lips sir if you can
She tacitly invites the man to kiss her.


Wandering man, I call thee Sand
She refers to him using his metaphorical name as a term of endearment.


Oh sir my fire is burning high
The woman changes her tune and tell the man that her fire is now strong enough.


If it should stop sir I would die
She tells the man that she is fully reliant on her feelings for him to sustain her emotional warmth.


A shooting star has crossed my land
She describes a dramatic event that has elevated her emotional state and intensify her passion.


Wandering man, - She whispered, - Sand
She professes her affection for him using his metaphorical name as an intimate endearment.


Young woman shared her fire with me
The man reflects on the fact that the woman provided him with emotional warmth.


Now warms herself with memory
He recognizes that she now looks back fondly on their time together for warmth.


I was a stranger in her land
He admits that despite their intimacy, he was still not familiar with her home or her background.


A wandering man, she called me sand
He remembers her using his metaphorical name and what it represented to them.




Writer(s): Lee Hazlewood

Contributed by Sophia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@slint69

Young woman share your fire with me
My heart is cold, my soul is free
I am a stranger in your land
A wandered man, call me Sand

Oh sir my fire is very small
It will not warm thy heart at all
But thee may take me by the hand
Hold me and I'll call thee Sand

Young woman share your fire with me
My heart is cold, my soul is free
I am a stranger in your land
A wandering man, call me Sand

At night when stars light up the sky
Oh, sir I dream my fire is high
Oh, taste these lips sir if you can
Wandered man, I call thee Sand

Oh sir my fire is burning high
If it should stop sir I would die
A shooting star has crossed my land
Wandered man, she whispered: "Sand"

Young woman shared her fire in me
Now warms herself with memory
I was a stranger in her land
A wandered man, she called me Sand (Sand)

He was a stranger in my land
A wandered man, i called him sand



All comments from YouTube:

@levoldunom

That "young woman, share your fire with me" always gets to me 🖤

@autumndiver93

this will be my wedding march. i have always wanted it.

@einskaldir

W swojej prostocie to jest arcydzieło...

@CarolNance

Been a fan of EN forever and ever - i never get sick of this song/

@IchbinSchalker

This is simply magnificent!

@fredtheking350

Crazy version, il ike it. I love the original from Nancy and Lee, but this is a very cool cover.

@jrmetmoi

Halber Mensch is one of my fave albums of all time, and I think it's the only non-English speaking album I can say that about! I have it on CD though not on LP/record.

@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws

When I was a kid I really (secretly) dug Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood and funnily enough it turned out I wasn't the only one with Blixa, Nick Cave and Bobbie Gillespie all doing covers from this great album. Love it!!

@sublimistica

this is absolutely divine.

@Horlitz

Ich liebe die Neubauten!

More Comments

More Versions