The Kelly Family is a European-American music group consisting of a multi-g… Read Full Bio ↴The Kelly Family is a European-American music group consisting of a multi-generational family, usually nine siblings who were joined occasionally on stage in their earlier years by their parents. They play a repertoire of rock, pop, and folk music, and sing in English, Spanish, German, and Basque. The group had chart and concert success around the world, predominantly in continental Europe - mainly in Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Portugal - and some in Ireland. They have sold over 20 million albums since the early 1980s and were ranked as the 6th most popular music act in Germany in the 1990s. Despite their American origins, the group is virtually unknown in the United States.

For many years, the group presented a ragamuffin image and a vagabonding lifestyle, travelling around Europe in a double-decker bus and houseboat. Their image was enhanced by their eclectic and often homemade clothing, and the very long hair worn by both male and female members of the band. The Kelly Family began to break up in 2000 and afterwards they performed mostly as individuals or sub-sets of the whole group and took on a more mainstream look.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kelly_Family

Discography
The Kelly Family Tours Europe (1977)
The Kelly Family (1979)
Lieder der Welt (1979)
Ein Vogel kann im Käfig nicht fliegen (1980)
Wonderful World (1981)
Une famille c'est une chanson (1984)
Keep on Singing... (1989)
New World (1990)
Honest Workers (1991)
Wow (1993)
Over the Hump (1994)
Almost Heaven (1996)
Growin' Up (1997)
From Their Hearts (1998)
La Patata (2002)
Homerun (2004)
We Got Love (2017)
25 Years Later (2019)

House on the Ocean
The Kelly Family Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All I ever wanted in my life
Was a house on the ocean, with my will
Something's tellin' me in my eyes
You're not living, you're dying
In your world

Chorus

Please don't die
Try not to say goodbye
Please don't die
Try not to say goodbye
Try not to make, make me cry

All I ever wanted to do
Is chop wood for my fire, for winter
But all you ever picked up as young
Is get a job and you'll go higher
In your world

Chorus

Please don't die
Try not to say goodbye
Please don't die
Try not to say goodbye
Try not to make, make me cry

All I ever had to do
Was with living or dying, in this world
All I ever wanted in my life
Was a house on the ocean
With my will

Chorus

Please don't die
Try not to say goodbye
Please don't die

Try not to say goodbye
Try not to make, make me cry

Overall Meaning

The Kelly Family's song "House on the Ocean" is a reflection of the band's desire to live in a simple life, close to nature, and with each other. The lyrics describe the suffocating feeling of living in a fast-paced world, one where societal expectations somewhat limit the human existence. The opening lines, "All I ever wanted in my life was a house on the ocean, with my will," speaks of the singer's craving for a life free from societal burdens, to be in control of their destiny.

The chorus, "Please don't die, try not to say goodbye, try not to make me cry," is an emotional plea to the people in the singer's life, begging them not to be consumed by the pressures of the world and abandon their dreams. The song presents the perspective of a person watching a loved one struggle, trying to find happiness in a world where money and success define existence. The lines, "Something's tellin' me in my eyes, you're not living, you're dying, in your world," speaks of the sadness the singer feels watching a loved one choose to live life in the confines of societal norms, symbolizing the chaotic and cynical nature of the world.

Overall, "House on the Ocean" is a soulful and contemplative song about seeking a simpler and more authentic way of living. It expresses the band's longing for a peaceful existence, close to nature and each other, free from the suffocation of the modern world.

Line by Line Meaning

All I ever wanted in my life
The only dream I had in my life

Was a house on the ocean, with my will
Owning a beachside home, living life as per my desire

Something's tellin' me in my eyes
My intuition senses something not right

You're not living, you're dying
Rather than living, you're merely existing

In your world
As per your perspectives

Please don't die
Kindly, don't leave me

Try not to say goodbye
Make an attempt to stay with me

Try not to make, make me cry
Please don't make me sad by leaving

All I ever wanted to do
The only desire I had

Is chop wood for my fire, for winter
Simply lead a peaceful life with basic necessities

But all you ever picked up as young
However, all you learned in your youth was