I Know What I'm Here For
James (1) Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What a life
A trick of light
Then everything returns to the sea
You can have whatever you want
But are you disciplined enough to be free

Turning love into a chore
Promises come cheap dear reader

Another page, another door
Follow, follow me

I know what I'm here for
Hanging on through late December
I know what I'm here for
Follow, follow me

Moving on
Don't belong
My life turned into a mall
Every line is in the song
Follow me out of the fall

What an actor, what a show
Going through some holy motions
The bands are sharp but the singers slow
Everything must go

I know what I'm here for

Souvenirs, polygraph tests
Photographs fresh from the wreck
What a poster saint he'll make
In one take, one take

I know what I'm here for
Follow, follow me

Overall Meaning

The song "I Know What I'm Here For" by James talks about the journey of life and one's purpose in it. The first few lines suggest that life is just an illusion, like a trick of light, and eventually everything returns to the sea. The following lines suggest that we have the freedom to choose what we want in life but we must also be disciplined enough to attain it. The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes the singer's firm knowledge of what he is here for and invites the listener to follow him.

The second verse talks about the passing of time and the feeling of not belonging. The singer likens his life to a mall where every line is in the song. He encourages the listener to follow him and move out of the fall. The third verse talks about the performing arts and how they are used to convey emotion but how ultimately "everything must go".

Overall, the song speaks to the search for meaning and the need for discipline and purposefulness in life. It encourages the listener to follow the lead of the singer who has found his purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

What a life
Life is full of surprises

A trick of light
Things are not always what they seem

Then everything returns to the sea
But eventually everything comes to an end

You can have whatever you want
You can achieve your dreams

But are you disciplined enough to be free
But it requires hard work

Turning love into a chore
Making love routine destroys its magic

Promises come cheap dear reader
Don't be deceived by empty promises

Another page, another door
Life always has new opportunities

Follow, follow me
Join me on this journey

I know what I'm here for
I have a purpose in life

Hanging on through late December
Persevering through tough times

Moving on
Continuing despite hardships

Don't belong
Feeling out of place

My life turned into a mall
Life became generic and mundane

Every line is in the song
Every moment is part of the story

Follow me out of the fall
Let me guide you out of failure

What an actor, what a show
Life can feel like a performance

Going through some holy motions
But actions do not equate to true faith

The bands are sharp but the singers slow
Some parts of life are more exciting than others

Everything must go
Nothing lasts forever

Souvenirs, polygraph tests
Memories and lies

Photographs fresh from the wreck
Memories of difficult times

What a poster saint he'll make
People can be idealized and idolized

In one take, one take
But they are not perfect

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOHN BAYNTON-POWER, JAMES GLENNIE, MARK HUNTER, SAUL DAVIES, TIMOTHY BOOTH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@xenoo7730

3y↑17

[Verse 1]
What a life, a trick of light
Then everything returns to the sea
You can have whatever you want
But are you disciplined enough to be free?

Turning love into a chore
Promises come cheap, dear reader
Another page, another door
Follow, follow me

[Chorus]
I know what I'm here for
Hanging on through late December
I know what I'm here for
Follow, follow me
Follow me

[Verse 2]
Moving on, I don't belong
My life turned into a mall
Every line is in the song
Follow me out of the fall

What an actor, what a show
Just going through some holy motions
The band is sharp, but the singer's slow
Everything must go

[Chorus]
I know what I'm here for
Hanging on through late December
I know what I'm here for
Follow, follow me
Follow me

[Refrain]
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me

[Bridge]
Souvenirs, polygraph tests
Photographs fresh from the wreck
What a poster saint he'll make
In one take, one take

[Chorus]
I know what I'm here for
Hanging on through late December
I know what I'm here for
Follow, follow me
Follow me

[Outro]
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me
Follow me

All comments from YouTube:

@bccreativeproductions9767

3y↑20

Most underrated bands. Had the privelage of seeing them live opening for Smashing Pumpkins . They stole the show.

