Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
Hamoa Beach
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ok I know it's not my place
I've got to say something
I've got to say something
I've got speak
She'll never leave
And you can never throw her out
You'd rather be with than without
That's just the fear talking
That just the fear talking
That's just the fear
Don't let it take you
Like it nearly took me, fear
Don't let it fool you
Like it nearly fooled me, fear
Remember the good old days
But love is like a dragonfly
So beautiful, it will die
And disappear before your eyes
I'm no philosopher
I am no poet
I'm just trying to help you out
Don't let it fool you
Like it nearly fooled me, fear
Don't let it take you
Like it nearly took me
And so you sit and wait
For another man to take your place
And when, when he comes
Would you welcome him with open arms?
You'll feel a hundred years younger
You'll feel a hundred years younger
You'll fee no fear
Don't let it take you
Like it nearly took me, fear
Don't let it fool you
Like it nearly fooled me, fear
Don't kill you
Like it nearly killed me, fear
The lyrics of 'Hamoa Beach' by Gomez essentially speak about the dangers and complexities of fear, particularly in relationships. The first verse starts with the singer trying to resolve a conflict between two people, but realizing that it's not entirely their place to do so. However, they still feel compelled to speak up and address the issue. The subsequent lines describe a woman who won't leave and the man who is unable to throw her out, which causes frustration and confusion. It becomes evident that it is the fear of being alone or being without that's causing reluctance in breaking the relationship. The chorus reinforces the idea that fear shouldn't govern relationships and people should be careful not to let it fool or take them.
The second verse focuses on nostalgia and how people tend to romanticize the past, forgetting that love is like a dragonfly that's just as beautiful as it is fleeting. The singer admits that they are not an expert in philosophy or poetry but still offer their support to the two people. The bridge discusses how fear can stagnate growth and possibility. The last verse describes someone waiting for someone else to take their place and how acceptance can bring freedom from fear.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh no, why can't you get along?
I'm concerned, why can't you both get along?
Ok I know it's not my place
I know it's not my job to interfere
I've got to say something
I feel compelled to speak up
I've got to say something
I feel the need to say something
I've got speak
I have to speak up
She'll never leave
She won't leave, she's here to stay
And you can never throw her out
You can't remove her, she'll always be there
Impossible to conceive
It's hard to imagine
You'd rather be with than without
You'd rather be with her than without her
That's just the fear talking
Your fear is controlling your thoughts
That just the fear talking
It's just your fear speaking
That's just the fear
It's simply your fear
Don't let it take you
Don't let fear consume you
Like it nearly took me, fear
Like it almost consumed me with fear
Don't let it fool you
Don't let fear manipulate you
Like it nearly fooled me, fear
Like it almost manipulated me with fear
Remember the good old days
Recall the past when things were good
But love is like a dragonfly
Love is fleeting and fragile
So beautiful, it will die
It's beautiful, but it won't last forever
And disappear before your eyes
End suddenly while you're not expecting it
I'm no philosopher
I'm not an expert in philosophy
I am no poet
I'm not a professional writer
I'm just trying to help you out
I'm trying to be helpful
And so you sit and wait
You're waiting around
For another man to take your place
For someone else to replace you
And when, when he comes
And if/when he arrives
Would you welcome him with open arms?
Would you accept him willingly?
You'll feel a hundred years younger
You'll feel young again
You'll feel a hundred years younger
You'll feel youthful again
You'll fee no fear
You won't feel fear
Don't kill you
Don't let fear consume you entirely
Like it nearly killed me, fear
Like it almost took over my life with fear
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benjamin Joseph Ottewell, Ian Thomas Ball, Oliver James Peacock, Paul Blackburn, Thomas William Gray
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind