The Middle East were a musical collective from Townsville, Australia, which… Read Full Bio ↴The Middle East were a musical collective from Townsville, Australia, which formed in 2005. Fusing various influences from post-rock to folk to ambient, various members have at different times played in other North Queensland based groups such as Joseph Liddy and the Skeleton Horse, The Forest, and We Are Buildings.

After completing several East Coast tours, they released a split EP in 2006 with local Cairns band Sleeping in Trains. Their debut album The Recordings of the Middle East was released on 24th April 2008, shortly before the band announced their first split. They reconvened eight months later, and in the autumn of 2009 released their album in the United States as an abridged EP, also called The Recordings of the Middle East.

Their song "Blood" is featured in the films Accidents Happen, It's Kind of a Funny Story. and Crazy, Stupid, Love, as well as in an episode of the Australian television comedy-drama series Offspring and an advertisement for European bank BNP Paribas.

At the start of their appearance at 2011's Splendour in the Grass music festival, the band announced that their set that night would be their last show ever, thanking fans in attendance for making their finale special for the band.

Gold
The Middle East Lyrics

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Those steady eyes and that
Ready smile
Can contain the turmoil
Been inside for a while
And then you'll crack
Like us all
Your nose will run
Like a tap onto the floor

And that will be the grossest thing of all

The speeding dial and those
Flashing lines
Only assimilate the feeling
Of beating time
In this race

Everything else catches up with you

And there's just one thing left that you can do

'cause what we have There'll be an avalanche
Is good as gold On this desert island
Malleable It'll come down
Good to hold It'll come down to be
Moulding is good The evidence
'Cause life is change Of heaven
And change is good I know
And you are good I love you
'Cause what we have.. And i know you well
Avalanche

And you're changing me
Changing me

Changing me
Changing me

Overall Meaning

The Middle East's song "Fool's Gold" is a melancholic ballad about the painful truth of human experience -- that everything is in a constant state of change. The opening lines set the tone for the song, describing a person with a "steady" gaze and a "ready" smile that conceals the "turmoil" that they have kept bottled up within themselves for a while. The next section hints that this person will inevitably "crack" and reveal their vulnerability to the world. The singer notes that this moment of weakness will be marked by the running of their nose, which is portrayed as a gross and embarrassing event.

The second verse shifts gears somewhat, describing the sense of urgency that comes with feeling the "beating time" of life. The imagery here suggests that we are all in a race against time, trying to keep up with the "flashing lines" of the world around us. But no matter how hard we try to outrun our problems, eventually "everything else catches up with you." This is the point where the singer suggests that there's nothing left to do but accept the fact that change is inevitable, and that we must learn to adapt to the new circumstances.

The chorus of the song expresses a sense of hope in the midst of this turmoil. The singer asserts that what they have is as "good as gold" even if it's vulnerable to the "avalanche" of change. In other words, they know that life will bring challenges and difficulties, but they also know that they have something valuable that can help them weather the storms. The final lines of the song suggest that this resilience is not just about surviving, but also about being changed and transformed by the experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Those steady eyes and that Ready smile Can contain the turmoil Been inside for a while
Despite the appearance of calmness, the individual is struggling internally and has hidden their emotions for an extended period.

And then you'll crack Like us all Your nose will run Like a tap onto the floor And that will be the grossest thing of all
Eventually the individual will reach a breaking point, just like everyone else, and their emotions will spill out uncontrollably.

The speeding dial and those Flashing lines Only assimilate the feeling Of beating time In this race
In the fast-paced world we live in, we may feel like we are constantly racing against time and the pressure to keep up only intensifies.

Everything else catches up with you And there's just one thing left that you can do
Eventually, the stress of the race catches up with you and you may feel like you have no other option than to face your emotions or seek help.

'cause what we have There'll be an avalanche Is good as gold On this desert island Malleable It'll come down Good to hold It'll come down to be Moulding is good The evidence 'Cause life is change Of heaven And change is good I know And you are good I love you
The beauty of what we have is subject to the ever-changing nature of life. While change can be unsettling, it is ultimately a necessary aspect of growth and evolution, and our relationships can be molded and strengthened through it.

'Cause what we have.. And i know you well Avalanche And you're changing me Changing me Changing me Changing me
The emotional avalanche we experience in life and relationships can profoundly impact and change us, and these changes can often be for the better, improving and strengthening our connections with others.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andre Harris, Daryl Harris, Donovan Knight, Joseph Macklin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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