On The Wall
Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Unlike the mole
I'm not in a hole
And I can't see anyway
Just like a doll
I'm one feet tall
But dolls can't see anyway
The frozen stare
The clothes and hair
These make me taste like a man
Tied to a door
Chained to a floor
An hour glass grain of sand
Swim in the sea
Swim inside me
But you can't swim far away
I never grew
Covered up by you
And nothing grows anyway




Life in a sack is coming back
I'm like the clock on the wall

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the Jesus and Mary Chain's "On The Wall" are a bit cryptic and can be interpreted in several different ways. On one hand, the lyrics seem to be about feeling trapped and insignificant, comparing the singer to a doll and a grain of sand. The frozen stare, clothes, and hair mentioned seem to suggest that the singer is objectified and controlled, as though they are nothing more than a lifeless object.


On the other hand, there is a sense of isolation and detachment in the lyrics. The lines "swim in the sea, swim inside me / but you can't swim far away" suggest a closeness with someone or something, but also a deep sense of separation. The idea of "nothing grows anyway" implies a lack of progress or growth, perhaps due to a feeling of being stuck in one place.


Line by Line Meaning

Unlike the mole
Unlike someone who is hiding and cannot see the world around them


I'm not in a hole
I am not trapped and confined


And I can't see anyway
But I am still blind and unable to understand what is going on around me


Just like a doll
Similar to an inanimate object that does not have feelings or senses


I'm one feet tall
I am small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things


But dolls can't see anyway
Still, I am blind and unable to perceive my surroundings


The frozen stare
My expression is blank, emotionless, and unyielding


The clothes and hair
My appearance is styled and put-together, but it is not indicative of who I truly am


These make me taste like a man
These things give me a superficial sense of masculinity, even though I do not feel like a man on the inside


Tied to a door
I feel trapped and confined


Chained to a floor
I am restricted and limited in my movements


An hour glass grain of sand
My life is fleeting and temporary, like a single grain of sand in an hourglass


Swim in the sea
Expanding one's horizons and exploring the unknown


Swim inside me
Looking within oneself for answers and self-discovery


But you can't swim far away
Despite trying to escape and find something new, I am still trapped within myself


I never grew
I feel stagnant and unchanging


Covered up by you
The people and society around me are holding me back and preventing me from growing


And nothing grows anyway
Despite trying to grow, nothing changes or improves in my life


Life in a sack is coming back
I feel suffocated and constricted by the pressures and expectations of society


I'm like the clock on the wall
I am stationary and unchanging, like an object that simply exists in a static state




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

r brooks williams

The intro starts off a bit like "Walk on the Wild Side".

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