Underwater Record Store
Penelope Isles Lyrics


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Up to my neck
Prouder than before
I made a castle right up to the sky
Looking down as we stand on a cliff edge
Paradise is right before our eyes

Covered in salt we headed
To the bottom
Flicking through Records on the floor
Rows and rows it's getting weirder
I always thought they were sea shells I'm sure

In came the crowd running through the sand
My palace fell it came tumbling down
My dad took me into a real castle
To make me see that nobody's got me down

Covered in salt we headed
To the bottom
Flicking through Records on the floor
Rows and rows it's getting weirder
I always thought they were sea shells I'm sure





Oh but a dream it stays with me
Who knows where it goes I don't know oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Penelope Isles's song "Underwater Record Store" seem to be about a vivid dream experience. The singer describes being submerged in water up to their neck and feeling prouder than before, perhaps indicating a sense of accomplishment. They built a castle that reached the sky and are standing on a cliff edge overlooking paradise. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for reaching high levels of success or achieving one's dreams.


The second half of the song relates to the record store, which appears to be underwater. The singer is flipping through records on the floor and notes that they are becoming weirder as she goes on. She previously thought they were sea shells, highlighting the surreal nature of the dream. Suddenly, a crowd rushes in and destroys the castle, causing the singer to feel defeated. However, the singer’s father appears in the dream and takes them to a real castle to show that nobody can bring them down.


Overall, the song seems to be about the ups and downs of pursuing one's dreams. The feeling of pride and accomplishment can be fleeting, while also grappling with the fear of being brought down by outside forces. The record store and sea shells can be seen as a metaphor for the quirks and deviations along the way.


Line by Line Meaning

Up to my neck
I am fully submerged in the water


Prouder than before
I am feeling confident and unafraid of being underwater


I made a castle right up to the sky
I built a sandcastle that reaches high into the air


Looking down as we stand on a cliff edge
We are admiring the view from a high point near the water


Paradise is right before our eyes
The scenery is beautiful and peaceful


Covered in salt we headed
We were covered in saltwater and began to explore


To the bottom
We descended to the ocean floor


Flicking through Records on the floor
We are browsing through things on the ocean floor


Rows and rows it's getting weirder
We are discovering strange and unusual things


I always thought they were sea shells I'm sure
I used to mistake some of these things for something else entirely


In came the crowd running through the sand
A group of people arrived nearby and ran through the sand


My palace fell it came tumbling down
My sandcastle was destroyed by something


My dad took me into a real castle
My father showed me a proper castle to make me feel better about my destroyed sandcastle


To make me see that nobody's got me down
He comforted me and reminded me that I shouldn't let setbacks get me down


Oh but a dream it stays with me
The memory of the sandcastle and the underwater adventure continues to stay with me


Who knows where it goes I don't know oh
I don't know where this adventure will take me next




Writer(s): Lily Wolter, Jack Wolter

Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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