The members of Mew started playing music together in 1995. Mew first achieved success in Denmark with their album Frengers, although their debut album, A Triumph for Man, had been met with much critical acclaim back in 1997. At the 2003 Danish Music Critics Award Show, Mew won the awards for "Album of the Year" and "Band of the Year." Until this point Mew was relatively unknown outside of Denmark; however after a European tour supporting R.E.M. Mew began to attract wider attention. After releasing the critically-acclaimed album And The Glass Handed Kites, featuring contributions from J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr, Mew has built on their success in Denmark as well as attracting attention from other countries in Europe and Asia. In the summer of 2006, they toured as the supporting act for Bloc Party in the U.S. as well as for Kasabian in the U.S. and Canada in the fall. After these tours, they returned to Denmark to work on new material.
On March 14th, 2007, Mew embarked on their first ever headlining tour in America with Oh No! Oh My! as the supporting act. Their fifth studio album, No More Stories/Are Told Today/I'm Sorry/They Washed Away//No More Stories/The World Is Grey/I'm Tired/Let's Wash Away, was released in August 25, 2009. They've also toured with Nine Inch Nails, Kings of Leon and Sigur Rós. In 2010, they released a greatest hits compilation called Eggs are Funny. They began performing new material in 2012 at Roskilde Festival, and released their sixth studio album, +- in 2015. Madsen left the band the same year, and the band began writing new material for their new album shortly after they concluded their tour. They released their seventh studio album, Visuals, after releasing a few singles in the months preceding its release. They embarked on tours for the album, as well as a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of their breakthrough album Frengers in 2018.
Discography:
* A Triumph for Man (1997, re-released 2006)
* Half the World Is Watching Me (2000, re-released Aug 2007)
* Frengers (2003)
* And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)
* No More Stories... (2009)
* Eggs are Funny (2010)
* +- (2015)
* Visuals (2017)
Hawaii
Mew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It swallows your every sound from whisper to rising howl.
Good luck trying to be someone
If you make it then you've won
You'll grow up to be someone
I can't go without you.
Have you met someone?
Have touched the bottom?
The world is like you
Here times the charm
Like a dog it's breathing
They're just as lonely
And we all make mistakes once in a while
The world is like you
There times the charm
Like a dog it's breathing
And what's right beyond doubt
Things just didn't pan out
It's a movie set
It's a world constructed
I can't go without you
I know I got to have you
Have met someone?
Have you touched the bottom?
The world is like you
Three times the charm
Like a dog it's breathing
They're just as lonely
And we all make mistakes once in a while
The world is like you
Here comes the charm
Like a dog it's breathing
They're just as lonely
And we all make mistakes once in a while
The world is like you
The world is like you
The lyrics to Mew's song "Hawaii" are open to interpretation, as they contain abstract and poetic language. However, a general theme throughout the song seems to be the passing of time and the struggle to find one's place in the world. The opening lines, "You know time goes by fast like rain. It swallows your every sound from whisper to rising howl," suggest that time is a powerful and relentless force, consuming everything in its path. The following lines, "Good luck trying to be someone. If you make it then you've won. You'll grow up to be someone," convey a sense of pressure to succeed and make something of oneself.
As the song progresses, the singer asks several questions of someone else, such as "Have you met someone? Have you touched the bottom?" These questions seem to be related to the theme of finding one's place in the world and perhaps experiencing moments of despair or rock bottom. The repeated line "The world is like you" could be interpreted in a few different ways, such as suggesting that the world reflects our inner selves or that we are all connected and similar in some way.
The final lines, "They're just as lonely and we all make mistakes once in a while," acknowledge that everyone struggles and makes mistakes. The song's overall mood is somewhat melancholic, but there is also a sense of resilience and hopefulness in the face of life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
You know time goes by fast like rain.
Time seems to pass quickly, just like the rain, which can quickly take away sounds from the soft rustle to the loudest roar.
It swallows your every sound from whisper to rising howl.
Time can quickly engulf all kinds of sounds, starting from the gentlest whisper to the loudest escalating scream.
Good luck trying to be someone
It's not easy to become someone significant in life, and it requires a lot of effort and some good luck.
If you make it then you've won
If you can successfully achieve your goals and become the person you want to be, then it is indeed a great victory.
You'll grow up to be someone
For most people, the hope is that they will grow up to become significant in some way or another.
I can't go without you.
The singer cannot imagine living without someone else in their life.
No, I need to have you.
The singer feels an intense need to have the other person in their life and cannot imagine life without them.
Have you met someone?
The artist is wondering if the other person has met someone new or started a new relationship with someone else.
Have touched the bottom?
The artist is asking if the other person has hit rock bottom or experienced a low point in their life.
The world is like you
The world is similar to the other person in some way or another.
Here times the charm
This phrase is typically used to indicate that something will be successful on the third attempt, implying that there may be some hope for success.
Like a dog it's breathing
The world is alive and functioning, just like a living being that is breathing and moving.
They're just as lonely
Other people are as lonely and disconnected as the singer may feel, making them not unique in their feelings or experiences.
And we all make mistakes once in a while
Everyone makes mistakes at some point or another, highlighting the universality of human experiences and fallibility.
And what's right beyond doubt
This phrase suggests that certain things are indisputable or cannot be questioned, implying a sense of certainty.
Things just didn't pan out
Despite efforts or expectations, things did not work out or succeed as planned or hoped.
It's a movie set
This phrase suggests that the world or life may not be entirely real or genuine, like a stage or a movie set, which is fabricated and controlled.
It's a world constructed
The world is built or created, rather than being a natural occurrence, highlighting the idea that not everything is as it seems.
Three times the charm
Similar to the phrase 'third time's a charm,' this suggests that success may come after repeated attempts or defeats.
And what's right beyond doubt
This phrase implies that there are certain things that are beyond question or doubt, indicating some sense of certainty or truth.
Here comes the charm
This phrase again suggests that success may come after repeated defeats or attempts, highlighting a sense of hope.
They're just as lonely
This statement suggests that other people may also experience loneliness, highlighting the universality of human emotions and experiences.
And we all make mistakes once in a while
This phrase again highlights the universality of human fallibility and mistakes, indicating that the singer is not alone in their experiences.
The world is like you
The world may mirror or be similar to the artist, suggesting a connection or sense of identification.
Lyrics © Fintage House Publishing
Written by: BO RUNE MADSEN, JONAS BJERRE TERKELSBOEL, SILAS UTKE GRAAE JOERGENSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind