House Of Cards
Gerry Beckley Lyrics
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As if I knew my way
It seems the more I got around
The less I had to say
I built a world of tumbling dice
Upon a field of sand
And now the more I try to give
So we wait, then discard, house of cards
I took a pane of broken glass
And made a diamond ring
For every single blade of grass
Mm, of thee I sing
Why we wait, hesitate, I don't know
Don't tell me 'bout your world coming apart
Should have known about you girl, right from the start
So we wait, to discard, house of cards
I'm walking down a lonely road
To the edge of town
If you try and change my mind
I won't turn around
Tell me why I should try once again
House of cards
The lyrics to Gerry Beckley's "House of Cards" is about the disillusionment of a relationship that was built on a weak foundation. The singer reminisces about a time when he was sure of himself and knew where he was going. However, the more he experienced, the less he felt confident in his abilities to communicate with others. He built a superficial world on "a field of sand" and tried to give to his partner, but their demands kept increasing, leaving them with a "house of cards" that was bound to collapse.
The second verse of the song reveals that the singer was creative and dedicated to those he loved. He took a broken pane of glass and crafted a diamond ring, and he praises the beauty of every single blade of grass. Despite these attribute, he and his partner still waited and hesitated; the singer didn't know why they did this, but it is clear that the foundation of their relationship was not solid. The chorus reflects the finality of their decision to dissolve the relationship. The singer refuses to turn back, even though he is walking down a lonely road, and asks why he should try once more to put together a weak foundation represented as a "house of cards."
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time I walked the earth
I used to be confident and self-assured when making decisions or going about my life
As if I knew my way
I gave the impression that I always knew the right course of action
It seems the more I got around
However, the more I experienced and learned, the less certain I became
The less I had to say
And I found myself speaking less and less because I wasn't sure what to say
I built a world of tumbling dice
I created a life filled with risks and uncertainties
Upon a field of sand
But my foundation was unstable and easily eroded
And now the more I try to give
Despite my efforts to improve my situation or help others, it seems like it's never enough
The more that you demand
And people keep asking for more from me, putting pressure on my shaky foundation
So we wait, then discard, house of cards
Ultimately, everything falls apart and crumbles like a house of cards, leaving us to start over
I took a pane of broken glass
I tried to turn something that was broken or flawed into something beautiful
And made a diamond ring
Like creating a symbolic representation of worth or value, even from something damaged
For every single blade of grass
I found meaning and purpose in the smallest or seemingly insignificant things
Mm, of thee I sing
Appreciating and celebrating the positive aspects of life
Why we wait, hesitate, I don't know
Sometime we put off taking action or making decisions for reasons that aren't clear even to ourselves
Don't tell me 'bout your world coming apart
I don't want to hear about other peoples' problems and struggles when my own life is unstable
Should have known about you girl, right from the start
I regret getting involved with someone who added to my burden and instability
So we wait, to discard, house of cards
Again, everything falls apart and we have to start over
I'm walking down a lonely road
I feel isolated and uncertain in my journey forward
To the edge of town
Heading towards a new or unfamiliar destination
If you try and change my mind
I don't want anyone to alter my current direction or choices
I won't turn around
I'm committed to seeing this through and I won't be deterred
Tell me why I should try once again
I'm questioning the value or purpose of continuing to rebuild my life only to see it fall apart again
House of cards
A metaphor for my life and how it keeps collapsing despite my attempts to build it back up
Contributed by Allison G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.