Recent work has been as part of John Foxx and The Maths and he has had a number of collaborations including John Foxx & Steve D'Agostino, John Foxx and The Belbury Circle, John Foxx and Jori Hulkkonen, John Foxx & Robin Guthrie, John Foxx & Louis Gordon.
Miles Away
John Foxx Lyrics
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I'm walking in like someone else again
Miles away
I'm watching summer through an English rain
And I'm a new man when I walk away
It's crazy
Shaking the daze from my head again
Miles away
Miles away
Miles away
Miles away
I reassemble on the morning train
I try to say
My voice just tumbles on a long delay
And there's a new man at the edge of me
It's crazy
Making new plans for the rest of me
I'm looking back from miles away
Miles away
Miles away
Miles away
All the same
We talk on telephones across the haze
Miles away
The planes go glinting on their vapour trails
And I'm a new man when I walk away
It's crazy
Turning my head to the shine again
I'm waking up from miles away
Miles away
Miles away
Miles away
The lyrics of John Foxx's "Miles Away" express a sense of detachment from the surrounding world. The first verse has an air of nostalgia and melancholy. The singer is walking, yet feels like someone else. He is "watching summer through an English rain"; this juxtaposition creates a sense of separation from the experience of a longed-for season. The line "I'm a new man when I walk away" suggests that the detachment may be intentional, that it provides perhaps temporary relief from something that is troubling. The word "crazy" is used throughout the song, which indicates the sense of unease and ambiguity of these emotions.
The second verse introduces a repetitive pattern of the singer's attempts to communicate failing. Similar to the first verse, there is a new man standing at the edge of the singer; this further indicates the fragmentation of one's sense of self. The chorus keeps repeating, emphasizing that the detachment or distance is ever-present; he is "miles away" but not physically far necessarily. It is unclear what the "long delay" in the song refers to; it could be a delay in communication or personal perspectives on what is happening around him. In the verse "All the same," the singer again tries to connect to the world, but it still feels hazy and far away. The final chorus brings the song to a conclusion, still repeating the same phrases but with a particular emphasis on "waking up." The dissociation is only temporary, and perhaps there is hope for re-establishing that connection with the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Miles away
I am physically distant and disconnected from my surroundings.
I'm walking in like someone else again
I feel like a different person, alienated from myself.
I'm watching summer through an English rain
I am experiencing positive things but not to their full potential because of negative circumstances.
And I'm a new man when I walk away
I become a different version of myself when I am physically distant from my current situation.
It's crazy
This feeling is difficult to understand or explain.
Shaking the daze from my head again
I am intentionally trying to break free from feeling confused or trapped.
I know I must be miles away
I must be physically distant in order to feel like myself again.
I reassemble on the morning train
I try to gather myself and prepare for the day during my commute.
I try to say
I attempt to communicate despite feeling disconnected.
My voice just tumbles on a long delay
My ability to express myself is obstructed and difficult.
And there's a new man at the edge of me
There is a more hopeful, motivated version of myself waiting to emerge.
Making new plans for the rest of me
I am ready to move forward and create a better future for myself.
I'm looking back from miles away
I am aware of how far I have come and the progress I have made from a distance.
All the same
Despite being physically separated, we are still in touch.
We talk on telephones across the haze
Our communication has to overcome obstacles and barriers to reach each other.
The planes go glinting on their vapour trails
There is hope and promise in the distant future and opportunities that lie ahead.
Turning my head to the shine again
I am focusing on the positive and bright aspects of my situation.
I'm waking up from miles away
I am awakening to a new and better version of myself from a distance.
Miles away
Continuing to be disconnected from my surrounding reality.
Miles away
Emphasizing the physical distance and emotional disconnect.
Miles away
Reiterating the theme of being physically and emotionally distant from the present moment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID GREENBAUM, SOPHIE STERN, SARAH RAYNE, AARON LEIGH, BRIAN CANNING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KAZ132
Just look at Him..... What a legend 🎶🌻
@michellegower1259
Im here in Sept 2023 n still listen to this guy. I miss the 80's!
@rococolesyeux
I really love this original video, lyrics, sound arrangements , music messages etc Just awesome!. 🌹
@xyaqua
Dennis Leigh was and is the nexxus of the electronica music of the 1980s. Un-rewarded genius, squared. Inspiration cubed!
@cazzfoxx
This is still my fave Foxx video after all these years. . . :)
@Nervejam
Cringey
@JHatLpool
cazzfoxx, I love them all.
@23Skeetoo
This song SOARS!
@flashbackacousticduo5529
The true spirit of 80"s
@nhmooytis7058
Roberto Carlos Hernandez Moran my best decade, I turn 68 on Sunday!