Hollow Eyes
Take It Back! Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

From the window of my middle class home I watch a man as he sits alone in the dirty streets.
The cardboard under his feet screams about all his cold nights spent alone.
People pass but no one seems to notice...his empty hands, hollow eyes, broken soul, and his need, need, need for just one person to care...
So which of these words will bring him comfort?
It is sympathy not empathy I feel as I sit and watch from my suburban castle.
Living a life I will never know, I saw a man walking through the snow.
For this lonely man the picture in his hand is all that's left of the life that he used to know.
The time goes by but no one seems to notice...his empty hands, hollow eyes, broken soul, and his need, need, need for just one person to care.
So which of these words will bring him comfort?
Cause it's sympathy not empathy I feel as I sit and watch from my suburban castle...
And now I realize that all of this means nothing without action.
I will not just sing. I refuse to just sing songs about how hard life can be, while others lead lives that are more difficult than anything I can ever imagine.




I'll be a source of light in this dark world, a catalyst in this stagnant generation.
I will use love to overcome this dark world...love to overcome this dark world.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Take It Back!'s song Hollow Eyes depict the contrast between two worlds - the life of privilege and comfort in a middle-class suburban home and the harsh reality of the streets where a lonely and destitute man struggles to survive. The singer of the song observes the man from his window and laments the indifference and apathy of the people who pass him by. He feels sympathy but not empathy as he acknowledges the vast difference in their circumstances. However, he realizes that mere words of comfort are not enough and that action is required to make a difference in the world.


The song highlights the theme of social justice and the responsibility of those who have more to help those who have less. The singer acknowledges that his life of privilege is something he will never fully comprehend and that it is his duty to be a source of light and a catalyst for change. The use of the phrase "hollow eyes" in the song is particularly powerful as it conveys the emptiness and despair that the man on the streets feels, and the need for someone to take notice and care.


In conclusion, Take It Back!'s song Hollow Eyes is a poignant and thought-provoking commentary on the contrast between privilege and poverty and the need for action in the face of injustice.


Line by Line Meaning

From the window of my middle class home I watch a man as he sits alone in the dirty streets.
I observe a man sitting in the unclean street from my comfortable middle-class home.


The cardboard under his feet screams about all his cold nights spent alone.
The cardboard beneath him tells of all the lonely, freezing nights he's been through.


People pass but no one seems to notice...his empty hands, hollow eyes, broken soul, and his need, need, need for just one person to care...
People ignore him and fail to recognize his empty body language, desperate need, and emotional distress.


So which of these words will bring him comfort?
Which words will offer him solace?


It is sympathy not empathy I feel as I sit and watch from my suburban castle.
I realize that I'm offering sympathy from afar, not empathy as I contemplate this scene from my cozy suburban home.


Living a life I will never know, I saw a man walking through the snow.
Watching the man walking through snow, I was aware that I cannot fathom his life experiences.


For this lonely man the picture in his hand is all that's left of the life that he used to know.
The image in his hand is the only thing left of his past life for this lonely man.


The time goes by but no one seems to notice...his empty hands, hollow eyes, broken soul, and his need, need, need for just one person to care.
Time elapses, but nobody seems to acknowledge his apparent desolation and dejection or his dire need for attention.


So which of these words will bring him comfort?
Which words will console him?


Cause it's sympathy not empathy I feel as I sit and watch from my suburban castle...
I realize I'm offering him sympathy from a distance, not empathy as I observe from my comfortable suburban home.


And now I realize that all of this means nothing without action.
I comprehend that words in themselves are ineffective without taking action.


I will not just sing. I refuse to just sing songs about how hard life can be, while others lead lives that are more difficult than anything I can ever imagine.
I won't just sing and complain about life while there are people living in more adverse situations than I can imagine.


I'll be a source of light in this dark world, a catalyst in this stagnant generation.
I'll be a beacon of hope in this gloomy world, a force of change in this idle age group.


I will use love to overcome this dark world...love to overcome this dark world.
I'm resolved to employ love as a tool to conquer this dim world.




Contributed by Parker B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions