The Ring
Jamie Lidell Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Always thought she'd stick around
Always thought she'd stay
Now he's searching for the ring
The one she had to throw away
Beach comber casts a shadow
Long as his beard
Never thought to cut it since
His lover disappeared
She left him in this
Crazy state he's in
Scouring the shoreline
Oh, looking for the ring

Oh, the ring that was wrapped around her finger
She was just a dream and he was just a dreamer

There’s a rhythm to his madness
A rhythm that he's in
Retracing all the steps he walked
Where once he was a king
His heart jolts awake
To the beeps of his machine
Starts racing faster, faster
‘Til it's a steady stream
He riffles through
Every grain of sand
One for everything that
Slipped through his hands
And his friends have all gone
Gone with the tide
And he's standing on the shoreline
Stranded in time

Oh, the ring that was wrapped around her finger
She was just a dream and he was just a dreamer

Beach combing for his lost gold
Something to have and to hold
Oh, small fortunes they sat and stay
Too long to wash away
Sweat dripping from his head
Like a bridal shower
And dampening the gleaming sand
But mixed with tears so sour

‘Cause he is just a dreamer
She was just a dream
He is just a dreamer
She was just a dream




She is just a dream
He is just a dreamer

Overall Meaning

The song "The Ring" by Jamie Lidell is a melancholic ballad about a man who lost the love of his life and is now on a desperate quest to find the ring she threw away. The lyrics describe the man as a beachcomber with a long beard who has become unhinged since his lover disappeared. He is depicted as a dreamer who is stuck in time, unable to move on from the past. He retraces all the steps they took together and searches every grain of sand on the shoreline, hoping to find the ring that symbolizes the love they once shared.


The song is driven by a rhythmic guitar riff that underscores the man's obsessive quest for the lost ring. The lyrics beautifully capture the man's emotional turmoil as well as his dedication to finding the keepsake that represents his lost love. The song creates a vivid and haunting picture of a man who is consumed by grief and can't let go of the past.


Line by Line Meaning

Always thought she'd stick around
He expected her to stay with him forever


Always thought she'd stay
He had faith in their relationship lasting


Now he's searching for the ring
He is looking for a symbol of their love that was lost


The one she had to throw away
She gave up on their love and threw the ring away


Beach comber casts a shadow
A man walking along the beach creates a shadow


Long as his beard
His beard is very long


Never thought to cut it since
He hasn't considered cutting his beard because he has been preoccupied with finding the ring


His lover disappeared
His partner left him


She left him in this
He was abandoned to this situation by her


Crazy state he's in
He is in a delusional state


Scouring the shoreline
He is searching the beach meticulously


Oh, looking for the ring
He is looking for the ring he lost


Oh, the ring that was wrapped around her finger
The ring represents a promise that she broke


She was just a dream and he was just a dreamer
Their love was nothing else but a dream


There’s a rhythm to his madness
There's a certain pattern to his craze


A rhythm that he's in
He is consumed by his own madness


Retracing all the steps he walked
He's walking back along the path he previously trod


Where once he was a king
He was once confident and powerful


His heart jolts awake
His heart beats rapidly


To the beeps of his machine
He is on a life support machine


Starts racing faster, faster
His heart begins to speed up


‘Til it's a steady stream
His heart rate becomes steady and even


He riffles through
He shakes the sand eagerly


Every grain of sand
He looks through each grain of sand


One for everything that
Every grain of sand represents something he has lost


Slipped through his hands
Things that he could not hold onto


And his friends have all gone
All his friends have abandoned him


Gone with the tide
They have disappeared with the flow of time


And he's standing on the shoreline
He's still there, standing on the beach


Stranded in time
Stuck in the past, unable to move forward


Beach combing for his lost gold
He is searching for something very valuable to him that he has lost


Something to have and to hold
Something he can possess and cherish


Oh, small fortunes they sat and stay
Things he treasures are often small and easily lost


Too long to wash away
It has been a long time, and it still hasn't disappeared


Sweat dripping from his head
He is sweating profusely


Like a bridal shower
As if he is getting ready for a wedding


And dampening the gleaming sand
His sweat is making the sand damp


But mixed with tears so sour
He is crying because he has lost something so precious


‘Cause he is just a dreamer
He is someone who indulges in unrealistic thoughts or fantasies


She was just a dream
The person he loved was just an illusion


He is just a dreamer
He is someone who wants love or a relationship that may not be possible


She is just a dream
The person he loved is not real or doesn't exist anymore




Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Charlie Soung

I like it song I am fan jamie ring

Andy Keh

I don't understand how this doesn't have 1000x the views. This is a foot-stomper.

Alexus Lokz

Charlie like song

Charlie Soung

hi sister

Heiðrún

He only has 81 subscribes?

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