Antoine and Lionel star… Read Full Bio ↴Girls in Hawaii is a belgian indie pop band.
Antoine and Lionel started to record their songs on their Dream Machine (an old 8 track-recorder). «We were friends an a bit bored. We had time and wanted to use it. I wrote a song, says Lionel, singer, composer and guitarist, and made it listen to Antoine (singer). I challenged him. Then he wrote another song back, and so on, we had several tracks. It started like that. We discovered that together, our songs had a coherence between them (...) It’s not an influence in our music, but Nirvana’s «Nevermind» is something very determinant for us, an eletrochoc. Then we discovered some american folk, such as Cat Power and Will Oldham. We also like Swell».
A couple of months after this «challenge» they call their own brothers and two other friends in order to form a band and play live. In the meantime they had sent some demos to promotors, magazines and record labels and, to their great surprise, answers began to come regularly back to them , as their songwriting and stage presence don't seem to leave many people indifferent. In may 2002 they join the stable of 62 TV Records (FlexaLyndo, M.Ward, Johnwayneshotme, Austin Lace, Papas Fritas, ao…). Afterwards, they spent the summer writing new songs and recording on a mobile multi-track recorder in various country houses.
«We wanted to control and master everything, and with someone outside the band to record us, it would have been harder, not knowing how to react in those new circumstances. So we stayed a «family», and record the album by ourselves. It reflects our differents moods. We sing in english, it’s our musical culture, Nirvana, The Pixies, Grandaddy,...»
The young band had to make important choices. « Some of us had jobs, or were studying at university. We kind of quit everything and moved to Brussels as we saw we could do something with this album...
Into Grandaddy or even Coldplay ? They just come from another place. Their intoxicating blend of vocal harmonies, subtle synths and acoustic guitars meld over a vast rhythmic landscape, with catchy melodies and commercial-sounding hooks through out. Now it is up to you to draw your own conclusions: have a walk among their ballads, their aerial arpeggios, their unclouded or dreamy melodies, their very own vision of folk music or even ambient….
Due to the accidental death of Denis Wielemans (1982-2010), the band decided to take a break.
Plan your escape
Girls in Hawaii Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause I’m down in the lack
Of those treasures we’ve found
When we dug up the ground
I spend the days and the nights
Watching friends and their wives
Me on locked in the songs
My blood froze up in my veins
While you stared at the floor
If I had a gun in my hand
Would I see in the end
Of this life on the rack
Something I could regret
Or would I smile to the world
Leave it when it gets cold
Thank you for what I’ve got
Fuck you for what I’m not
My blood froze up in my veins
While I stared at the floor
You know some planets are gone
And I plan my escape
The lyrics of "Plan your escape" by Girls in Hawaii offer a reflective look at the fleeting nature of life and the struggle to come to terms with unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. The singer laments the loss of the "treasures" that he and his friends once uncovered in their youth and the way that the passing of time has left him feeling trapped and unfulfilled. The repeated refrain of "my blood froze up in my veins" underscores the sense of stagnation and despair that the singer feels, even as he tries to remain hopeful about the future.
The lines about having a gun in his hand highlight the singer's ambivalence towards life and death. He wonders whether, if he were to end his own life, he would regret what he had lost or find solace in leaving behind a world that has grown too cold and unforgiving. Ultimately, the song suggests that despite the singer's struggles and doubts, he still has hope for a better life and is actively working towards a brighter future, as evidenced by the final line about planning his escape.
Overall, "Plan your escape" is a poignant meditation on the complexities of human existence and the struggle to find meaning in a world that often seems indifferent to our desires and aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
I sing a song in the dark
I am feeling low and lost and so I sing a song in the dark as my way of coping.
Cause I’m down in the lack
I am deeply unhappy and feeling deprived of something I once had.
Of those treasures we’ve found
I miss the beautiful memories of happy days shared with the person I love.
When we dug up the ground
When we were younger and carefree, we uncovered beautiful moments that we now miss.
I spend the days and the nights
I am feeling lonely and isolated, passing time watching friends and their loved ones.
Watching friends and their wives
I am watching how others are able to find love and happiness while I remain alone.
Me on locked in the songs
Music and songwriting is my only solace, as I am trapped in my own sadness.
We made as we were young
Music reminds me of happier times when we were young and making beautiful memories together.
My blood froze up in my veins
I am filled with fear and anxiety, which paralyzes me in place.
While you stared at the floor
My partner is unresponsive to my pain and struggles.
If I had a gun in my hand
I am feeling so hopeless and desperate that I consider the possibility of ending my own life.
Would I see in the end
I wonder if there is any relief or satisfaction that could come from ending my own life.
Of this life on the rack
I feel trapped and tortured by my own sadness and loneliness, and wonder if my life will always feel unbearable.
Something I could regret
I worry that I may do something impulsive and irreversible that I will regret later.
Or would I smile to the world
Alternatively, perhaps I could find a way to appreciate the beauty of the world around me, despite my pain.
Leave it when it gets cold
Maybe there is a way for me to abandon my sadness when I am no longer able to find comfort, warmth or joy in it.
Thank you for what I’ve got
The world may be a difficult place, but I am still grateful for the good things that I have in my life, including music and memories.
Fuck you for what I’m not
At the same time, I am also angry and resentful towards the world for what it has taken from me.
You know some planets are gone
Like the disappearance of planets, some things in my life have vanished or disappeared, and I am struggling to make sense of it.
And I plan my escape
Ultimately, I am looking for a way out of my pain, either by finding solace in beauty or by escaping entirely.
Contributed by Cooper T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.