The Presets are Julian Hamilton(keyboard and vocals) and Kim Moyes (drums a… Read Full Bio ↴The Presets are Julian Hamilton(keyboard and vocals) and Kim Moyes (drums and keyboard). They are an electronic two piece from Sydney, Australia who met when they were both members of Prop. Hamilton and Moyes broke off from Prop in 2003, when they remixed a track, "Magnetic Highway", with "harder electronic edges" under the name The Presets.

The Presets have been one of the biggest indie bands for the past few years in Australia, touring with and supporting many well known bands such as Daft Punk, 2 Many DJ's and Ladytron. Their first LP Blow up combines electro, rock, techno, pop and a handful of other genres together in a seamless manner. Their second album, Apocalypso, was released on 12 April 2008. The album was a commercial and critical success, winning the ARIA Awards for "Best Dance Release" and "Album of the Year" that year.

I Go Hard I Go Home
The Presets Lyrics

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Take me to the city lights
Can go but not when I'm at home
I need to go where I can see
Can hear things in stereo

Your own life is fraught with shame
Mirrors in disco balls
I never never never tense

Think I understand it now

I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home

Forget about the things you want
Forget about your hopes and dreams
Focus on the here and now
Just think who we could have been

Boys from the magic show
There's girls from the magazine
Take your opportunities
And be who you wanna be

I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home

It's tough times, we gotta to go
Where nobody knows your name
Leave all the things we knew
And learn how to start again

And learn how to start again
And learn how to start again
And learn how to start again
And learn how to start again

I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home

I go hard, I go home
I go hard, I go home

Overall Meaning

The Presets' song "I Go Hard I Go Home" explores the themes of escapism, self-discovery, and personal reinvention. The opening lines, "Take me to the city lights, can go but not when I'm at home," suggest a desire to escape the constraints of familiarity and routine. The singer wants to "go where [they] can see" and "hear things in stereo," implying a need for new experiences and perspectives.

The lyrics of the chorus-- "I go hard, I go home"-- are repeated throughout the song and can be interpreted as a mantra for self-discovery and personal reinvention. The singer recognizes that their "own life is fraught with shame" and that they need to "forget about the things [they] want" and "focus on the here and now." They encourage themselves (and others) to take opportunities and "be who [they] wanna be."

The final lines of the song-- "It's tough times, we gotta go / Where nobody knows your name / Leave all the things we knew / And learn how to start again"-- suggest a willingness to embrace change and embark on a new journey, even if it is difficult or uncomfortable. Overall, "I Go Hard I Go Home" is a song about taking risks, seeking new experiences, and finding oneself in the process.

Line by Line Meaning

Take me to the city lights
I want to move to a place with lots of lights and activity.

Can go but not when I'm at home
I can go to the city, but not when I'm in my hometown.

I need to go where I can see
I need to go to a place where I can see lots of things happening.

Can hear things in stereo
I want to be able to hear things in a way that makes it feel like it's all around me.

Your own life is fraught with shame
Your life is filled with embarrassment and regret.

Mirrors in disco balls
Reflective surfaces in the midst of the party atmosphere.

I never never never tense
I am always relaxed and calm.

Think I understand it now
I believe I have figured it out at this point.

I go hard, I go home
I give everything my all or I don't bother at all.

Forget about the things you want
Don't think about what you want, just focus on the present moment.

Forget about your hopes and dreams
Don't worry about your aspirations, focus on what's happening now.