Looking For Someone
Genesis Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Looking for someone,
I guess I'm doing that
Trying to find a memory in a dark room
Dirty man, you're looking like a Buddha, I know you well
Yeah

Keep on a straight line
I don't believe I can,
Trying to find a needle in a haystack,
Chilly wind you're piercing like a dagger, it hurts me so.
Yeah

Nobody needs to discover me, I'm back again.
You see the sunlight through the trees, to keep you warm
in peaceful shades of green
Yet in the darkness of my mind
Damascus wasn't far behind.

Lost in a subway,
I guess I'm losing time.
There's a man looking at a magazine
You're such a fool, your mumbo-jumbo never tells me anything
Yeah

Nobody needs to discover me I'm back again
You feel the ashes from the fire that kept you warm
its comfort disappears
And still the only friend I know
Will never tell me where I go

Looking for someone and now I've found myself a name




Come away, leave me, all that I have I will give
Leave me, leave me, all that I am I will give

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Genesis's song "Looking For Someone" are full of cryptic imagery and introspective contemplation. The singer is searching for someone or something but is unsure of what it is they are looking for. The opening lines suggest that the search is taking place in a dark room, indicating that it might be a metaphorical search for self-discovery. The reference to the Dirty man looking like Buddha is also interesting as Buddha is viewed as an enlightened being, which could imply that the singer is looking for enlightenment or perhaps trying to embody it.


As the song progresses, the singer struggles to keep on a straight line, indicating how difficult it can be to stay focused when searching for something elusive. The mention of looking for a needle in a haystack is a well-known idiom that conveys the sense of searching for something impossible to find. The chilly wind piercing like a dagger is a sensory image that suggests emotional pain. All these elements hint that the search is not going well.


The final lines of the song reveal the singer's realization that they have been looking for themselves all along: "Looking for someone and now I've found myself a name." The ambiguous nature of these lyrics invites the listener to interpret them in their own way, adding to the timeless appeal of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

Looking for someone,
Searching for a person,


I guess I'm doing that
I suppose that's what I'm doing


Trying to find a memory in a dark room
Attempting to recall a memory in a place devoid of light


Dirty man, you're looking like a Buddha, I know you well
Unclean individual, resembling Buddha, whom I'm familiar with


Keep on a straight line
Maintain a direct course


I don't believe I can,
I doubt I am capable


Trying to find a needle in a haystack,
Attempting to locate something tiny in something vast


Chilly wind you're piercing like a dagger, it hurts me so.
Cold air, akin to a sharp weapon, causing physical discomfort


Nobody needs to discover me, I'm back again.
I don't require being discovered, I've returned once more


You see the sunlight through the trees, to keep you warm in peaceful shades of green
You observe the sun radiating through foliage, facilitating comfort


Yet in the darkness of my mind
However, in my mind's obscurity


Damascus wasn't far behind.
The metaphorical city of Damascus was close by


Lost in a subway,
Confused in a subway system


I guess I'm losing time.
I think I'm wasting time


There's a man looking at a magazine
There's an individual perusing a publication


You're such a fool, your mumbo-jumbo never tells me anything
You're a fool, your nonsense never informs me


Nobody needs to discover me I'm back again
No one has to find me, I've returned


You feel the ashes from the fire that kept you warm its comfort disappears
You experience the remnants of the extinguished warmth-providing flames


And still the only friend I know Will never tell me where I go
However, my sole acquaintance will never inform me of my destination


Looking for someone and now I've found myself a name
Searching for an individual, and now I've discovered my own identity


Come away, leave me, all that I have I will give Leave me, leave me, all that I am I will give
Leave my presence, I will present all that I possess and all that I am




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PHIL COLLINS, STEVE HACKETT, TONY BANKS, MIKE RUTHERFORD, PETER BRIAN GABRIEL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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

@garyrouyea8314

I am watching IN BRUGES...
Really great movie...I was so happy
when Colin Farrell won for this...
Kinda got me back into watching
The Oscars...Until

Sure thing...If you haven't
Seen it do yourself a favor
And find it...



@calyman0

Looking for someone, I guess I'm doing that,
Trying to find a mem'ry in a dark room.
Dirty man, you're looking like a Buddha,
I know you well - yeah.
Keep on a straight line, I don't believe I can,
Trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Chilly wind you're piercing like a dagger,
It hurts me so - yeah.
Nobody needs to discover me,
I'm back again.
You see the sunlight through the
Trees to keep you warm,
In peaceful shades of green.
Yet in the darkness of my mind
Damascus wasn't far behind.
Lost in a subway, I guess I'm losing time,
There's a man looking at a magazine.
You're such a fool, your mumbo-jumbo
Never tells me anything - yeah.
Nobody needs to discover me,
I'm back again.
You feel the ashes from the
Fire that kept you warm.
Its comfort disappears,
But still the only friend I know
Would never tell me where I go.
Looking for someone,
And now I've found myself a name.
Come away, leave me,
All that I have I will give.
Leave me, leave me,
All that I am I will give.



All comments from YouTube:

@mattdarby7105

Gabriel, Rutherford, Banks, Mayhew, Phillips. Greatly underrated lineup

@alancarver2511

Yeah. Collins is a legend but John Mayhew did a super job on this album.

@snacklofter

👍👍

@kenm.3512

Gabriel found his voice with this album. Genesis found their sound and direction. The rest is history.

@grey_street

too bad collins blows him away

@garyrouyea8314

I am watching IN BRUGES...
Really great movie...I was so happy
when Colin Farrell won for this...
Kinda got me back into watching
The Oscars...Until

Sure thing...If you haven't
Seen it do yourself a favor
And find it...

@MrDanielphenix

@@grey_street You don't know nothing about voice and feeling...Collins is a smock that was afraid to go in gabriel shoes... You weren't there in the 70,s to see them live...the Gensis with gabriel and the other with the clown Collins...that had never the sensibility of gabriel...I think you should return to listening to Madonna

@trespasser121

@@MrDanielphenix She's probably just a kid, into Niki Minaj.

@IDuman

Nowadays it is really important to mention these kinds of info!
For example the warning "HOT CONTENT" on coffee-to-go cups. Even if the coffee is smoking and clearly is not served out of a refrigerator!
Good lord, where did the common sense go?

18 More Replies...

@Noctew

Public service announcement: don't attempt to play your records with one half still in the cover.

More Comments

More Versions