Antarctica
Hands Like Houses Lyrics


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Father, we fled your house of grey.
We ran from home to seek a place where our bodies would never grow.
Dreamer, child, be cautious of this world!
She has an appetite for boys and girls and she's hungry for your soul.

Little boys with dreams of paper planes were never meant to scrape the sky!
Keep your feet on the ground kid, only birds were meant to fly.
Keep your head from the clouds kid, keep your wings,
Always keep them by your side.

Before you fly, you'll fall,
Before you walk, you'll crawl....

You've no need to stitch your shadow to your heels,
No, not this time.

Son you'll walk with no whisper, no sound,
Only the feet of the heavy hearted are held to the ground.
You've no need to draw the curtains son, throw them wide.
Cross the borders between the never and the night.
Find the twinkle in your smile, chase it on 'til morning,
Past the second star to the right.

We'll be the smoke curling on the still.
The airship captains; we wait for sun to brush the hills.

Son, I share your windward dreams,
To soar from this little town of shacked up windows and swinging doors!
The rafters creak and the floorboards groan
While the shadows dance to the tapping of my toes.

There's nothing left for us but altitude,
We'll be the kings of the air.





Stolen, by the wind that turns the leaves to razors.
Holding just a string, our twine and our paper lost to the breeze.

Overall Meaning

The song "Antarctica" by Hands Like Houses is a powerful tribute to the idea of breaking free from one's past in order to explore the unknown and achieve great things. The opening lines, "Father, we fled your house of grey / We ran from home to seek a place where our bodies would never grow," set the stage for a coming-of-age story in which the singer urges a younger generation to be cautious of the dangers of the world, while simultaneously encouraging them to dream big and "chase the twinkle in your smile."


Throughout the song, there is a tension between the desire to soar to new heights and the fear of falling or getting lost in the vastness of the unknown. This tension is encapsulated in lines like "Before you fly, you’ll fall, Before you walk, you’ll crawl" and "Little boys with dreams of paper planes were never meant to scrape the sky!" Ultimately, though, the singer encourages the listener to embrace their dreams and "cross the borders between the never and the night" in pursuit of something greater.


The final lines of the song are both haunting and inspiring, as the singer imagines themselves as "smoke curling on the still" and "airship captains" waiting for the sun to rise before setting off on their next adventure. It's a powerful metaphor for the idea of chasing our dreams and breaking free from the limitations of our upbringing or past experiences.


Line by Line Meaning

Father, we fled your house of grey.
We left behind the sad and monotonous life that you had created for us.


We ran from home to seek a place where our bodies would never grow.
We sought to escape from the mundane, to find a place where we could remain young and free forever.


Dreamer, child, be cautious of this world!
Oh young one, don't forget to be careful of the harsh and cruel world that we live in.


She has an appetite for boys and girls and she’s hungry for your soul.
The world is constantly trying to consume and devour us, and it is important to be aware of this fact.


Little boys with dreams of paper planes were never meant to scrape the sky!
We must remain grounded and realistic, as our dreams can sometimes be too big for us to achieve.


Keep your feet on the ground kid, only birds were meant to fly.
Don't forget to keep your feet on the earth, as not everyone is meant to soar as high as the birds.


Keep your head from the clouds kid, keep your wings,
It's important to have dreams and to pursue them, but don't get lost in them and forget where you come from.


Always keep them by your side.
Don't forget your dreams, but don't let them take over your life entirely.


Before you fly, you’ll fall,
Before you can succeed, you must first experience failure and learn from it.


Before you walk, you’ll crawl….
Before you can run, you must first take baby steps and learn to walk on your own.


You’ve no need to stitch your shadow to your heels, No, not this time.
You don't need to cling to your past or to other people, as you're capable of standing on your own two feet.


Son you’ll walk with no whisper, no sound, Only the feet of the heavy hearted are held to the ground.
You don't need to be weighed down by others' expectations or opinions, as ultimately you are responsible for your own path in life.


You’ve no need to draw the curtains son, throw them wide.
Don't be afraid of the unknown, embrace it and open yourself up to new experiences and opportunities.


Cross the borders between the never and the night.
Venture into the unknown, and explore the boundaries between what we know and what we don't.


Find the twinkle in your smile, chase it on ‘til morning, Past the second star to the right.
Find the joy within yourself and follow it wherever it may lead you, even if it's beyond what you've ever known before.


We’ll be the smoke curling on the still.
We'll be the ones who blaze new trails and leave our mark on the world.


The airship captains; we wait for sun to brush the hills.
We are the leaders of our own destinies, and we anticipate the dawning of each new day with eagerness and excitement.


Son, I share your windward dreams, To soar from this little town of shacked up windows and swinging doors!
I too dream of escaping our mundane and confined existence and seeking out new horizons and adventures.


The rafters creak and the floorboards groan, While the shadows dance to the tapping of my toes.
Despite the limitations and obstacles that surround us, we can still find beauty and joy in our everyday experiences.


There’s nothing left for us but altitude, We’ll be the kings of the air.
Our dreams are our only hope, and we'll continue to pursue them with everything we have until we achieve our ultimate goals.


Stolen, by the wind that turns the leaves to razors. Holding just a string, our twine and our paper lost to the breeze.
Sometimes our dreams can be taken away from us just as easily as they were originally conceived, but we must not lose hope and continue to persevere regardless of the obstacles in our path.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Nicholas Douglas

This album was so ahead of it's time in the genre when it came out. Absolutely blew me away

Faizal Amir Bashiira

It's timeless

Robert Mills

i freaked tf out when i found this band back in the day, and fell in love even more after their Unimagine album that showed even deeper lyrics. fucking love this band

Nicholas Douglas

@Robert Mills I kind of lost interest after Unimagine but I really liked their song Space that they released last year

Zedhelion

what genre is this tho? I love it

Nick Shelton

Shit still banging wht u talking about

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Jorge Morales

1:33-2:06
One of the best verses in music history. Its one of those pieces you never get tired of and wish it was longer

mythrasira

been listening to HLH since this album came out, that verse still gives me chills every time i listen. so good. genuine masterpiece of a song

Yukari

This was and always will be me and my best friend's favorite song. He passed away last Friday and I've been listening to this ever since. I'll never forget you Jeffrey.

Jeff Desousa

He is in a better place, you'll see him soon enough. In the meantime you can relive your memories through this song!

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