Born in 1961 to a heroin-addicted Jazz musician and a Soho nightclub hostes… Read Full Bio ↴Born in 1961 to a heroin-addicted Jazz musician and a Soho nightclub hostess, Graham McPherson grew up with an absent father and a mother who battled against the stigma of single-motherhood. Like the boxer he coined his nickname from, Suggs' childhood was filled with fighting and violence. In the subterranean world of London's private members clubs and 60s gangster glamour, Suggs discovered a love for music and singing. Kicking around the streets of North London he met up with a group of like-minded teenagers and formed the band MADNESS. Inspired by the new Jamaican sounds, the seven members began to create a new mix of ska and exuberant pop, a fusion dubbed 'the nutty sound'. Their music hit a social and political chord, and after signing a one-off contract with Coventry-based record label 2-Tone, they issued 'The Prince' - a tribute to blue beat maestro Prince Buster whose song 'Madness' inspired the band's name. With Suggs as their charismatic frontman, their autobiographical lyrics and unforgettable beats became the soundtrack to a generation. From the nefarious streets of Soho to international acclaim - the nutty boy who did good - Suggs candidly recounts the London of his troubled childhood, his formative teenage years and the mad days that led to his writing of such classics as 'Embarrassment' and 'Baggy Trousers'

On Drifting Sand
Suggs Lyrics

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To burst into the land of dreams
Push me down those blue moon beams
Among you and not, it seems, on drifting sand
I'd woken up but only half awake
Where my aching bones won't say
Always there but never stay, on drifting sand

Wake me, shake me, tell me I'm alive

Take it easy give me no surprise
Among you and not it seems on drifting sand

I'll be a raggedy king with a rusty crown
My queen Cleopatra when the sun goes down
Always there but never stay on drifting sand
We'll burst right through the land of dreams
Scattering those cold, cold blue moonbeams
Always there but never stay on drifting sands

Shadows on the ceiling, rocks in my bed
The moon on my shoulder, stars in my head
Find me a hat, I'll talk through it, lend me your ear I'll talk to it
Show me the door I'll walk through it, to the land of drifting sand

Wake me, shake me, tell me I'm alive

Rock me gently give me no surprise
Among you and we're not it seems on drifting sand

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Suggs's song "On Drifting Sand" speak of a dream-like state where the boundary between reality and illusion becomes blurred. The opening lines "To burst into the land of dreams, push me down those blue moon beams, among you and not it seems, on drifting sand" evoke a sense of yearning to enter a world beyond the reach of the everyday. The imagery of blue moon beams and drifting sand adds to this surreal and otherworldly vibe.

The singer is "always there but never stay" on the drifting sand, which suggests a sense of impermanence and transience. The lines "wake me, shake me, tell me I'm alive, take it easy give me no surprise" convey a desire for certainty and stability, even in the midst of uncertainty. The reference to a "raggedy king with a rusty crown" and "queen Cleopatra" adds to the sense of fantasy and imagination at play.

The lyrics of "On Drifting Sand" are open to interpretation, but they seem to allude to the idea of the unknown and the lure of the unexplored. The dream-like state in which the singer finds himself emphasizes the need to break free from the constraints of reality and explore the depths of imagination.

Line by Line Meaning

To burst into the land of dreams
To enter into a state of slumber and vividly experience a world within one's own mind

Push me down those blue moon beams
Help to transport me to an otherworldly setting, similar to that of the moon

Among you and not, it seems, on drifting sand
Existing alongside others, yet not fully understood or connected; feeling lost or confused

I'd woken up but only half awake
Having woken up, but still feeling dazed and disoriented

Where my aching bones won't say
Experiencing a physical discomfort or weariness that cannot be verbally expressed

Always there but never stay, on drifting sand
Feeling like a constant presence in one's life, yet always fleeting and unstable

Wake me, shake me, tell me I'm alive
Requesting a display of reassuring actions or words, in order to confirm being fully present and conscious

Take it easy give me no surprise
Asking for a level of calmness and stability, with no sudden or unexpected changes

I'll be a raggedy king with a rusty crown
Assuming a status of authority or power, but in a disheveled or worn state

My queen Cleopatra when the sun goes down
A reference to a partner or companion who brings about feelings of royalty and grandeur, especially within the context of a sunset

We'll burst right through the land of dreams
Together, entering into a state of deep sleep, where vivid and imaginative experiences occur

Scattering those cold, cold blue moonbeams
In this state of sleep, creating a sense of chaos or disruption within the imagined setting

Shadows on the ceiling, rocks in my bed
Noticing unusual or unsettling objects or sights, even in the confines of one's own personal space

The moon on my shoulder, stars in my head
Feeling a connection to celestial objects or concepts, even in a state of wakefulness

Find me a hat, I'll talk through it, lend me your ear I'll talk to it
Expressing a desire for communication and connection, even if it means using improvised or unconventional methods

Show me the door I'll walk through it, to the land of drifting sand
Willingness to embrace new experiences or even unfamiliar consequences, in order to gain knowledge or understanding

Wake me, shake me, tell me I'm alive
Reiterating a request for external affirmation, and the need for a tangible confirmation of one's current state

Rock me gently give me no surprise
Seeking a sense of familiarity and consistency, in order to promote feelings of stability and peace

Among you and we're not it seems on drifting sand
Despite being physically present and interacting with others, still feeling a sense of detachment or separation

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GRAHAM MCPHERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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