The Standalone is the one-man melodic alternative band of Hans van de Bruggen. The music mixes full guitars with thick harmonies, with melody always at the core. The sound has been compared to Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab For Cutie, Mae, and Copeland. He is joined live by a rotating band which has included Tyson Kingrey (guitar/vocals), Scott Funkhouser (bass/keys/vocals), Todd Dahlhoff (bass/keys/vocals) and Harrison Edwards (drums).
Snow
The Standalone Lyrics
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like a fitted sheet
the earth and all its people
lay resting underneath
The dogs are sleeping in their kennels
no children are playing
there's a fire going in the house
And the snow keeps falling on me
All this endless white debris
I think about the year and tears
that I've had to reject
the air is crisp and bites at places
I've failed to protect
We've both been down this road and you've helped
pull me from the ditches
but that's easy to forget now that it's
covered under inches
The Standalone's song "Snow" is a beautiful yet melancholy piece about the arrival of winter and the feelings it brings along with it. The lyrics start with the imagery of snow covering the ground like a fitted sheet, and the world and its inhabitants resting quietly underneath it. The peacefulness of the scene is contrasted with the absence of children playing, and the focus shifts to a warm house with a fire burning inside where the singer imagines their loved one waiting for them.
The chorus repeats the lines "And the snow keeps falling on me" and "All this endless white debris," creating a sense of being trapped in a world of snow and all the emotions it represents. The second verse reflects on the ups and downs of the past year, and how the cold air seems to bite at the singer's regrets and shortcomings. Despite the moments of struggle, it's acknowledged that the loved one being waited for has been a source of support in the past, even if those moments of aid are now covered by snow and easy to forget.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow has come and now it lies
like a fitted sheet
The snow has arrived and now it has settled on the ground like a perfectly fitted sheet or blanket
the earth and all its people
lay resting underneath
The snow covers everything, like a peaceful resting place for the earth and all living beings on it
The dogs are sleeping in their kennels
no children are playing
there's a fire going in the house
where I know you'll be waiting
It's a quiet, peaceful snowy day where even the dogs are sleeping in their kennels, there are no children playing outside, and the singer's loved one is indoors by a warm fire waiting for them
And the snow keeps falling on me
All this endless white debris
The snow continues to fall on the singer and they feel surrounded by the endless white debris, almost like they're drowning in it
I think about the year and tears
that I've had to reject
The singer thinks about the past year and all the tears they've shed, but they try to push those thoughts away and reject them
the air is crisp and bites at places
I've failed to protect
The cold air is sharp and biting, almost punishing the singer for not being able to protect certain things or people in their life
We've both been down this road and you've helped
pull me from the ditches
but that's easy to forget now that it's
covered under inches
The singer and their loved one have been through rough times together, and their loved one has helped them out of difficult situations. However, it's easy to forget those things now that they're covered by the snow, which represents the passing of time and the covering up of memories
Contributed by Callie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.