@xenoo7730

3y↑17

@joemck74

Thank-you.
Can you do a 'misheard lyrics' version!

@riffster007

2y↑9

Seen them live 12 times, only seen them play this ONCE! They should play it more often, great tune!!!!

@sergiogarcia6786

3y↑7

Después de 20 años vuelvo a escuchar esta canción

@pauljohnleadbeater5533

3y↑8

I know what I'm here for listening to this masterpiece by an awesome indie band.

@alexthepensmith6101

46w↑2

My eldest sister was the biggest James fan growing up, so by osmosis I developed a love of their music through her. I still love their music now, Tim Booth has such a tone to his voice that's really captivating.

@KawiKaRs

10y↑66

One of the greatest Indie bands ever. He ain't a bad actor either.

@stevengrayston3658

7y↑5

but will always be a terrible dancer :)

@todosassd1855

6y↑2

KawiKaRs. I liked it better when he wore dresses

@jari56ify

5y↑3

But he isnt a bad dancer... Dumbshit.

@otaviomarques9155

5y↑1

@jari56ify the song it's played in Ford official sponsor of uefa in 2007.

@martinrose6357

5y↑1

@otavio marques https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl0IlIOwbLc Thank you! Now I understand why it sounded so familiar!

7 More Replies...

@adrianoscar6944

27w

Usé esta canción en un vídeo casero, en el año 2000. La había grabado del Show de Jools Holanda, sin saber quién era la banda o el nombre de la canción durante 20 años. Recordaba el estribillo, nada más. Cuando recuperé el Vídeo ( pude pasarlo de VHS a formato digital ) , gracias al sistema de escucha y búsqueda de Google, pude encontrarla.....
Una joya !!!!

@russmillerskipplestein

11y↑6

What a tune -love it when it goes all E.L.O. with the echo effects

@yaktaxi1234567

11y↑22

i think this is the best James song ever . great lyrics .

@stalinsghost9706

7y↑4

Still one of the greatest songs and music videos ever made. Got me through some tough times. (-_-｡)

@elizabethjade100

9y↑19

God!!!! I haven't heard this for ages, brings back fantastic memories for me :-D Thank you so much for sharing, I've loved James since I was a kid, feeling my age now lol ;-)

@WCWfanboy

9y↑1

Same here Elizabeth!

@leandroferreira-xu8fh

30w↑1

Boa tarde sou Leandro Taubaté SP sou fã do cantor James cara canta bonito legal gostei muito bom demais valeu 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

@Stratoszero

14y↑3

I missed the 90s as soon as they ended, now looking back at a time with great music, no terrorism, no war, no global warming bollocks... . just fantastic.

@miguelh4750

38w↑1

So catchy, heard it on a flight from canada to switzerland as a young lad !!!

@BRIDGES102

5y↑27

This one's much underrated imo.

@deadsherry

30w

boring

@NerdicWarrior8920

5y↑4

Classic!
Thank you dad for introducing me this this band all those years ago.

@reidgirl7730

4y↑2

This track will always remind me of the musical Tommy. It embodies the scenes of Tommy leading the crowd 💖

@robertmurray3898

46w↑1

Love the new album, it's a bit special as it's with an orchestra, I went to see them at Glasgow armadillo and it's amazing ,can't wait to see them at the Edinburgh festival c'mon James love yous all🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👹💥💚🤍💛

@rafismusic

5y↑1

Love this song from the very beginning. Timeless.

@feefeem42

14y↑1

he just rocks, i love this band, one of the best

@maxdog1967

13y↑4

looking for this for ages, one of my favourite songs....thanks to whoever for uploading

@Don_Constanzo

21 years at least ;)

@notlob23

3y↑2

One of their best songs and video.

@RaulArasson

12y↑1

estupendos recuerdos pre-universitarios, james is bloody flipping great

@MarkCodyDirtAndMingle

5y↑1

I bought this on cd single :) What a great song :) Such happy memories!

