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
Torn
Hands Like Houses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was warm, he came around like
He was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry
Well you couldn't be that man I adored
You don't seem to know, don't seem to care
What your heart is for
No I don't know him anymore
There's nothin' where we used to lie
Conversation has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's fine
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am chained
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm cold and I am shamed and bound
And broken on the floor
And I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
So I guess the fortune teller's right
I should have seen just what was there
And not some holy light
But you crawled beneath my veins
And now I don't care
I have no luck
I don't miss it all that much
There's just so many things
That I can't touch
There's nothing where he used to lie
My conversation has run dry
That's what is goin' on
Nothin's right
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake
And I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
The opening lines of "Torn" by Hands Like Houses describe a feeling of disillusionment and disappointment. The singer thought they had found something or someone special, a man who came into their life and seemed to embody all of the qualities they admired. However, that illusion is quickly shattered as the man shows his true colors - he is not the dignified, caring person the singer thought he was. In fact, he seems to be completely indifferent to matters of the heart, which is a source of great pain for the singer.
The chorus of the song expresses this pain and disillusionment in powerful terms. The singer feels torn apart by their emotions, and they are left feeling cold, naked, and ashamed, with nothing to hold onto but their own despair. The perfect sky, symbolizing a sense of hope and possibility, is specifically noted as torn, suggesting that the singer feels completely bereft of any sort of positive outlook on life.
The final verse of the song hints at a key component of the singer's disillusionment: they were looking for something magical, rather than seeing things as they truly were. The "holy light" that the singer mentions may be a reference to some idealized version of love or romance, which the man they adored failed to live up to. The singer now understands that they are the only one responsible for their own happiness, and they are left feeling empty and broken as a result.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I saw a man brought to life
I thought I met someone with passion and vitality
He was warm, he came around like
He was friendly, he approached me with ease
He was dignified
He carried himself with respect
He showed me what it was to cry
He showed me vulnerability and emotion
Well you couldn't be that man I adored
You are not the person I idealized and adored
You don't seem to know, don't seem to care
You lack understanding and empathy
What your heart is for
You lack direction and purpose for your emotions
No I don't know him anymore
I no longer recognize the person I thought you were
There's nothin' where we used to lie
Our relationship is now empty and meaningless
Conversation has run dry
We have nothing left to talk about
That's what's going on
That's the current state of our relationship
Nothing's fine
Our relationship is in a bad state
I'm torn
I am emotionally conflicted
I'm all out of faith
I have lost my trust and confidence
This is how I feel
This is my current emotional state
I'm cold and I am chained
I feel emotionally distant and trapped
Lying naked on the floor
I am vulnerable and exposed
Illusion never changed
My perception of our relationship never became reality
Into something real
What I thought was real turned out to be an illusion
I'm cold and I am shamed and bound
I feel emotionally distant, ashamed, and trapped
And broken on the floor
I am emotionally shattered
And I can see the perfect sky is torn
I see that even what seemed perfect is now broken
You're a little late
You are too late to repair our relationship
So I guess the fortune teller's right
The fortune teller was correct in their prediction
I should have seen just what was there
I should have recognized the reality of the situation
And not some holy light
And not relied on false hope or idealization
But you crawled beneath my veins
You became deeply ingrained in my emotions
And now I don't care
Now I have become apathetic towards our relationship
I have no luck
I am unlucky in love
I don't miss it all that much
I don't feel a strong longing for what I am missing
There's just so many things
There are so many aspects of my life that are unattainable
That I can't touch
That are out of reach
I'm wide awake
I am now fully conscious of the reality of our relationship
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, Phil Thornalley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cole Rolland
Easily one of the best covers I've ever heard
Moni D
i didn't think this song could get any better and it DID!
Fernanda Lazard
omg!!! my heart suddenly stops because of you love your videos (y)
Xavier Victor
holy shit, cole commented here!
Peter Burkimsher
Even Natalie Imbruglia's version of "Torn" is a cover!
She covered Torn - Ednaswap, who translated Brændt - Lis Sørensen.
Simon Duso
Cole Rolland you are awsome to man big up from Sweden
DecreeB
This is legitimately one of the best covers I've ever heard O.o
Shelbi e
Omg, agreed. That was an amazing cover 😱
DecreeB
Shelbie G Mike showed it to me and I think in the last 2 days I've heard it, like, 3 billion times XP Might be a LITTLE exaggerate, but still this is awesome!
Shelbi e
Yeah it's awesome!