One Dollar Short are an Australian punk rock band. Hailing from Central Coa… Read Full Bio ↴One Dollar Short are an Australian punk rock band. Hailing from Central Coast New South Wales, their debut top 40 single "Board Game" charted at #37 on the Australian ARIAnet singles chart in 2001. Their most successful non-LP release was the EP, Press And Hold, (containing fan favourite "Satellite"), which charted at #22 in the same year. Their debut album also charted at #7 on the albums chart in 2002. In July 2004, their follow-up album, Receiving Transmission, was released along with single, "Some Assembly Required" - neither of which were successful. In early 2005, the band went on hiatus indefinitely.

Here I Am
One Dollar Short Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Staring at these same four walls,
Listen close you can here the paint peel,
The clock on the wall is tick, tick, ticking so loudly,
The curtains are drawn,
The light hurts my eyes,
I've been broken and left here in peices

(Chorus)

I can't go, I can't go, I can't go on like that
Here I am, take a look at me
Make it go away, make it go away, make it all go away
Here I am, take a look at me

I've discovered thirteen shades of grey,
I want to bleed it all away,
Razorblade infatuation,
Cold gun metal situation,
Have you ever felt a memory pulling at your insides?
Everytime I lay my weary head I hear you calling my name.

(Chorus)

TV is my only friend,
And your answering machine since you've been gone.

I can't go on, I can't go on, I can't go on like that,

I can't go on, I can't go on, I can't go on like that,
Here I am.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Here I Am" by One Dollar Short reveal a sense of confinement and desperation. The singer seems to be stuck in the same place, both physically and emotionally, as he stares at the four walls feeling broken and empty. The peeling paint and ticking clock indicate that time is passing by, but the singer is stuck in the same place, unable to move forward. The shades of grey and the razorblade infatuation are signs of depression and self-harm that could be exacerbating the feeling of helplessness.

The chorus of the song expresses the singer's wish to escape this misery and pain. He desperately seeks someone to help him make it all go away, to take a look at him and see his suffering. However, he seems incapable of doing it on his own, as he repeats "I can't go on" several times before reaching the climax of the song where he says, "Here I am." This line captures the essence of the song, where the singer feels like he's exposing his vulnerability and asking for someone to help him out of this misery.

Overall, "Here I Am" is a soulful and emotional piece that expresses the pain of someone feeling trapped in his own mind. It's a song that resonates with anyone who has ever experienced depression or anxiety.

Line by Line Meaning

Staring at these same four walls,
I feel trapped and unable to escape my current situation.

Listen close you can here the paint peel,
The silence is deafening, and I'm acutely aware of the deteriorating state of my surroundings.

The clock on the wall is tick, tick, ticking so loudly,
I feel like time is passing me by, but I'm stuck in this moment, unable to move forward.

The curtains are drawn,
I don't want to face the outside world, so I'm hiding away in my own little world.

The light hurts my eyes,
I'm in a dark place, and anything that shines a light on that darkness is painful to me.

I've been broken and left here in pieces
I've gone through something traumatic, and I'm still struggling to pick up the pieces and put myself back together.

I can't go, I can't go, I can't go on like that
I'm at my breaking point, and I can't continue living like this.

Here I am, take a look at me
I'm reaching out for help and asking someone to acknowledge my pain and struggle.

Make it go away, make it go away, make it all go away
I want someone to fix everything that's wrong in my life and give me a fresh start.

I've discovered thirteen shades of grey,
I'm overwhelmed by the complexity and ambiguity of my emotions and my current situation.

I want to bleed it all away,
I'm tempted to resort to self-destructive behavior to ease my pain.

Razorblade infatuation,
I'm drawn to dangerous and harmful things as a way to cope with my pain.

Cold gun metal situation,
My life feels like a bleak and hopeless landscape, with no warmth or comfort to be found.

Have you ever felt a memory pulling at your insides?
I'm haunted by painful memories and can't escape their influence on my life.

Everytime I lay my weary head I hear you calling my name.
I'm filled with regret and longing for someone who's no longer in my life, and it's preventing me from finding peace and happiness.

TV is my only friend,
I'm so isolated and lonely that I'm turning to television as a substitute for human interaction and companionship.

And your answering machine since you've been gone.
I'm still holding onto a relationship that's over, and I'm trying to cling to any reminder of that person.

I can't go on, I can't go on, I can't go on like that,
I'm at a breaking point and can't continue living in this state of despair and hopelessness.

Here I am.
I'm reaching out for help and begging someone to take notice of my pain.

Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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