Sunburned Hand of the Man has an amorphous lineup, with composition and instrumentation potentially varying from gig to gig. Their work is improvisational within a structured framework, so no two performances of a piece are identical--they may not even have the same title--but the piece evolves and each version may be seen as a growth from the prior version.
They release records on the Eclipse Records label, as well as a number of smaller labels, and produce a great number of limited edition albums on CD-R via their own Manhand label. In 2005 the band toured the United States to play Arthurfest in Los Angeles with Magik Markers. Many regard Sunburned Hand of the Man as contributors to the New Weird America folk revival.
Every Direction
Sunburned Hand of the Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I, who am merely the surveyor of these ruins
I have measured these crumbling avenues in every direction
These tumbled esplanades
These terraces
And these sanctuaries
I am the father of fathers
The mother of mothers
My cause to be, that men should have a path on which to tread
I open the eyes of all that they might see
My right eye is the day
My left eye is the night
The song "Every Direction" by Sunburned Hand of the Man is a psychedelic folk rock which conveys a message of hope in the midst of despair. The song begins with the singer presenting himself as a mere surveyor of ruins. He claims to have measured the crumbling avenues, the tumbled esplanades, the terraces and the sanctuaries, which is a metaphorical representation of the decay of society. Despite the despair and hopelessness that such a situation might bring, the singer presents himself as the father of fathers and the mother of mothers, someone who opens his mouth to speak in the midst of silence. This can be interpreted as the voice of reason that provides guidance and direction to those who might have lost their way.
The singer claims that his cause is that men should have a path on which to tread, thus providing a beacon of hope in the midst of despair. He goes further to say that he opens the eyes of all that they might see, with his right eye representing the day and his left eye representing the night. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the dual nature of life, where there is both light and darkness, and that one must have a balanced and holistic view of life in order to navigate through it successfully.
Overall, the song "Every Direction" is a powerful and insightful piece that speaks of the power of hope in the midst of despair. It presents the singer as a guide and mentor, providing hope and direction to those who might have lost their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear me
Listen to me
I, who am merely the surveyor of these ruins
I, the person who has only inspected these destroyed structures
I have measured these crumbling avenues in every direction
I have assessed these deteriorating paths in all possible ways
These tumbled esplanades
These collapsed open spaces
These terraces
These flat areas on a slope
And these sanctuaries
And these holy places
I am the father of fathers
I am the ancestor of all ancestors
The mother of mothers
The ancestor of all ancestors, who give birth
I open my mouth to speak in the midst of silence
I begin to talk in absolute quietness
My cause to be, that men should have a path on which to tread
My goal is for people to have a way to walk on
I open the eyes of all that they might see
I make everyone see things
My right eye is the day
My right eye represents daytime
My left eye is the night
My left eye represents nighttime
Contributed by Elijah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.