Describing the group Listener, a few years ago, would have involved discuss… Read Full Bio ↴Describing the group Listener, a few years ago, would have involved discussing two guys, a guitar, a macbook, and a washing machine; an explanation that would turn the head of even the most avant-garde fans of music. Listener has now evolved into a full fledged rock and roll power trio with vocalist Dan Smith playing bass and brass, guitarist Christin Nelson behind the monstrous musical arrangements, and drummer Kris Rochelle pounding the skins as if the ghost of John Bonham haunted his dreams. With thought provoking stage banter, music that keeps your mind busy, and words that quickly take hold of your heart, Listener is a near perfect balance of what words and music are supposed to be.

Most Roads Lead to Home
Listener Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can’t remember, making all these visions in my head
But they’re moving in this room, fighting together above my bed
Shadows swirling hand in hand, making new faces in the wind
Keep trying to help me forget my name, and I keep trying to leave them
Our ghosts fill up these hollow walls, empty hands filled with silence
We are still alive from what I’ve seen, heads hanging in the balance
I’ll keep on in this sleep, I’m never gonna find that perfect cure
I’ll hold on to my name, because it’s the only thing I still know for sure

Look at the sound of all these people on fire.
I want to be on fire, do you want to be on fire?
But we don’t love ourselves enough, we pack our hearts with medicine
Choke our lungs with broke down tries of lesser men
I’d rather give you my name instead of just forget it
Because I carry it, but I don’t want to carry it
And so I’ll follow you vision
And listen with my eyes every maze and twist and bend
Try to go where you point, step where you recommend
Oh lead what I should see great specter
You say: give up, give up, don’t give up
Then I won’t give up, because I know I’m not alone
I know that all roads lead to home in some way
And I’m on my way, are you on your way?

Show me your life, living, speaking in the night above us
We all survived, in this one place forever with our eyes closed
You are alive, you said it would never be this way, you promised
I am alive, and I said I would never go away, to believe me
But I’m awake now, and I still see you, do you see me?

I am alive, though I might be dead or sleeping
I have survived, trying to find my way out of leaving
And I’m having trouble leaving, I keep breaking all these oars
I can’t mold what’s not mine, that ship won’t sail anymore
The journey is the thing, and I’m barely following
Like this mirage from inside the back of my head, from just outside my reach
You are survived, you are not alone, don’t give up

Because one day I’m gonna write my dad into my dreams
And tell him how his friends still remember him here
Show him I became a man, because they all cared in his absence
And I know you held us, your wife held on tight enough for both of you
She still holds your hand every day
And try to live out your last words
You are survived, even though we’re still here sorting it all out
We all survived, and are amongst the living and the dead
This name is no longer mine, I can see who I am without it
But I can’t just go around dreaming about luck like that
But we all still bleed, we still need help to breathe
And that’s all mine to carry, help me remember when I wake up
I know that all roads lead to home in some way
And I’m on my way, are you on your way?

Show me your life, walking, drifting in the air around us
We all survived, forever and always as we sleep
You are alive, you said it would never be this way, you promised

I am alive, and I said I would never go away, to believe me
But I’m awake now and I still see you, do you see me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Listener's song Most Roads Lead to Home are layered with imagery and metaphor that combine to create a deeply introspective and emotional experience for the listener. The song begins with an acknowledgement of the confusion and chaos that can exist within one's own mind, with the singer unable to remember the origin of the thoughts and visions that swirl around them. The use of the idea of fighting shadows and ghosts is a classic metaphor for the struggle of the human psyche, with the singer attempting to forget their own identity and be absorbed into the void. This sense of desperation and confusion is echoed by the "hollow walls" and "empty hands filled with silence", hinting at a feeling of being lost and alone.

As the song progresses, the language becomes more powerful and emotive, with the idea of people being "on fire" representing the intensity of passion and desire that can consume a person. However, the singer is acutely aware of the self-destructive tendencies that can emerge when one does not love themselves enough, and acknowledges the need for "medicine" to dull the pain. The use of the phrase "lesser men" reinforces the idea that we can be our own worst enemies, and must strive to focus on our own worth and value.

The final section of the song is suffused with hope and optimism, with the revelation that all roads lead to home in some way. This idea of finding a place of belonging and peace is a universal human desire, and the use of repetition reinforces the sense of determination and resilience that is required to achieve it. The singer's acknowledgement of their own survival and ability to endure is touching and inspiring, with the line "trying to find my way out of leaving" representing a powerful acknowledgement of the pain of loss and the importance of finding a way to move forward. Ultimately, the song is a deeply personal and emotional exploration of human frailty and the relentless search for meaning and belonging.

Line by Line Meaning

I can’t remember, making all these visions in my head
I am unable to recall the instances when I created these mental images

Shadows swirling hand in hand, making new faces in the wind
The shadows are intermingling with each other to form new facial features which are constantly morphing due to the wind

Our ghosts fill up these hollow walls, empty hands filled with silence
The ghosts haunt these empty and soundless spaces, their presence almost palpable

Look at the sound of all these people on fire.
The people are so passionate and driven, they are figuratively burning with ambition

But we don’t love ourselves enough, we pack our hearts with medicine
We tend to neglect self-care and try to heal ourselves with superficial fixes

I’d rather give you my name instead of just forget it
I prefer to share my identity and form a connection with someone rather than erase it from memory

And listen with my eyes every maze and twist and bend
I am acutely aware of my surroundings, and constantly pay attention to detail

I know that all roads lead to home in some way
There is a sense of comfort in knowing that no matter where we go, we can always return to where we belong

Show me your life, living, speaking in the night above us
I want to witness your experiences and see the way you communicate your thoughts and feelings through your actions

And I’m awake now, and I still see you, do you see me?
I have become aware and mindful of my surroundings, and wonder if you too are aware of me

This name is no longer mine, I can see who I am without it
My name does not define who I am, and I am coming to a realization that my identity can exist beyond my given name

We all survived, forever and always as we sleep
We have all managed to persevere, and even in sleep, we continue to exist

Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

afropessimist

8y↑16

I can’t remember.......making all these visions in my head
But they’re moving in this room........fighting together above my bed
Shadows swirling hand in hand........making new faces in the wind
Keep trying to help me forget my name, and I keep trying to leave them
Our ghosts fill up these hollow walls, empty hands filled with silence
We are still alive from what I’ve seen, heads hanging in the balance
I’ll keep on in this sleep......I’m never gonna find that perfect cure
I’ll hold on to my name, because it’s the only thing I still know for sure
Look at the sound of all these people on fire.
I want to be on fire, do you want to be on fire?
But we don’t love ourselves enough, we pack our hearts with medicine
Choke our lungs with broke down tries of lesser men
I’d rather give you my name instead of just forget it
Because I carry it, but I don’t want to carry it
And so I’ll follow you vision
And listen with my eyes every maze and twist and bend
Try to go where you point, step where you recommend
Oh lead what I should see great specter
You say: give up, give up, don’t give up
Then I won’t give up, because I know I’m not alone
I know that all roads lead to home in some way
And I’m on my way, are you on your way?

Show me your life, living, speaking in the night above us
We all survived, in this one place forever with our eyes closed
you are alive, you said it would never be this way, you promised
I am alive, and I said I would never go away, to believe me
but I’m awake now, and I still see you...do you see me.

image: http://static.urx.io/units/web/urx-unit-loader.gif

I am alive............though I might be dead or sleeping
I have survived.........trying to find my way out of leaving
and I’m having trouble leaving........I keep breaking all these oars
I can’t mold what’s not mine.......that ship won’t sail anymore
the journey is the thing................and I’m barely following
like this mirage from inside the back of my head, from just outside my reach
you are survived, you are not alone, don’t give up
‘cause one day I’m gonna write my dad into my dreams
and tell him how his friends still remember him here
show him I became a man, because they all cared in his absence
and I know you held us, your wife held on tight enough for both of you
she still holds your hand every day........
and try to live out your last words............
you are survived, even though we’re still here sorting it all out
we all survived, and are amongst the living and the dead
this name is no longer mine, I can see who I am without it
but I can’t just go around dreaming about luck like that
but we all still bleed, we still need help to breathe
and that’s all mine to carry, help me remember when I wake up
I know that all roads lead to home in some way
and I’m on my way, are you on your way?

show me your life, walking, drifting in the air around us
we all survived, forever and always as we sleep
you are alive, you said it would never be this way, you promised
I am alive, and I said I would never go away, to believe me