Tom Adams is a British composer, producer, songwriter and electronic musici… Read Full Bio ↴Tom Adams is a British composer, producer, songwriter and electronic musician from Cambridge, UK.

A love of nature is an ever present voice in his work, lending a widescreen quality to his music, from intimate piano moments to mountainous waves of sound. He started playing the piano at a young age, and soon discovered that improvising and creating new music came a lot more naturally than reading dots on a page. This discovery blossomed when he bought his first guitar as a teenager and Adams soon started to write his own songs, his haunting voice has drawn comparisons to singers like Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley. Going on to study music at the University of York, he had the opportunity to work with both classical and electronic music, the combination of which has become the defining aspect of his sound.

Combining his natural ability to improvise with his classical training and electronic music knowledge Adams is able to move seamlessly between styles whilst always maintaining a strong overall aesthetic. The result is a breathtaking and beautiful musical experience that is a perfect soundtrack to mountains and wild beaches.

Adams remixed Max Richter’s ‘Berlin By Overnight’, released by Deutsche Grammophon, and also composed the OST for the Universal Pictures feature film ‘The Knife That Killed Me’. His self-released EP ‘In The Constant Noise’ is out.

Tides
Tom Adams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You left
And I should've followed
But I'm here for six weeks alone
I disappeared
Under the surface.

Now we speak
Across the water

But the miles
Still come between us
And the wires
They don't bring you back home.

And we drifted
A long way out
And now I'm miles
Above the deep
Can you hear
It's calling out to me.

And I fall
Beneath the waves
And I've tried
I've tried to scape
But the tides
They just keep pulling me back.

You take the first breath
But I am still free
Cause under the surface, they can't get me.
And you are an island
But I'm lost at sea
And on the horizon, you're there for me.
You're there for me.

And you take the first breath
But I am still free
Cause under the surface, they can't get me.
And you are an island
And I'm lost at sea

On the horizon, you're there for me.
You're there for me.

Overall Meaning

The song "Tides" by Tom Adams is about a long-distance relationship where the two lovers are separated by vast distances, both physically and emotionally. The opening lines of the song express the regret of the singer for not following his lover, who has left for an unknown reason. The line "I disappeared under the surface" suggests that the singer withdrew from the world after the departure of his lover; he has become invisible to the world around him.

Despite the distance, the lovers manage to maintain contact via some form of communication. The reference to speaking "across the water" illustrates the metaphorical separation between them. The line "And the wires, they don't bring you back home" symbolizes the frustration and longing for physical proximity between the two lovers. However, the more they try to reconnect, the further they drift apart. The singer feels stranded, both figuratively and literally, and can only hear the "calling" of the deep sea.

The chorus is a plea to escape from the overwhelming nature of love. The line "And I fall beneath the waves" suggests that the singer is trying to escape the intensity of the relationship. Despite his attempts to escape, the singer cannot overcome the pull of the tides. The line "But the tides, they just keep pulling me back" expresses the inevitable return to the relationship, despite wanting to break free. The final lines of the song suggest that there is still hope for the couple, as the horizon provides a metaphorical focal point for their reunion.

Line by Line Meaning

You left
The singer's love interest has left them.

And I should've followed
The singer regrets not following their love interest.

But I'm here for six weeks alone
The singer is alone for six weeks.

I disappeared Under the surface.
The artist feels like they have disappeared or are hidden from the world.

Now we speak Across the water
The artist and their love interest communicate from a distance.

But the miles Still come between us And the wires They don't bring you back home.
Distance is still a barrier between the singer and their love interest, and technology can't bring them closer.

And we drifted A long way out
The relationship has drifted apart.

And now I'm miles Above the deep
The artist feels far away from their past experiences.

Can you hear It's calling out to me.
The artist feels pulled towards the past.

And I fall Beneath the waves
The artist's emotional state is sinking.

And I've tried I've tried to scape
The singer has attempted to escape their emotional state.

But the tides They just keep pulling me back.
The artist feels stuck and unable to escape the past.

You take the first breath But I am still free Cause under the surface, they can't get me.
The love interest has moved on, but the singer feels like they are hidden from the outside world.

And you are an island But I'm lost at sea And on the horizon, you're there for me.
The love interest is self-sufficient, while the singer feels adrift in life.

And you take the first breath But I am still free Cause under the surface, they can't get me.
The love interest has moved on, and the singer still feels hidden.

And you are an island And I'm lost at sea On the horizon, you're there for me.
The love interest is self-sufficient, while the artist feels adrift in life. However, they still have hope.

Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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