The Island
Gareth Icke Lyrics

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I’m selling up and I’m closing down.

Shutters dragged down to the ground.

Boarded up and painted white.

Grafitti covers up the signs, of life.

Take my hand.

Feel love and feel loved.

Take my hand.

Feel love and feel loved.

Brand new lights jump into your grave.

Your fingerprints will still remain.

Where once you stood so tall and proud.

The strongest gales can’t drag you down to ground.

Take my hand.

Feel love and feel loved.

Take my hand.

Feel love and feel loved.

Be it, be it, don’t just speak it.

Be it, be it, don’t just feel it.

And you cannot be replaced, erased.

Take my hand.

Feel love and feel loved.

Take my hand.

Feel love and feel loved.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the Gareth Icke's song 'The Island' tell us about shutting down and walking away from a place that was once full of life. The first verse creates an image of a place where the shutters are closed, the place is painted white, and graffiti covers up signs of life. The song’s protagonist is selling up and shutting down, but it’s not clear whether this means a physical place or something intangible like an emotional state of mind. In the chorus, we read a call for connection: 'Take my hand / Feel love and feel loved'. These lines represent an attempt to find solace in the embrace of someone else.

The second verse implies a kind of freedom from the past. The singer acknowledges that even though someone or something has been buried and moved on, their fingerprints remain. But even though the strongest winds cannot bring you down, the singer is once again offering an opportunity to feel connected by taking their hand. The song concludes with a call to action: 'Be it, be it, don’t just speak it / Be it, be it, don’t just feel it.' The final three lines suggest that everyone is irreplaceable and unique.

Line by Line Meaning

I’m selling up and I’m closing down.
I am giving up and shutting everything down.

Shutters dragged down to the ground.
The shutters have been closed completely.

Boarded up and painted white.
Everything has been covered and closed.

Graffiti covers up the signs, of life.
Insignia of life has been sprayed over with graffiti.

Take my hand.
Come with me.

Feel love and feel loved.
Experience or give love.

Brand new lights jump into your grave.
New things replace the old dead ones.

Your fingerprints will still remain.
Your essence will always exist.

Where once you stood so tall and proud.
A place where you stood with confidence.

The strongest gales can’t drag you down to ground.
You will stand firm against any challenge.

Be it, be it, don’t just speak it.
Live up to what you say.