On Your Hands
Fastbacks Lyrics
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Of time here on your hands
Bet you never known just what to do
And made the final plans
It says right here you've never won
And nowhere that you've tried
Then goes on to say you've never stuck
To anything you like
Hey falling on your hands
Take yourself up and away from where you land
Bet you wish you lost the list of names
Of all your high school friends
The scene you want to disappear
Goes on and never ends
Bet you want to close your eyes and go
When they make those demands
The job you wish you never had
Right now is on your hands
Fastbacks's song On Your Hands deals with themes of frustration and feeling stuck in life, particularly in regards to one's career and relationships. The opening lines, "Bet you never had a million years/Of time here on your hands," suggest a sense of aimlessness and a lack of direction. The singer challenges the listener, noting that they have never won or succeeded in anything they've tried, and have never stuck to anything they like. The repetition of the phrase "on your hands" throughout the song underscores a feeling of burden, as though the weight of a stagnant or unfulfilling life rests solely on the listener's shoulders.
The second half of the song shifts focus slightly, referencing the desire to escape from one's past and the pressure put upon them by others. The line "Bet you wish you lost the list of names/Of all your high school friends" speaks to a longing for anonymity and a shedding of past identities, while the following line "The scene you want to disappear/Goes on and never ends" speaks to a sense of being trapped in a cycle of repetition and feeling unable to break free. Ultimately, the song seems to be urging the listener to take action and move forward, even if the way forward is unclear.
Line by Line Meaning
Bet you never had a million years
You probably feel like you have an endless amount of time on your hands
Of time here on your hands
You have a lot of free time right now
Bet you never known just what to do
You're not sure how to occupy your time
And made the final plans
You haven't made any concrete plans for what to do with your time
It says right here you've never won
You don't have a history of succeeding in things
And nowhere that you've tried
Your attempts at things have fallen short
Then goes on to say you've never stuck
You haven't been able to commit to anything fully
To anything you like
Even things you enjoy doing haven't been able to hold your interest
From falling down
When you stumble or make a mistake
Hey falling on your hands
It's on you to pick yourself up and move forward
Take yourself up and away from where you land
You need to learn from your mistakes and move on
Bet you wish you lost the list of names
You regret keeping in touch with certain people from your past
Of all your high school friends
Specifically, people you knew in high school
The scene you want to disappear
There are certain situations or memories that you wish you could forget
Goes on and never ends
These memories or situations still haunt you
Bet you want to close your eyes and go
You wish you could escape your current reality
When they make those demands
When other people expect things of you
The job you wish you never had
You dislike your current job
Right now is on your hands
It's up to you to change your situation
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.