On The Wall
The Jesus a Mary Chain Lyrics
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I'm not in a hole
And I can't see anyway
Just like a doll
I am one foot tall
But dolls can't see anyway
The frozen stare
The clothes and hair
Tied to a door
Chained to a floor
An hour glass grain of sand
Life in a sack is coming back
I'm like the clock on the wall
Swim in the sea
Swim inside me
But you can't swim far away
I never grew
Covered up by you
And nothing grows anyway
Life in a sack is coming back
I'm like the clock on the wall
The song "On the Wall" by The Jesus and Mary Chain tackles the theme of feeling trapped and restricted, much like a doll or a small person stuffed in a place without any escape. In the first verse, the singer compares himself to a mole who can't see any way out of the hole. He then compares himself to a doll that can't see anything either, even though his stare is frozen, and he wears clothes and hair like a man. The singer feels tied to a door and chained to a floor, like an hourglass grain of sand, meaning that his freedom and time are limited.
The chorus uses a metaphor of swimming, stating that despite being small, it's still possible to swim in the vast ocean that is inside us, meaning that it's possible to feel limitless in our thoughts and ideas. However, the last two verses talk about feeling stuck and stagnant, covered up by someone else as if they were preventing growth. The lyrics 'life in a sack is coming back, I'm like the clock on the wall' refer to how the singer feels like his freedom and time are slipping away, much like the clock on the wall whose hands keep moving steadily.
Line by Line Meaning
Unlike the mole
I am not holed up in the darkness like a mole, but that doesn't mean I can see a way out of my situation.
I'm not in a hole
I am not confined to a specific space, but I still feel limited in what I can perceive.
And I can't see anyway
I am aware of my own lack of vision and clarity, and it frustrates me.
Just like a doll
I feel like a lifeless object, unable to move or take action on my own.
I am one foot tall
Physically, I am small and insignificant, but my lack of stature mirrors my internal feelings of powerlessness.
But dolls can't see anyway
Even though dolls have eyes, they can't truly see or comprehend the world around them - just like I feel I can't.
The frozen stare
My expression is blank and impenetrable, revealing nothing of what's going on inside me.
The clothes and hair
My outward appearance is groomed and presentable, but it doesn't reflect the turmoil I feel inside.
These make me taste like a man
My external characteristics seem to align with a stereotypical version of masculinity, but it's all for show.
Tied to a door
I feel trapped and unable to escape my current circumstances.
Chained to a floor
I am held down by the weight of my own issues, unable to break free and move on.
An hour glass grain of sand
Time is passing me by faster than I can keep track of, to the point where it seems insignificant and irrelevant.
Life in a sack is coming back
The problems and struggles that I thought I had left behind are resurfacing, and I'm forced to confront them once again.
I'm like the clock on the wall
I feel like an inanimate object, just like the clock that hangs on the wall - unable to affect the course of time or make any meaningful impact.
Swim in the sea
There's a vast ocean of thoughts and emotions inside me that I can barely comprehend, much less navigate.
Swim inside me
I'm inviting someone else to explore the depths of my psyche, but I'm also hesitant and unsure about what they might find.
But you can't swim far away
Even if someone tries to help me, they can't truly escape from the confines of my mind and the issues that plague me.
I never grew
I feel stuck and stagnant, like I haven't matured or developed in any meaningful way despite the passage of time.
Covered up by you
Someone in my life has been shielding me or protecting me from the world, but it's also been inhibiting my growth and progress.
And nothing grows anyway
My stunted emotional growth means that I can't move past my current situation, and everything around me seems to be at a standstill.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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