@KickGom

12y↑1

i love this song. i have a lot of memories with this

@user-kq8pq2gj3z

прекрасная песня, глазовыдерающий клип

@andyberridge6455

39w

Wished i know what i'm here for. Remember this came out in the 90s, love the track ever since. 😎

@allcatslover

12y

foarte misto canta baietii astia. ii stiu de cand eram mici.

@tizmond

12y↑2

T In The Park 1999. James. Still the best band I've ever seen live.

@vampirekun

14y

James Rocks, this song rocks too, those times were the best!!!

@raymondholleb1875

4y↑1

Such a simple and great video for a superb song.

@ricardofloresloera9455

3y↑5

Me encanta. Saludos desde México.

@chameleon871

11y↑6

Fuckin awesome track. I think one of their best, honestly. But they had so many!

@manhunter_net

HAVE so many! #StillGoingStrong #VivaJames!

@HammerLex77

12y↑1

This song is one of the reasons I looked forward to halftime during the Champions League games a couple of years ago.

@slushpuppie19

6y↑1

I always loved this song. Maybe even more than Sit Down. Video is hypnotic too

@Noname-iz9uo

4y↑5

It's the beats and the nuns that make this song impossible to forget

@maurorodriguez773

James is full band,forever music

@paulhale5969

8y↑1

class tune!

@miguelangelfloreshernandez3027

Wowwwwww 😎🎶🎵🎼🎸

@toniayan

13y↑11

I have been looking for this song and finally I found it

@benmyers1831

11y↑2

Went to the Leeds O2 Acandamy to see James, best night I have had. They're so good live.

@punkcultforlife

4y↑1

Great song great video

@Bashey63

13y↑5

also been looking for this for ages, well done for getting it !!!!

@mw9336

6y↑1

Still killing it in 2018, see you in May.

@KelvinKlink

13y

primordios do after effects..euheuehe...esse som tem uma vibe de 'born of frustration' até o talo!! mtooo foodaaa

@Whatsfordinnernow

4y↑1

So creative!

@notlob23

2y↑1

Superb dancing...

@pauljordan4452

2y↑2

I'll have to tell my young nephew there's a band named after him. 😊

@makidtrej

13y↑5

I`ve looked for this video more than TEN YEARS!!!! FINALLY!!!

@cossie15manx

I've been searching this song for 5 years and finally came across it today...hallelujah...what a tune tho 👍

@richl6966

James were on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show as I went to school in my first years of secondary school at 11. I've had a bit of an evening today (way to long after!!!) listening to their stuff. It's a bit good, haha.

@ukrespect001

Classic tuneage.

@haledragon1

This is a pretty -hot video actually, I remember late 90s this all was so hot!!!
I hope more people get to know this song!

@smogonthetees1

9y↑9

Remember watching this music video on 'the box' music channel when i was about 10 lol. Ah memories:)

@justinearl6610

I think many of the songs by James are unsurpassed, as good as any ever. But this one I could live without. It could've been done by another band.

@GeorginaMathur

44w

This video would be played on Star World music segment with select few others memories 2003...nice...catchy

@kathyeaton3882

10y↑4

Love this video :)

@teariet.tekken-wolffenn5881

9y↑4

I love this band and the way he dances hehehehehe. Just like Fred Astaire... I love that song too

@Nately22

Tim Booth's 'leaving the band' song. Only James. Best band ever.

@tlascamate07

14y↑1

Good Video ! ... I miss those times ! =)

@TopseyKretts

...TIM....still the best dancer!.......

@Mr_Saxon

12y↑4

Tim Booth should reprise his appearance from Batman Begins in the new Dark Knight movie!

@Nately22

12y

Souvenirs. Polygraph tests. Awesome.

@savetheyoutubers1055

5y↑5

fk me I'd forgotten how good this track is..

@godaz7777

5y↑1

James - I Know What I'm Here For

@morganwilliams3891

How did they animate this? I want to re make it for a college project

@notlob23

Would've loved this song at the MEN 2018..alas..no.Thanks Tim...Your fans!

@alankmkz

14y

One of the best bands ever and only one comment? I feel so dissapointed...

@notlob23

3y↑4

My dad really needs to sell me his Hitachi stack system...so I can listen to real sounding music at mega volume...I hate all this digital garbage!

@kurisensei

13y↑1

every time I hear a James song, I think, 'fuck, they did THIS too?'

@jam-nc8ut

I've loved James since I was 11, I am now 40. I love every song from What's The World to Many Faces, taking in every album, all the b-sides, extra tracks, unreleased bootlegs and demos...except this one. I don't know why, it just seems so un-Jamesian. Something about it grates on me. This is the only James song that I will ever comment negatively upon, unless they go downhill fast and steep in the future.

@gilbertoaguilar9009

When MTV used to be MTV

@carloserazo78

4y↑2

2020 and i'm still fucking here

@richiej4710

3y↑1

When that well known relative at your party suddenly jumps up, grabs the nearest cowboy hat and dances awkwardly in the corner... 😁🤔

@notlob23

James..international 2 Manchester..Hymn from a village.

@kevindinham3175

This song and video keeps me thinking of franzs ferdonands always descending

@cityfiend

12y↑1

I don't know yet what i'm doing here......let's play james .....

@NaTaS-

11y

it's like a bad Wolfenstein level... or a really good one.

@danielowain9795

7y↑6

This video is the most nineties thing I think I've ever seen.

@egdeth

8y↑6

This video always remember me "Discotheque" from U2.

@todosassd1855

egdeth All their music from tthe very beginning reminds me of U2

@ant11055

11y↑3

by far better than REM......I love them!!!!!!!!

@splitsseconds9965

7y↑1

ant11055 but not better than the smiths though.

@slushpuppie19

Wait why are we naming random bands and saying they're better/ worse? What's the connection?

@ukrespect001

6y↑2

MTV should get back to just playing music videos....

@godaz7777

10y

the routine is fast ...[good graphics]

@kampase

13y

@Stratoszero great tv, great lego star wars and a life in australia, undoubtedly, the 90's were the best

@RJRC76

12y

Groovie.

@bigtommyt71

11y↑2

Hard to chose favourites....mines is just like fred astaire

@haha47977

13y

Οπως ειπε και ενας αλλος σε βιντεο των James μονο εμεις και το Περου τους ακουμε ρε?

@SteveThePster

13y↑1

Stratoszero, I think you'll find global warming was happening in the 90s. And this song was only just the 90s (late 99 I believe...) But what a video!

@thisbambibites

Stevie P It was July 1999.

@bluevan12

13y

Great song. Great video, The woman in the catsuit is hot.

@nicoleliii

5y↑1

Blondie disco...alguien mas por aca?

@ubfjvszdbfvjsdnxl

12y↑1

Neil Patrick Harris? Hell No, Tim Booth.

@MigzEbronNetwork

This Reminds me of Morning Newscast "News To Go" and Last Episode on May 31, 2019

@kathyeaton3882

Souvenirs, polygraph tests, photographs strange from the rest......

@marcopolomirandahernandez2908

Nice View!

@jamiematt

8y↑9

Sky Sports fans recognise this ha!!

@matthewfranklin9796

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚔️🙏

@Stratoszero

13y↑1

There is always shit going down somewhere and bad things happening to good people every day. I'm no spring chicken and not looking back with rose tinted glasses at all, don't assume you are talking to a teenager over a throwaway remark about a pop song. There is no denying that life has got progressively worse (in the UK at least) since 1997. Hyper-regulation of the most innocuous parts of public life, the erosion of civil liberties, extreme intervention of government ...fucking lol indeed