1) Show Of Hands are England's most successful acoustic roots duo - Steve Knightley and Phil Beer. Their widespread appeal is based on the combined power of Steve's original songs, the quality of their vocals and harmonies, and their multi-instrumental virtuosity. Their performances feature guitars, mandocello, fiddle, cuatro, viola and concertina.
Packing venues from the smallest village hall to the Royal Albert Hall in London, the duo continue to produce original music popular the world over.
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2) Show of Hands from Southern California existed in the late 90's/early 00's and played Hardcore. They have a 7inch still available on Smorgasbord Records called A New Day Not Forgotten, a demo, and a song called 'Naked Jake' on the compilation CD As the Sun Sets.
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3) Show of hands was a little-known progressive folk band which released one album in 1970 called Formerly Anthrax.
Undertow
Show of Hands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Failed At school, broken home, you know the scars will show,
My girl Amy just 19, wants to be a nurse,
Says we need skills and if we don't leave well end up somewhere worse
We talk about America, we dream of Spain,
Don't want another winter here in the English rain,
We long for Australia I'll catch waves all day,
When summer comes round, I'll be found, working all along the beach,
Hiring boards putting up chairs, trying to keep our dream in reach,
Staring at the stars Amy and me, soaking the sun warmed ground,
Or lying in the dunes, sand in her hair, as the moon turns round
We talk about America, we dream of Spain,
Don't want another winter here in the English rain,
oooooo Australia we'll catch waves all day,
We might have been born here, no way we'll stay
Then one black night my best friend stole a car by the docks,
and If had seen the London plates, he never would have forced the locks,
He hit the M5 110, laughing as the clock span round,
Left it burning in a cliff top field it lit his way to town
He was almost home but they were waiting either end of his road,
Trapped in the yard at the back of the spar, where the vans and the lorries unload,
I remember sirens flashing lights, I found him left for dead,
Saw Amy at the A&E working all night, through the glass doors shaking her head,
No talk about America, no dreams of Spain,
But he's got another winter now in the English rain,
Whoa Australia never catch waves all day,
You know he was born here, and here he'll stay
ooo America, I could learn a trade,
We might make some money there, well have it made,
ooo Australia, we long to go,
but there's another winter now in the undertow
the undertow
From Seaton to Sidmouth,
Exmouth round to Torquay,
Kingsbridge, Salcombe,
It's always the same, same story
In the undertow.
Undertow is a powerful and emotive song by Show of Hands, which explores the hopes and dreams of two young people living in a seaside town in Devon. The song follows the story of the singer and his girlfriend, Amy, who dream of leaving their hometown for warmer climates and better opportunities. However, their dreams are derailed when the singer's best friend steals a car and is tragically killed, leaving them reeling and unable to look beyond the bleak reality of their lives.
The song paints a vivid picture of the stark contrast between the beauty of the Devonshire coast and the harsh realities of life for those who live there. The singer's broken home and troubled past are echoed in the scars that "show" on his skin, while Amy is determined to escape the town by becoming a nurse. The couple longs for warmer climes, dreaming of America and Spain, but ultimately, their dreams are shattered by tragedy.
The chorus, with its haunting refrain of "We might have been born here, no way we'll stay", captures the sense of restlessness and desperation that runs through the song, while the final verse, with its focus on the undertow that lurks beneath the surface of the sea, is a poignant reminder of the hidden dangers that lie in wait, ready to pull us under at any moment.
Overall, Undertow is a powerful and moving song that speaks to the struggle of the human spirit in the face of adversity, and the deep sense of loss and regret that can come with the passing of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Born in a Devonshire seaside town 21 years ago,
I was born and raised in a small beachside town in Devon 21 years ago.
Failed At school, broken home, you know the scars will show,
I didn't do well in school and grew up in a difficult home environment that still affects me.
My girl Amy just 19, wants to be a nurse,
My girlfriend Amy, who is only 19, dreams of becoming a nurse.
Says we need skills and if we don't leave well end up somewhere worse
Amy thinks we need to develop skills and leave our town since staying here may lead to a worse future.
We talk about America, we dream of Spain,
Amy and I often talk about going to America or Spain and dream about exploring new places.
Don't want another winter here in the English rain,
We are tired of the cold, dark, and rainy English winters.
We long for Australia I'll catch waves all day,
We are eager to go to Australia and surf all day.
We might have been born here, no way we'll stay.
Even though we were born in this town, we are determined to leave it.
When summer comes round, I'll be found, working all along the beach,
During the summer, I usually work on the beach to save money for our trip abroad.
Hiring boards putting up chairs, trying to keep our dream in reach,
I rent out surfboards and beach chairs to earn extra income for our trip.
Staring at the stars Amy and me, soaking the sun warmed ground,
During our free time, Amy and I lie on the beach, gaze at the stars, and enjoy the warm sun.
Or lying in the dunes, sand in her hair, as the moon turns round
We also sometimes lie in the sand dunes, with sand in our hair, while the moon moves across the sky.
Then one black night my best friend stole a car by the docks,
One night, my best friend stole a car near the docks.
and If had seen the London plates, he never would have forced the locks,
If he had known that the car had London license plates, he wouldn't have broken into it.
He hit the M5 110, laughing as the clock span round,
He drove on the M5 at 110 mph, laughing as the time went by.
Left it burning in a cliff top field it lit his way to town
He abandoned the car in a burning field on a cliff top to light his way back home.
He was almost home but they were waiting either end of his road,
He was almost home, but the police were waiting for him at both ends of his street.
Trapped in the yard at the back of the spar, where the vans and the lorries unload,
He was caught in a yard behind a grocery store where delivery trucks unload.
I remember sirens flashing lights, I found him left for dead,
I remember seeing the police arrive with flashing lights and finding my friend badly injured and barely alive.
Saw Amy at the A&E working all night, through the glass doors shaking her head,
Later, I saw Amy working late at the hospital through the glass doors, shaking her head in sadness.
No talk about America, no dreams of Spain,
After this traumatic event, we stopped talking about America or dreaming of Spain.
But he's got another winter now in the English rain,
My friend is now serving time in prison during another cold and rainy winter in England.
Whoa Australia never catch waves all day,
My friend's dream of going to Australia and surfing all day is now in jeopardy.
You know he was born here, and here he'll stay
Since he was born in this town, he will stay here and face the consequences of his actions.
ooo America, I could learn a trade,
Now I'm thinking of going to America to learn a new trade.
We might make some money there, well have it made,
I believe that if we go to America, we could make some money and have a better life.
ooo Australia, we long to go,
Despite the setback, we still long to go to Australia.
but there's another winter now in the undertow
However, we are now facing another cold and dark winter, both literally and metaphorically, as we struggle with the consequences of our actions and dreams.
From Seaton to Sidmouth,
The story of our town is repeated from Seaton to Sidmouth.
Exmouth round to Torquay,
The same struggles and challenges exist in towns from Exmouth through to Torquay.
Kingsbridge, Salcombe,
Even in the towns of Kingsbridge and Salcombe, the same story repeats itself.
It's always the same, same story
The story of struggling youth is the same in every coastal town.
In the undertow.
It is difficult to escape the struggles of our town and the consequences of our actions, just like it is hard to escape the undertow of the ocean.
Contributed by Taylor L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.