Undertow
Household Lyrics


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Dirty streets and the unpaved plans
Take me back home to where it all began
I want to fist fight with the good old days
They ditched me for a worse tomorrow

Sweep me up into the undertow
A little more safety - a little more you
I've been feeling not quite not myself
Wake me up - wash me of

I've got lessons to learn

Trust me with this, you don't need to know everything you think you need to know

I've held high the thought of growing old
A pleasant hope to find my home
Why do you run so far past my limits?
Can't you see my open hand and the good things in it?

How you see me eclipses what I've done
Maybe I've misheard my name all along
I can't stand straight, when I'm alone
I've been beaten down with my mistakes

Sweep me up into the undertow
A little more safety - a little more you
I've been feeling not quite not myself
Wake me up - wash me of my selfishness





I've got lessons to learn

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Household's song Undertow cleverly introspect on the themes of nostalgia, self-discovery, and self-improvement. In the first verse, the singer is feeling lost and seeking solace in reminiscing about their past. The singer wishes they could fight with the "good old days" and return to a time when they felt more secure about their future. However, they feel as though the past has abandoned them and left them behind in a "worse tomorrow."


The chorus, which repeats twice throughout the song, metaphorically represents the feeling of being swept under by the undertow. The undertow in this context represents the struggle to stay afloat amidst the pressures of everyday life. The singer desires to feel more safe, more secure, and more like themselves. The repetition of the phrase "wake me up, wash me of" suggests the idea of purification or redemption, further emphasizing the theme of self-improvement.


The second verse paints a picture of a narrator who has grown weary of chasing after an idealized vision of their life. They contemplate why life seems to keep running past their limits and question why they cannot recognize the good things that are already in their hands. The final line of the verse implies that the singer has made a lot of mistakes and is being weighed down by the guilt and consequences of those mistakes.


Overall, the lyrics to "Undertow" are poetic in their execution and convey a message of hope, redemption, and self-discovery.


Line by Line Meaning

Dirty streets and the unpaved plans
The broken roads and unsettled dreams remind me of where I came from.


Take me back home to where it all began
I want to return to the place where I grew up and remember where I came from.


I want to fist fight with the good old days
I have a desire to relive the past, even if it means facing its challenges head-on.


They ditched me for a worse tomorrow
People from my past have moved on to darker times and places, leaving me behind.


Sweep me up into the undertow
I feel overwhelmed and pulled under by the current of my problems and emotions.


A little more safety - a little more you
I want to feel safer and more secure in myself by being with the one I care about.


I've been feeling not quite not myself
Something is off in my life, and I feel like I'm not completely my usual self.


Wake me up - wash me of
I need something or someone to rouse me from my emotional stagnation and cleanse me of my negative thoughts and feelings.


I've got lessons to learn
I recognize that there are things I still need to learn and obstacles I need to overcome.


Trust me with this, you don't need to know everything you think you need to know
I'm asking someone to trust me and let me handle things without needing to know every detail or issue at hand.


I've held high the thought of growing old
I've always hoped to live a long and fulfilling life.


A pleasant hope to find my home
My hope is that I will eventually find a place where I truly belong.


Why do you run so far past my limits?
Why do you push me past my boundaries and make me uncomfortable?


Can't you see my open hand and the good things in it?
Don't you see the good qualities and intentions that I have to offer?


How you see me eclipses what I've done
People's perception of me is more important than what I have accomplished in the past.


Maybe I've misheard my name all along
Perhaps I have misunderstood who I truly am and what I am truly capable of doing.


I can't stand straight, when I'm alone
When I'm by myself, I feel unstable and unsteady.


I've been beaten down with my mistakes
My past errors and missteps have taken a toll on me and made me feel defeated.


Wake me up - wash me of my selfishness
I want to be awakened from my selfishness and have it washed away so I can be a better person.


I've got lessons to learn
I know there are still things I need to learn and work on improving in my life.




Contributed by Adalyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Charles Zvirbulis

just saw these guys at the wire in berwyn, illinoise. loved em and grabed the album. This was my favorite track

Noah Jaskolski

So so good

hoonter

love that adventures in odyssey patch

Roger Gilbert

lyrics: https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Household/Undertow

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