After their 1999 debut Anchor, the band released Different Stars in 2002. It caught the attention of Cocteau Twins bassist Simon Raymonde, who signed the band to his record label Bella Union, and re-released it with a new tracklisting. The band moved to Seattle to make their third album, 2006's Having. After the EPs Noble House (2007) and The Natural Order of Things (2009), the band entered a period of silence and ultimately disbanded owing to tensions between Williams and Brown. They reunited in 2020 to release the single "Winterstorms".
Anna-Lynne releases solo music under the name Lotte Kestner.
My Hands Up
Trespassers William Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With not having
Stop, stop it
Could I put my hands up
And ask that you stop
Do I need to be in love
I'm lost when it's just me
You happy enough to stay
Return the words, the looks
I give you like they're falling out of me
Seconds change
And at the end
Your face is inerasable
True, I need to be in love
I'm lost when it's just me
With only a hope to make
You happy enough
Do I need to be in love
What is there otherwise from loving
Just takes a face
To make everything else erase
Stop, stop it
Could I put my hands up
And ask that you stop
The lyrics to Trespassers William's song My Hands Up evoke a sense of longing and vulnerability in the face of unrequited love. The opening lines express a feeling of being overwhelmed by the intensity of one's emotions, with the singer confessing that they are "turning into something I can't cope with." The repetition of the phrase "stop, stop it" suggests a sense of desperation and helplessness in trying to control these feelings.
The chorus of the song revolves around the idea of putting one's hands up and asking the object of their affection to stop – though it's not entirely clear what they are asking them to stop doing. It could refer to the torment of unrequited love or the fear of being vulnerable to someone else. The lines "Do I need to be in love? / I'm lost when it's just me" express a yearning for connection and validation from another person, with the hope that they will be enough to make the singer happy.
The bridge of the song is particularly poignant, with the lines "Just takes a face / To make everything else erase" highlighting the power that one person can have over another's emotions. The closing lines of the song, "Could I put my hands up / And ask that you stop," are both a plea for mercy and a final admission of vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Turning into something I can't cope
I'm becoming someone who can't handle this situation
With not having
Without you, without this love, I am incomplete
Stop, stop it
Please, stop hurting me or confusing me
Could I put my hands up
Can I surrender and give up on this love?
And ask that you stop
Begging for you to stop making things difficult
Do I need to be in love
Am I incapable of being happy without being in love?
I'm lost when it's just me
I feel aimless and alone when I'm by myself
With only a hope to make
All I have is a wish to make you happy and stay with me
You happy enough to stay
My happiness is tied to yours, please don't leave me
Return the words, the looks
Come back to me, don't ignore or avoid me
I give you like they're falling out of me
I express my love for you in every way possible
Seconds change
Time passes by quickly
And at the end
Ultimately, when everything is said and done
Your face is inerasable
I can't erase the memory of your face, your presence, and your love
True, I need to be in love
Honestly, I'm incomplete without love or a significant other
What is there otherwise from loving
What else is there in this world if not love?
Just takes a face
All it takes is seeing you, being near you, to make me feel whole again
To make everything else erase
All my troubles, doubts, and fears disappear when I'm with you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNA-LYNNE WILLIAMS, JOHN MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MATT BROWN, MATTHEW EMERSON BROWN, ROSS SIMONINI, ROSS DAVENPORT SIMONINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind