The Common Linnets is a Dutch country-Americana band currently comprising I… Read Full Bio ↴The Common Linnets is a Dutch country-Americana band currently comprising Ilse DeLange, Rob Crosby, Jake Etheridge, JB Meijers and Matthew Crosby. DeLange has stated that the group is a platform for Dutch artists to make country, Americana, and bluegrass music and that the members are likely to change.

Orginally consisting of the duo DeLange and Waylon (who had known each other prior to performing together), they first performed in 2013 for a concert in Enschede. Subsequently, Waylon left the group in June 2014 and was replaced by American country singer Jake Etheridge.

Their song Calm After the Storm reached second place in the final of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest (giving The Netherlands their best result since 1975) and was a hit throughout Europe. Released as their first single in March 2014, the song won two Marcel Bezençon Awards. The band's first (eponymous) album, which features Calm After the Storm, was released in May 2014.

Hungry Hands
The Common Linnets Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Any minute now I know
I'll look up to find you gone
I can't see it, can't believe it
But I see it

I can see in every move you make
You're moving on
For so long it

Seems like all your ever wanted

Your hungry hands, have grown so cold on me
And I've come to see I'm not the one they're hungry for
All those times I wish they'd set me free
Guess I had my chance and I'm out of your hungry hands

Of the thousand times I watched you reaching for the door
I somehow never really saw you leaving
The thought of freedom always made me feel so free before
I somehow never saw myself alone

Your hungry hands have grown so cold on me
And I've come to see I'm not the one they're hungry for
All those times I wish they'dset me free
Guess I had my chance and I'm out of your hungry hands

Your hungry hands have grown so cold on me
And I've come to see I'm not the one they're hungry for

All those times I wish they'd set me free
Guess I had my chance and I'm out of your hungry hands (3x)

Overall Meaning

The Common Linnets' song "Hungry Hands" is a tribute to the pain of letting go of someone you love. The lyrics present a person who is in denial about their relationship reaching its end. They are still searching for the affection that the other person used to provide even though they know deep down that it is not coming back. The first verse talks about how the singer knows that their partner is leaving but cannot wrap their head around it yet. They have been blinded by love and cannot accept that their partner could be ready to move on. The second verse offers further explanation into how the singer has been fooled by the very idea of freedom. They cannot bear the idea of being alone and would rather cling to someone who no longer wishes to be with them.

The chorus of "Hungry Hands" is particularly moving as it captures the helplessness that the singer feels. They recognize that the objects of the other person's desire are no longer them and have to face the fact that they missed their chance to be free from the relationship. The line "I'm out of your hungry hands" is a realization that the singer wouldn't trade their freedom for the relationship, but they are aware that it has come at a cost. The weight of the lyrics is emphasized by the emotive melody and harmony of the song, which creates a perfect sense of loss and sadness.

Line by Line Meaning

Any minute now I know
I am aware that at any moment your absence will become evident to me

I'll look up to find you gone
As soon as I take my eyes off you, you will have disappeared

I can't see it, can't believe it
I refuse to acknowledge and accept the reality of your abandonment

But I see it
However, the truth is painfully clear

I can see in every move you make
I can discern from your actions that you are moving on

You're moving on
You are leaving me behind and entering a new chapter in your life

For so long it, Seems like all your ever wanted
This has been your goal for a considerable period of time

Your hungry hands, have grown so cold on me
Your formerly passionate touch now feels distant and indifferent

And I've come to see I'm not the one they're hungry for
I realize that someone else is now the object of your desires

All those times I wish they'd set me free
I have longed for liberation from your grasp

Guess I had my chance and I'm out of your hungry hands
I now comprehend that my opportunity to be with you has passed and I am no longer under your control

Of the thousand times I watched you reaching for the door
There were countless occasions where you appeared to be seeking an escape

I somehow never really saw you leaving
I failed to recognize the inevitability of your departure

The thought of freedom always made me feel so free before
I used to derive a sense of liberation from contemplating the notion of being free from you

I somehow never saw myself alone
It never occurred to me that you would leave me alone

Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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