Elizabeth
Tom Staniford Lyrics


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A life behind the screen,
A life that I believe,
Has little light but much to see.
So find it in the rain,
Or risk the morning air.
Without the cold it's hard to feel.
Anything more than you have between the doors,
Anything more than you've ever felt before.
A woman on the run,
Without the will to move.
A troubled mind is hard to loose.
And when the gale comes,
Am I the only one,
To step inside your tired shoes?
Running from a mother who'll never understand,
Or courting a lover who could never be your man.
But without this it's hard to be...
Anything more than you have between the doors,
Girl I adore you but we need to see you more.
Oh my love
I have seen the summer go,
We've you been you're laying low,
And a year has all but gone
This cannot go on for long.
This cannot go on.
Are you looking for a hand,
To lift you from the ground?
And leave the fight.
Or are their words a curse,
Keeping you unfound?
In honesty I'm lost tonight.
I have seen the fading glow,
And there's a damn good chance we'll never know.
And without this it's hard to be...
Any thing more than you have between the doors,
Girl I adore you but we need to see you more.
Oh my love
I have seen the summer go,
We've you been you're laying low,
And a year has all but gone




This cannot go on for long.
This cannot go on.

Overall Meaning

The song "Elizabeth" by Tom Staniford is a heartfelt plea to a woman named Elizabeth, who seems to be struggling with her life behind a screen. The singer believes that Elizabeth's life has "little light but much to see," meaning that she may be missing out on the beauty and connections of the world around her by living virtually. He encourages her to "find it in the rain" and "risk the morning air," implying that she needs to step out of her comfort zone and experience life in a more tangible way.


The lyrics speak of a woman who is on the run, either from a mother who will never understand or from a love interest who cannot be her man. She seems to be burdened by a troubled mind that she cannot shake. The singer empathizes with her, asking if he is the only one who can "step inside your tired shoes." He urges her to break free from her current situation, to be "anything more than you have between the doors." The repetition of this phrase drives home the message of the song: that Elizabeth needs to take action and live a fuller life.


Throughout the song, the singer expresses his love and concern for Elizabeth, begging her to come out of hiding and let others help her. He has seen seasons come and go without hearing from her, and he fears that "we'll never know" what has become of her if she continues to hide. The song ends on a somber note, with the singer pleading with Elizabeth that "this cannot go on for long" and that she needs to reach out for help before it's too late.


Line by Line Meaning

A life behind the screen,
Living a virtual life, believing in it, but lacking true joy or satisfaction.


A life that I believe,
The singer is talking in the first-person about the life they lead.


Has little light but much to see.
The life has little to offer but there's still much to observe.


So find it in the rain,
Try to find happiness in the down moments of life.


Or risk the morning air.
Or take a chance and try something new.


Without the cold it's hard to feel.
Without hardship, one can't truly experience life.


Anything more than you have between the doors,
There's more to life than what's found within the confines of four walls.


Anything more than you've ever felt before.
Life can offer new experiences that we've never felt before.


A woman on the run,
A woman who is fleeing from something, possibly internal struggles or external pressures.


Without the will to move.
Lacks the drive to make a change.


A troubled mind is hard to loose.
It's difficult to let go of mental challenges.


And when the gale comes,
When a storm hits.


Am I the only one,
Asking if they're the only person who will step up and help.


To step inside your tired shoes?
To empathize and understand what someone else is going through.


Running from a mother who'll never understand,
Possibly dealing with a parent who doesn't comprehend their struggles.


Or courting a lover who could never be your man.
Possibly struggling to maintain a relationship that will never work out.


But without this it's hard to be...
Without overcoming these obstacles, it's difficult to move on and grow.


Girl I adore you but we need to see you more.
The singer cares deeply about the woman in question, but wishes they could see her more often.


Oh my love
A term of endearment.


I have seen the summer go,
Time has passed and things have changed.


We've you been you're laying low,
Asking where someone has been because they haven't been active.


And a year has all but gone
A year has almost completely passed.


This cannot go on for long.
The situation can't continue in its current state for much longer.


Are you looking for a hand,
Asking if the person needs help.


To lift you from the ground?
To lift them out of a difficult situation or to lift their spirits.


And leave the fight.
To stop struggling against something.


Or are their words a curse,
Asking if negative self-talk is holding them back.


Keeping you unfound?
Keeping them from finding their true potential and happiness.


In honesty I'm lost tonight.
The artist doesn't know how to help or guide the person in question.


I have seen the fading glow,
Seeing a spark or light in someone fade away.


And there's a damn good chance we'll never know.
There's a high likelihood that we'll never know why someone is struggling or feeling the way they do.


This cannot go on for long.
This cannot continue in its current state for much longer.




Contributed by Samantha N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Andy Mort

Wow. Beautiful beautiful song, great video. We are featuring you on the Right Chord Music podcast very soon. You are a talented man!

Indie Noble

Filmed edited and directed by you! Wow your very lucky to be able to do something like this, great video and a brilliant song :) One day I hope I achieve a video, every song I write I have a clear picture in my head.

beckycourtney1998

This is amazing Tom. love this one so much! hope to see you live sometime soon:) x

Tom Staniford

Thanks for your nice words everyone :-) x

Bernie G

I actually love you, your voice is AMAZING! x

Emma

This song is totally insane LOVE IT

HaychSane Music

not usually into these kind of songs but wow man really like it

Bro Ben

That opening shot is beautiful..wow

Claire Dymond

Fantastic Tom, your best song and video so far. Claire x

Catarina Costa

this is so beautiful :)

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