Walls
Icehouse Lyrics


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Listen
If you listen
You will hear an endless heartbeat
On the inside
Through the walls
The sound is crawling
Down the corridors and halls
It cracks the ceiling
The windows and the doors
All the rest won't listen
Though the walls have ears
But they never really look
They just stand and stare
They're all standing
Staring at the walls

Who put the writing on the walls?
Will no-one ever know?
Oh, well I don't mind the walls

Tell me
Why don't you tell me?
Have you got nothing to say?
Tell me where in hell this place is
Tell me why I get no answers
Am I talking, taking to the walls?
So it's running, jumping, standing still
Well I think I've had enough of it all
Get your hands up
Up against the wall
(Well, I'm never going back to the factory
No I'll never be a part of the machinery)

Who put the writing on the wall?
Who fights and runs away?
The minutes and the hours pass him
Tracing out the days
The days and nights drag into years
And no-one ever knows
Oh, well I don't mind the walls




Oh, well I don't mind the walls
I don't mind the walls

Overall Meaning

Icehouse's song "Walls," from their debut album "Icehouse" released in 1980, is a song about feeling trapped and isolated within oneself. The lyrics describe an endless heartbeat that can be heard through the walls, but no one else seems to hear it or care. The singer is frustrated and confused, wondering why they are getting no answers and feeling as though they are talking to the walls.


The first stanza suggests that the sound "crawling" down the halls and cracking the ceiling, windows, and doors is the singer's restless energy, but no one else seems to hear it. Everyone else is just standing and staring at the walls, refusing to listen or look. The second stanza poses questions: who put the writing on the walls and why won't anyone answer the singer's questions? The third stanza describes the frustration and exhaustion of the situation, as the singer has had enough and feels trapped. The final stanza refers to the passage of time and the inevitability of being forgotten or ignored. In the end, the singer doesn't mind the walls because they have become a familiar comfort in their isolation.


Line by Line Meaning

Listen
Pay attention to what I am about to say


If you listen
If you pay close attention


You will hear an endless heartbeat
You will hear a constant, rhythmic beating


On the inside
From within


Through the walls
Even though they are obstacles


The sound is crawling
The noise is slowly traveling


Down the corridors and halls
Through the passages and rooms


It cracks the ceiling
It breaks through the barriers overhead


The windows and the doors
As well as the openings


All the rest won't listen
Everyone else is ignoring this


Though the walls have ears
Despite the notion that walls can hear


But they never really look
They don't take the time to observe


They just stand and stare
They simply watch without any action


They're all standing
Everyone is just upright and still


Staring at the walls
Looking at the barriers around them


Who put the writing on the walls?
Who wrote on these walls?


Will no-one ever know?
Will the identity of the writer never be discovered?


Oh, well I don't mind the walls
I don't have any issues with the physical barriers


Tell me
Give me information


Why don't you tell me?
Why are you refusing to share with me?


Have you got nothing to say?
Do you have no words to offer?


Tell me where in hell this place is
Tell me the location of this terrible place


Tell me why I get no answers
Explain why my questions continually go unanswered


Am I talking, taking to the walls?
Am I directing my speech towards the barriers?


So it's running, jumping, standing still
So it's a mixture of movement and stillness


Well I think I've had enough of it all
I believe I have reached my limit and can't take it anymore


Get your hands up
Raise your hands


Up against the wall
Against the barrier


(Well, I'm never going back to the factory
(I will never return to the place of work where I was controlled)


No I'll never be a part of the machinery)
(I refuse to become a part of the monotonous system)


Who put the writing on the wall?
Who left these words on the barrier?


Who fights and runs away?
Who escapes from the difficult situations?


The minutes and the hours pass him
Time continues to move forward


Tracing out the days
Marking the passing of the days


The days and nights drag into years
The years pass by slowly


And no-one ever knows
And no one ever becomes aware


Oh, well I don't mind the walls
I am unaffected by the physical barriers


Oh, well I don't mind the walls
The walls do not bother me in any way


I don't mind the walls
I am content with the constraints of this space




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ivor Arthur Davies

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@hairymonkey390

This song reminds me of my dad we both used to listen to it on the way to our fishing trips.

He died 2016 ❤️
I will always fish to continue his legacy ❤️❤️❤️

@scottchristensen8458

TEAR DOWN THE WALLS OF PRIDE HATE AND GREED✨HALLELUYAH✨MERE EXISTENCE IS OUR GREATEST GIFT 💝

@ohsorrypluto

Another one of those great Australian bands from the 1980s - millions of Aussie kids in their late 30s to early 40s and beyond would well and truly know these guys!!

@adambrunton123

21 keepin it real

@andymayers8588

Hmm hmmm. And 50s. I love icehouse

@fruittree1670

mate i'm 13

@nigelliam153

I saw them as Flowers in Meriden in 1980

@somebloke3869

And those of us in our 50's have this as part of the soundtrack of our teenage years.

2 More Replies...

@whaghht

God, this takes me back....

@paulwarren1613

Yea man

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