Without a Sound
Jonah Tolchin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
leave me stranded here this morning, too close away from home.
The sun shines through my window, the leaves are green and fair,
I’m just looking for a color only found in my baby’s hair.
Oh but my darlings down the highway, left me here to count the birds,
and I’m hurting to the ceiling, lost, just searching for the words.
And I can’t seem to find a better place to hide, I might jump into the river
along the creek, my soul will drift into the leaves, and I’ll be gone, without a sound.
The car is filled with reasons to never get back in, I was once a stronger man till I
confessed to all my sins. So I guess I’ll get to walkin’, till I turn to something else,
for this weight that I am bearing, is too heavy for the shelf. It’s too heavy to be buried, too heavy to be freed, so this weight I must carry to help me sink into the sea.
So just let me drown, for she won’t come around, she’s too busy being free, so I’m headed down. Yes I’m sinking now, without a sound, it’s time to march into the waves, where troubles are not found, no troubles found, without a sound, no troubles found, without a sound, no troubles found, without a sound.
The lyrics of Jonah Tolchin's "Without a Sound" paint a poignant picture of a man grappling with isolation and heartbreak. The opening lines reveal that the singer has been let down by his heroes and idols, and even his ghosts and friendships have left him feeling stranded. He looks out of his window and sees the world in all its beauty - the sun shining, green leaves swaying - yet he is unable to find solace in his surroundings. He longs for a particular color found only in his lover's hair, but she is gone, leaving him to count the birds and search for words to express his pain.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly desperate for escape, wishing he could jump into the river for a midnight train ride, despite not knowing how to swim. He envisions his soul drifting away in the current, polished steel reflecting the leaves above. He feels burdened by the weight of his emotions, convinced that it is too heavy to be buried or freed. He longs to sink into the sea, to be free from his troubles once and for all.
The repetition of the phrase "without a sound" in the chorus underscores the singer's feelings of being invisible and unheard. He believes that his pain cannot be expressed in words or song, that his descent into the sea will be silent and unnoticed. Ultimately, the song captures the devastating and isolating effects of heartbreak, as well as the profound desire for escape that can arise from such pain.
Line by Line Meaning
All my hero’s and my idols, my friendships and my ghosts,
Everyone and everything that I've ever looked up to or relied on, as well as those who have passed without resolution, have left me feeling stranded and untethered to any one place.
leave me stranded here this morning, too close away from home.
I'm feeling stuck and unable to move forward, even though I'm physically near my home.
The sun shines through my window, the leaves are green and fair,
Despite my internal distress, the world around me is mundane and unaffected by my struggles.
I’m just looking for a color only found in my baby’s hair.
I'm searching for something unique and special that only my baby can provide in order to fill the void inside me.
Oh but my darlings down the highway, left me here to count the birds,
My loved ones have moved on and I'm left behind with nothing but time to kill, feeling useless and unimportant.
and I’m hurting to the ceiling, lost, just searching for the words.
I'm overwhelmed by my emotions and unable to express myself properly.
And I can’t seem to find a better place to hide, I might jump into the river
I'm considering fleeing my current situation and escaping whatever pain I'm in by jumping into a river.
for a midnight train to ride. I can’t swim so I’ll sink, for to fly. Polished steel
If I can't escape by train or flight, then I'm willing to sink into the riverbed and look up at the shining steel above me.
along the creek, my soul will drift into the leaves, and I’ll be gone, without a sound.
As I sink and my soul drifts away, I'll disappear without a trace or any noise.
The car is filled with reasons to never get back in, I was once a stronger man till I
The car I'm in feels overwhelming and reminds me of all the reasons I don't want to leave it, but I also know that I was once stronger and more decisive than I am now.
confessed to all my sins. So I guess I’ll get to walkin’, till I turn to something else,
I've admitted to my mistakes and now I feel like I need to walk and wander until I become someone else entirely.
for this weight that I am bearing, is too heavy for the shelf. It’s too heavy to be buried, too heavy to be freed, so this weight I must carry to help me sink into the sea.
The emotional burden I'm carrying is too much to bear and I feel like my only option is to let it consume me until I disappear entirely.
So just let me drown, for she won’t come around, she’s too busy being free, so I’m headed down.
Since the person I care about won't be coming back to save me, I'm accepting that I need to sink into the water alone.
Yes I’m sinking now, without a sound, it’s time to march into the waves, where troubles are not found, no troubles found, without a sound, no troubles found, without a sound, no troubles found, without a sound.
I'm finally sinking into the water, and as I disappear completely, I'm relieved that I'll no longer have to deal with any of the troubles that have weighed me down for so long.
Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.