On The Memory Machine Julia employs the talents of a range of musicians from her musical community and undertakes production duties alongside co-producers Keiran Kelly and Brad Albetta.
Subtle, minimal arrangements show the self-assuredness that Julia has brought to this timely project and though characteristically sweet and melodious, the subjects of her stories often run to the darker side, reflected in the artwork inspired by old horror flick posters. Written and recorded over five months in a variety of locations these songs comprise a journey of their own.
Her songs can comfortably inhabit the surreal, where love is an unreliable latchkey kid (‘Where Does the Love Go?’); an internal dying fire warms the hands of grasping sycophants (‘Lights Inside this Dream’); My Baby harks back to the sweet serenades of the fifties and ‘Catastrophe’ provides a delightful romp through the disasters of clumsy connections. The title track, ‘The Memory Machine’, is a paean to lost love from a simpler era with Julia’s hushed vocal veering into dreamy longing.
Julia Stone’s talents as a musician are evident, providing not only vocal and guitar, but also piano, bass, ukulele and percussion, though it is Julia’s characteristic and unique vocals that shine here. She works as an professional artist since 2006.
The Memory Machine is an intriguing, disturbing, moving and ultimately enchanting solo debut from an accomplished and self-assured artist.
I'm Here I'm Not Here
Julia Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living in this home, but I don't really want to.
Live inside a dream, but we're all on the same team.
We would all agree there's things we don't know.
Put me in a corner and I won't make a sound.
After you both lose your heads, I'll be what you found.
While you fight it out, I'll be quiet like a clown.
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
Oh, I don't know.
Wrap me up in blankets and push me down the stairs.
Leave me in the burning house and tell me how much you care.
I live inside a world, where words won't carry heard
And I will try to learn the things I don't know.
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
Live inside a dream, but we're all on the same team.
We will all agree there's things we don't know.
Live inside a dream, but we're all trying to reach
We're all trying to see those things we don't know.
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
Oh, I don't know.
The song "I'm Here I'm Not Here" by Julia Stone revolves around the theme of uncertainty, where the singer expresses the feeling of being in a situation, but not feeling like they truly belong there. The first two lines of the opening verse establishes this by saying "Living in this room, but I don't really want to. Living in this home, but I don't really want to", which indicates the lack of choice in their current situation. The following line "Live inside a dream, but we're all on the same team," implies that the singer's situation affects more than just them alone, and that there are others involved. The last line of the verse "We would all agree there's things we don't know" emphasizes that there is an acknowledgment of uncertainty in the situation.
The second verse contains darker themes, where the singer seems trapped and silenced as they say "Put me in a corner and I won't make a sound. After you both lose your heads, I'll be what you found. While you fight it out, I'll be quiet like a clown. I'll build my world around the things I don't know." The use of the word "corner" emphasizes confinement and restriction, and the comparison to a "clown" seems to suggest that the singer is hiding their true emotions and putting on a facade. However, the last line of the verse indicates that there is still an attempt to find agency despite the uncertainty.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the feeling of uncertainty, where the singer is questioning their own existence as well as the existence of others. The repetition of "I'm here, I'm not here" implies that they are unsure of their own presence, and the line "There's nothing that I know for sure" further emphasizes the sense of uncertainty. The final line "How long can this all go on for? Oh, I don't know" emphasizes the hopelessness that comes with not knowing.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in this room, but I don't really want to.
I'm physically present in this space, but I don't feel like I belong here.
Living in this home, but I don't really want to.
I have a place to call home, but it doesn't feel like a home.
Live inside a dream, but we're all on the same team.
We may have different dreams, but we're all in this together.
We would all agree there's things we don't know.
There are things we're all unsure about.
Put me in a corner and I won't make a sound.
I may feel trapped, but I won't speak up.
After you both lose your heads, I'll be what you found.
When things calm down, I'll still be here, unchanged.
While you fight it out, I'll be quiet like a clown.
I'll observe the chaos, but won't contribute to it.
I'll build my world around the things I don't know.
I'll try to make sense of the unknown and build my life accordingly.
I'm here, I'm not here.
I'm physically present, but my mind may be elsewhere.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
I'm uncertain about everything.
How long can this all go on for?
How much longer can we keep living like this?
Wrap me up in blankets and push me down the stairs.
Even in situations of danger or harm, I may feel indifferent.
Leave me in the burning house and tell me how much you care.
I may feel neglected or abandoned even when surrounded by loved ones.
And I will try to learn the things I don't know.
I'll try my best to acquire knowledge and understanding about the unknown.
We're all trying to see those things we don't know.
We're all in search of understanding and knowledge about the unknown.
Oh, I don't know.
I'm still uncertain about everything.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JULIA STONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fenia Zarafidou
Living in this room, but I don't really want to.
Living in this home, but I don't really want to.
Live inside a dream, but we're all on the same team.
We would all agree there's things we don't know.
Put me in a corner and I won't make a sound.
After you both lose your heads, I'll be what you found.
While you fight it out, I'll be quiet like a clown.
I'll build my world around the things I don't know.
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
Oh, I don't know.
Wrap me up in blankets and push me down the stairs.
Leave me in the burning house and tell me how much you care.
I live inside a world, where words won't carry heard
And I will try to learn the things I don't know.
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
Live inside a dream, but we're all on the same team.
We will all agree there's things we don't know.
Live inside a dream, but we're all trying to reach
We're all trying to see those things we don't know.
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
I'm here, I'm not here.
There's nothing that I know for sure.
You're here, you're not here.
How long can this all go on for?
Oh, I don't know.
bladiebladieblaful
Her beautiful voice reaches my heart and heals it a little bit more every time I listen to her <3
Chanelle Baril
love her soothing voice
Benny Usher
Just stunning!!
Intheair
The world is a massively confusing thing if we give it too much credit and thought. This song was with me when I was in my most confused moments... the twenties in the 21th century was a real challenge, glad I made it through...
Gab M
Thanks for uploading all these awesome songs! :D
kardoz
Ella demuestra que el silencio si tiene sonido
Sarah Dillman
Thank you. This is how everything sort of feels right now. Just thank you for giving me something to grab on to
Wraithraiser
To me, this sounds like the child of a couple whose constantly fighting or a family/couple on the verge of splitting."put me in a corner and I won't make a sound. After you both lose your heads I'll be what you found." You're all on the same team yet things aren't working out wondering when things will change.
Call Handling
So beautiful yet so elegant.
Mylène
so amazing.