Island
The Whitest Boy Alive Lyrics
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All the trees had come out the screen.
Nobody called for many days.
I was left in my little world.
Lived through the smell of painted floors,
Echoing the sound.
Off running water through the pipes,
And posters falling down.
When I woke up the second day,
All the noises have disappeared.
Down the street I chose a path,
And walked to the end of it.
Of all the words you sent to me,
There was one that I couldn't bear.
One that for me meant everything,
I think you got mixed up with care,
Taking care, taking care.
Live on the island.
Live on the island.
Live on the island.
Live on the island.
The lyrics to The Whitest Boy Alive's Island depict the narrator's experiences upon returning home. The first verse talks about how he notices that the trees seem to have come out of the screen, suggesting that perhaps he's been away for a while and everything seems a little strange. He also notes the lack of communication he's had with anyone since returning, feeling left alone in his own little world. The second half of the verse describes the sensory experiences of being alone in his home; the sound of running water and the smell of freshly painted floors.
The second verse is about the narrator going out into the world, as he notices that all the noises from the previous day have vanished. He chooses a path and walks to the end of it, perhaps trying to find some meaning or direction in his life. The final lines of the verse are intriguing, as the narrator talks about a word that he couldn't bear, that for him meant everything. The word is never revealed, giving the listener something to ponder. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Live on the island," perhaps referring to the isolation and solitude that the narrator is experiencing. The song ends on this refrain, suggesting that the idea of living on an island - both physically and metaphorically - will persist for the narrator.
Line by Line Meaning
When I got back along my road,
Upon returning to my own path,
All the trees had come out the screen.
The world around me seemed to have bloomed,
Nobody called for many days.
Days passed in isolation and silence,
I was left in my little world.
Alone in my own bubble,
Lived through the smell of painted floors,
Surviving on the scent of fresh paint,
Echoing the sound.
Listening to nothing but echoes,
Off running water through the pipes,
Only the sound of flowing water to be heard,
And posters falling down.
Watching posters peeling off the walls,
When I woke up the second day,
On the second day of my new reality,
All the noises have disappeared.
All sounds vanished into the void,
Down the street I chose a path,
I picked a random direction and walked,
And walked to the end of it.
Walking until the road came to an end,
Of all the words you sent to me,
Out of all the messages you've sent,
There was one that I couldn't bear.
One that was too painful to endure,
One that for me meant everything,
A message that held great significance for me,
I think you got mixed up with care,
I believe it was a mistake rather than intention,
Taking care, taking care.
Maybe a misplaced attempt at being careful,
Live on the island.
Live in a solitary world,
Live on the island.
Embrace being alone on this island of my own,
Live on the island.
Accept that isolation is now my reality,
Live on the island.
And learn to survive in this new world.
Contributed by Anthony F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
They started as an electronic dance music project in 2003 in Berlin, but have since slowly developed into a band with no programmed elements. Read Full BioThe Whitest Boy Alive are a Norwegian-German musical group based in Berlin. The band comprises Norwegian singer/guitarist Erlend Øye, who is also a member of the band Kings of Convenience, bassist Marcin Öz, drummer Sebastian Maschat, and Daniel Nentwig on Rhodes piano and Crumar. Erlend Øye is from Norway, Marcin Öz is Polish while the rest of the band is German.
They started as an electronic dance music project in 2003 in Berlin, but have since slowly developed into a band with no programmed elements. Their German record label is Bubbles. Their debut album Dreams was released on June 21, 2006 in Germany. In July 2007, Modular Records signed them to their UK imprint and the band played their first UK performance with New Young Pony Club at the London Astoria in September 2007. The album was released in the UK with the single Burning in November 2007. The Band released their second album, Rules, in March 2009. It was recorded in a newly built studio located on Punta Burros, Nayarit, Mexico.
Their single "1517" was also featured in the soundtrack of the video-game FIFA 10.
The band started The Whitest Boy Alive + The New Wine tour in April, 2009, visiting Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden. In 2011 the band travelled to China with promoters Split Works.
In June 2014, the band announced via their Facebook page that they "are no longer composing or playing together as The Whitest Boy Alive."
They reactivated in 2019.
Kevin E
LYRICS:
When I got back along my road
All the trees had come out the screen
Nobody called for many days
I was left in my little world
Lived through the smell of painted floors
Echoing the sound
Off running water through the pipes
And poster's falling down
When I woke up the second day
All the noises have disappeared
Down the street I chose a path
And walked to the end of it
Of all the words you sent to me
There was one that I couldn't bear
One that for me meant everything
I think you got mixed up with care
Taking care, taking care
Live on the island
Live on the island
Live on the island
Live on the island
Ken Jones
Every musical element of this song is full on rhythm. Brilliant, check this out live.
Ruslan Mazavin
OMG thirteen years have passed and it's still one of my favorites. Heard it playing in a cafe in Istanbul just now and it instantly stopped me in my tracks. What a wonderful musicianship, and what feeling! The whole album is like a rhythm section study-book, but this one is a special one.
Xabi
agree!!;) amazing
Kevin E
LYRICS:
When I got back along my road
All the trees had come out the screen
Nobody called for many days
I was left in my little world
Lived through the smell of painted floors
Echoing the sound
Off running water through the pipes
And poster's falling down
When I woke up the second day
All the noises have disappeared
Down the street I chose a path
And walked to the end of it
Of all the words you sent to me
There was one that I couldn't bear
One that for me meant everything
I think you got mixed up with care
Taking care, taking care
Live on the island
Live on the island
Live on the island
Live on the island
T
Miss these days when the lyrics were always one of the top comments. Thanks man.
Leon Rockhouse
Una de las mejores bandas que he escuchado, con un sonido bastante original y de calidad.. incluso quiénes se dicen conocedores de corrientes indie no conocen a esta banda y eso es algo que le da un plus a esta banda al no ser mainstream
Alejandro Sanchez
Pienso igual, te toca escuchar amigos invisibles y red hot chilli pepers en sus inicios.
Luis Enrique
Prefiero que éstas canciones nuncan sean escuchadas por otros porque esta joya de música nos ha costado quererla. ¡Qué tarden años luz en descubrirla! Mientras nosotros vamos por otras galaxias (bandas).
Anton R.
Love the clean and gritty tones between the guitars and Rhodes (keys)...then to top it off with the smooth vocals and tight rhythm groove...Simply Fantastic.
Priscilla D.
In one word: MASTERPIECE 🎖️