What You're Thinking
Passenger Lyrics


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You’re just a stones throw from me,
But throwing stones could never be,
The perfect way to start.

Cos sticks and stones make broken bones,
And empty words make broken homes,
But it’s love that broke our hearts.
If I knew what you were thinking,
I would stop this boat from sinking,
But darling you are like the sand,
And you’re slipping through my hands,
I just don’t know what you’re thinking.

You’re just a photo in a draw,
But photographs are not much more,
Than ghosts we can’t forget.

You’re just a red rag to a bull,
You’re just a false hope for a fool,
But its as close as I can get.

If I knew what you were thinking,
I would stop this boat from sinking,
But darling you are like the sun,
Setting when my evening comes,
I just don’t know what you’re thinking.

And I would stop the sky from falling,
If I knew, if I knew,
And I would love you every morning,
If I knew, if I knew.

If I knew what you were thinking,
I would stop this boat from sinking,
But darling you are like the stars,




I know I can’t reach that far,
I just don’t know what you’re thinking.

Overall Meaning

The song "What You're Thinking" by Passenger explores the pain of loving someone who is distant and hard to read. The singer is close to the person he loves ("just a stones throw from me") but feels like he can't connect with them. He acknowledges that fighting and arguing ("throwing stones") is not the way to start a relationship, but fears that their lack of communication ("empty words") has led to a broken heart. He desperately wishes he could know what the other person is thinking so he could stop the relationship from sinking.


The metaphor of sand slipping through the singer's hands represents the elusive nature of the other person's thoughts and feelings. He can't grasp onto them or keep them close. The line "you're just a photo in a draw" suggests that the relationship may be over or fading away, but the singer still can't forget the other person. He recognizes that his love may be foolish ("false hope for a fool"), but it's the best he can do when he can't understand the other person's emotions.


The chorus repeats the desire to know what the other person is thinking, to stop the relationship from sinking. The final lines of the song acknowledge that sometimes love is not enough to bridge the gap between two people, that distance can be vast like the stars. The singer is left wondering, and the listener is left with a sense of melancholy.


Line by Line Meaning

You’re just a stones throw from me,
You're physically close to me, but distance isn't the only thing that's keeping us apart.


But throwing stones could never be,
Using violence or aggression won't solve our problems and will only make things worse.


The perfect way to start.
We need to find a better way to begin our relationship and build a foundation for something meaningful.


Cos sticks and stones make broken bones,
Violence or harm can lead to physical injury or harm.


And empty words make broken homes,
Words alone aren't enough to sustain a relationship and create a strong, healthy home life.


But it’s love that broke our hearts.
Sometimes love and heartbreak go hand in hand, and it's difficult to tell the difference between them.


If I knew what you were thinking,
Communication is key in any relationship, and understanding each other's thoughts and feelings can help overcome obstacles.


I would stop this boat from sinking,
I would take action to prevent our relationship from falling apart and failing completely.


But darling you are like the sand,
You are beautiful and complex, but also changeable and difficult to hold on to.


And you’re slipping through my hands,
No matter how tightly I try to hold on, you're slipping away from me, and it's hard to know what to do.


I just don’t know what you’re thinking.
I feel like there's a disconnect between us, and I wish I could understand what's going on in your mind and heart.


You’re just a photo in a draw,
You're a memory that I keep tucked away, a reminder of a time when things were different.


But photographs are not much more,
Pictures can only capture a moment in time and don't tell the whole story of what's happening in someone's life.


Than ghosts we can’t forget.
Memories can haunt us and stick with us, even when we try to move on and let go.


You’re just a red rag to a bull,
You might be something that sets me off and makes me react strongly, even if it's not rational or helpful.


You’re just a false hope for a fool,
I might be foolish to hold on to the hope that we can make things work, even if it seems unlikely or unrealistic.


But its as close as I can get.
Even if it's not a perfect situation, it's the closest I can get to you, and I'll take what I can get.


If I knew what you were thinking,
Understanding each other's thoughts and feelings is difficult, but crucial for building a strong, healthy relationship.


I would stop this boat from sinking,
I would do everything in my power to prevent our relationship from falling apart.


But darling you are like the sun,
You are beautiful and radiant, but also distant and potentially dangerous if I get too close.


Setting when my evening comes,
You seem to disappear at the times when I need you most, making it hard to rely on and trust you.


I just don’t know what you’re thinking.
There's a disconnect between us that's hard to bridge, and I wish I could understand what you're really feeling and thinking.


And I would stop the sky from falling,
I would do anything to prevent the worst from happening, even if it's unlikely or impossible.


If I knew, if I knew,
If only I had more insight or understanding into what's going on in your mind and heart.


And I would love you every morning,
I would show you love and affection every day, no matter what challenges we face or how difficult things might seem.


If I knew, if I knew.
If only I had a better sense of what you really need and want from me.


If I knew what you were thinking,
The key to a successful relationship is communication and understanding, and it's frustrating when that's out of reach.


I would stop this boat from sinking,
I'm committed to making our relationship work, even if it seems like we're close to falling apart.


But darling you are like the stars,
You are beautiful and intriguing, but also difficult to reach or fully understand.


I know I can’t reach that far,
No matter how hard I try, it seems like our connection is beyond my grasp, and that's frustrating and painful.


I just don’t know what you’re thinking.
The disconnect between us makes it hard to know what's really going on, and that's a frustrating and isolating feeling.




Contributed by Jasmine O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@ynkrw

I think this is an underrated song of passenger

@KJ-nd6jl

Ufuk Uncu I think almost all of his music is underrated

@rohankalita7460

@@KJ-nd6jl exactly

@phabio711

X222! THINK THE SAME!

@damdennis9124

You’re extremely right
I’m sure is because of the time he was known by many people

@tearwordmelody

I totally agree

1 More Replies...

@kidowmer

The sad truth is that we will never know what the other is thinking...that's what makes this song so achingly beautiful....

@Albatross0913

That's what trust is for, my friend. Trust your partner to tell you when there's a problem and trust that they're telling the truth when they say they love you, and you need to be honest as well. They need to trust you as much as you need to trust them. Without trust, it'll all fall apart.

@4114das

Every few weeks I'd have new favorite song of Passenger's collection. This is my fav one atm... so beautiful collaboration - in fact all his songs are just wonderful.

@shade4359

Trapped in the beauty of this song, I just gave up, I stopped chasing the red rags. I stopped having the false hopes, cause I damn right knew what she was thinking.

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