Medicine is a shoegaze/dream pop band from Los Angeles, USA. They have had … Read Full Bio ↴Medicine is a shoegaze/dream pop band from Los Angeles, USA. They have had two distinct incarnations. The band was first formed in 1991 by guitarist and programmer Brad Laner (aka Electric Company) and signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label the following year. Medicine was/is considered the American response to shoegazing bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Chapterhouse. With a signature guitar tone, created by running Brad Laner's guitar through a Yamaha 8-track recorder, Medicine's music managed to distinguish itself from some of the more noisy and ambiguous endeavours of the shoegazing movement. The band made a brief appearance as themselves in the film The Crow, performing Time Baby III.

Brad Laner broke up the original band in 1995.

In 2003 The Mechanical Forces of Love was released. For this album Medicine was just a duo, consisting of Brad Laner and singer Shannon Lee (sister of The Crow's star, Brandon, and daughter of Bruce).

1st April 2013 Brad Laner announces new Medicine track 'Long As The Sun' with the original line up, to be downloaded here:

https://soundcloud.com/capturedtracks/medicine-long-as-the-sun/

Beneath The Sands
Medicine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Waiting are you waiting
Time is wanting
Underwater
Waiting are you waiting
For the hands to slip
Beneath the sands and
Pull you from your bed

Standing in the corner
You are waiting
Underwater
Standing in the corner
You can never know what
Hands will find you
Lying on your side

Laughing are you laughing
Time is bending
Underwater
Laughing are you laughing
Gently push the spine
Beneath the sands and
Hide it from you eyes

Laugh beneath the sand

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Medicine's song "Beneath The Sands" depict a surreal and hauntingly beautiful imagery of waiting, uncertainty, and the passage of time. The repeated line "waiting, are you waiting?" seems to be addressed to someone who is stuck in a limbo-like state, hoping for a change or release that may or may not come. The underwater setting adds to the feeling of being trapped and isolated, with the sands above waiting to bury the person and hide their remains from the world. The imagery of hands slipping and finding someone lying on their side also hints at the possibility of death or a final resting place.

The second verse continues the theme of waiting and uncertainty, but shifts the perspective to being in the corner, perhaps trying to hide or avoid something. The hands finding the person can now "never know" what they will do, adding to the sense of unpredictability and danger. The lines about laughing and time bending introduce another layer of ambiguity and surrealism, as if the waiting and the fate that awaits may not be entirely serious or mundane. The spine being pushed and hidden from sight could be interpreted as a symbol of weakness or vulnerability, or conversely, of resilience and the ability to endure.

Line by Line Meaning

Waiting are you waiting
Are you patiently waiting for something to happen?

Time is wanting
Time is in need of something or someone, perhaps a change or progress.

Underwater
This could represent being submerged in a difficult or uncertain situation or emotion.

Waiting are you waiting
Again, the question of whether one is waiting for something to happen arises.

For the hands to slip
The hands represent fate or a force beyond our control, and slipping may indicate a mistake or error in life.

Beneath the sands and
This can symbolize being buried or hidden in the depths of the unknown or even death.

Pull you from your bed
This can represent a sudden interruption of one's life or routine, potentially caused by outside forces.

Standing in the corner
Feeling stuck or secluded in a situation or emotion that may seem isolating.

You are waiting
Continuing the theme of waiting for something to happen, whether it be positive or negative.

You can never know what
Uncertainty looms and anything can happen at any moment.

Hands will find you
The hands could represent the unexpected, unpredictable nature of life and its events.

Lying on your side
This can be seen as a position of vulnerability or weakness, symbolizing emotional or physical pain.

Laughing are you laughing
Are you putting on a facade and hiding true emotions?

Time is bending
Time can feel distorted or stretched when emotions are heightened or difficult situations are present.

Gently push the spine
Perhaps a metaphor for enduring pain, pushing through difficult times despite physical or emotional discomfort.

Beneath the sands and
Again, this can represent being buried or hidden, avoiding confrontation or the truth.

Hide it from your eyes
Ignoring the truth or hiding from reality can be a tempting way to cope with difficult emotions or events.

Laugh beneath the sand
Despite the hardships or challenges in life, finding joy or humor can be a powerful coping mechanism and help to maintain hope and resilience.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRAD LANER, ELIZABETH ANNE THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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