The… Read Full Bio ↴Hands Like Houses is a rock group from Canberra, ACT, Australia.
The band is renowned for its live performances, glorious mustaches, and sophisticated musical style, garnering the group a large following in the Canberra area.
The group released one EP entitled "Bear in Mind, I'm a Lion" and were highly ranked on alternative radio station Triple J's Unearthed competition.
In 2010, the band went to Chango Studios in Florida to record its first work under its new name with producer Cameron Mizell, the new EP was due for release at some point later in the year, but the band was given the opportunity to return to Chango and create what will be their debut full-length, 'Ground Dweller'.
On the 5th January 2012, the band announced that they had joined the Rise Records family, with details about 'Ground Dweller' to be released on January 10th.
The band's current line-up consists of:
Trenton Woodley - Vocals
Matt Cooper - Guitar
Joel Tyrrell - Bass
Alex Pearson - Guitar
Matt Parkitny - Drums
Animals
Hands Like Houses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In this carousel, the silence is so surreal.
I've been misled through empty streets to the heart that never beats
Of a body that I can't keep.
We're blessed with these horrors for highways.
This city turns, no longer content to just brush shoulders.
Have we lost our touch?
A light goes on.
We throw our blankets aside.
It's been hours now and we still know nothing.
The scars just don't heal the same, when we collide.
I'd never say that we step to the other side to keep us from brushing shoulders.
But it's collisions we need to remind us that we're alive.
I'd never say that you make me sick,
But you're turning all the questions to cancers.
Someone call in the emergency and we'll peel back the dressings so we can see
The kind of things that the surgeons see,
When the bloodwork won't give us the answers.
They'll never tell us, because they don't know whats killing us.
My heart's at a million miles an hour as we brace for the impact,
It makes time stand, still.
Forcing momentum into a moment so for a split second, I see your face
In between all the broken glass hanging like a mobile.
This is a picture we'll never quite forget.
The surgeons pick, they pick at my body.
Their fingers dance, they dance all around me.
Hold still while they pick at my body.
They'll dance all around me.
The surgeons pick, they pick at my body.
Their fingers dance, they dance all around me.
Hold still while they pick at my body.
They'll dance all around me.
Breathe your anaesthetic words to slow us down.
Tear back the skin to find, to chase a pulse back home.
I'd never say that you make me sick,
But you're turning all the questions to cancers.
Someone call in the emergency and we'll peel back the dressings so we can see
The kind of things that the surgeons see,
When the blood work won't give us the answers.
They'll never tell us, because they don't know whats killing us.
The lyrics of "Animals" by Hands Like Houses depict the sensation of being lost and overwhelmed in a modern city, where everything seems artificial and suffocating. The opening line, "The gasoline is mixing with the oxygen," suggests that the atmosphere is becoming toxic, and this is later echoed in the line, "Breathe your anaesthetic words to slow us down." The singer feels like they are trapped in a never-ending cycle, represented by the metaphor of the carousel, and that the silence around them is eerie and surreal.
The second verse highlights the need for human connection in this disconnected world, as the singer laments that "this city turns, no longer content to just brush shoulders." They feel the need for more meaningful collisions with others, even if it means experiencing pain and scars, as these are the things that remind us we are alive. This is reinforced in the repeating chorus, which emphasizes the violence and confusion of the modern world, contrasted with the image of the surgeons picking at the body, looking for answers that may never come.
Overall, "Animals" by Hands Like Houses is a poignant commentary on the state of modern society, where people are lost and disconnected, seeking connection and meaning in a world that often feels more like a nightmare than reality.
Line by Line Meaning
The gasoline is mixing with the oxygen.
The toxic atmosphere is building up and making everything feel heavy and surreal.
In this carousel, the silence is so surreal.
The atmosphere has become so heavy and surreal that even normal silence feels unreal.
I've been misled through empty streets to the heart that never beats
Of a body that I can't keep.
I've been led to a place that seems to be alive, but upon closer inspection, it's empty and lifeless, and I can't hold onto it.
We're blessed with these horrors for highways.
Life is filled with terrible things that we must face as we struggle down the road.
This city turns, no longer content to just brush shoulders.
Have we lost our touch?
The people in this city seem to be growing more distant from each other, and it's becoming harder to connect.
A light goes on.
We throw our blankets aside.
It's been hours now and we still know nothing.
We feel like we should be seeing something, but we're still in the dark and have no answers.
The scars just don't heal the same, when we collide.
When we hurt each other, it's not like other wounds that can be patched up and forgotten about.
I'd never say that we step to the other side to keep us from brushing shoulders.
But it's collisions we need to remind us that we're alive.
We may try to avoid getting too close to each other, but sometimes a bump is what it takes to truly feel alive and connected.
I'd never say that you make me sick,
But you're turning all the questions to cancers.
You're not making me physically ill, but your actions are causing problems to grow and worsen.
Someone call in the emergency and we'll peel back the dressings so we can see
The kind of things that the surgeons see,
When the bloodwork won't give us the answers.
They'll never tell us, because they don't know whats killing us.
We need to bring in outside help to try to figure out what's causing our problems, but even the experts may not have all the answers.
My heart's at a million miles an hour as we brace for the impact,
It makes time stand, still.
Forcing momentum into a moment so for a split second, I see your face
In between all the broken glass hanging like a mobile.
This is a picture we'll never quite forget.
We're about to experience something big and intense, and it feels like time has stopped. In that moment of stillness, I catch a glimpse of you amongst the chaos and destruction.
The surgeons pick, they pick at my body.
Their fingers dance, they dance all around me.
Hold still while they pick at my body.
They'll dance all around me.
Experts are poking and prodding at us, trying to find a solution to our problems.
Breathe your anaesthetic words to slow us down.
Tear back the skin to find, to chase a pulse back home.
Use your soothing words to calm us down, and help us find our way back to what's important.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Abra Heron
i really wish their new stuff was more like this.
Cam S
Listen to Valiant Hearts!
YouGotDsnopd
@Luke May yeah the scene when they came out kid
AerinnMay
@Luke May SWS' first album is literally the same format as Ground Dweller. Same guitar, same drums. The bass and vocals is where they start to diverge.
Amkren
They say they’re making the stuff they want to make. They always have, and that’s why each and every album is VASTLY different. Trenton says he and the band writes about how they feel in that moment, so any kind of music from them seems possible. They are very unpredictable as a band because they change so often.
The recent change I feel also has to do with their contention with where they are as a band, so it’s like a calm within the storm.
Also, I’m sure touring has had a toll on them all, but most notably Trenton. If you go back and listen to their old live videos it seems like he hits the notes much easier, and doesn’t have as much trouble with voice cracks and the like. I mean they’re not 22 anymore haha. They’re all in their 30’s and with the maturity and experience they’ve gained they’ve always chosen to take new routes in their music. I doubt they’ll ever go back to being this heavy, but they could. It just may take another toll on Trentons voice, sadly.
AerinnMay
SWS is back after two albums of kinda meh things, these guys can do the same
Morse Code Stutters
While I still love and respect HLH for continuing to make music and change up their style, I'm personally gonna stick to Dissonants and everything before it. ESPECIALLY THIS! This first album was such a nice mess of unique song structures and overdone layers, and as messy as it gets, that's what makes it beautiful.
Morse Code Stutters
@Frank Marano Maybe they got bored even though Dissonants was like THE perfect sound for them. They had metalcore-like breakdowns in unexpected places and it was just so awesome. They're still good though, just in a different way now.
therippersbitxh
12 years later and id still kill to hear them play this live
therippersbitxh
@YouGotDsnopd I've seen them live 5 times. Just never played this song