Feeding on a diet of The Pogues, Paul Kelly, and whatever else was playing, Joy cut his teeth performing at open mic nights in Melbourne. His style is folk music with pop influences. His songs capture the familiar pulse of everyday experiences in a unique and celebratory manner. His lyrics reach out to you and hold on for a moment.
Where We Start
Vance Joy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It doesn't rain under the tall trees
You were my love, you were my tree
You would always protect me
It's easier to take a heart than to let your own by taken
I love that little smile you keep in the corner of your mouth
And is it hard to see me go?
If you're here, when I fall
I know that I won't fall a long way
A long way
We were talking on the phone
I stepped out into the hallway
My face was frozen on the screen
And you started laughing
Put a cone through your hair
And a clean shirt on
There's people comin' 'round here soon
Everyone, act normal
Big trees fall all the time
They crack and sound like lightning
Leave a big space in your sky when they fall
When they fall a long way
A long way
Pick me up
Fill my cup now
Take me down, down to where we start
Let's go too far now
All tangled up
Take me down, down to where we start
Down to where we start
Where we start
Vance Joyβs βWhere We Startβ is a song about a relationship that has ended, but the singer is looking back on the good times they had. The song begins with βStorm rolled in to our surprise, it doesn't rain under the tall trees,β referring to a storm that came unexpectedly, representing the damage that was caused in the relationship. The second point, "It doesn't rain under the tall trees," means that when two people are in love, they feel protected and safe from the outside world.
The singer then goes on to say that his lover, who he sees as a tree, would always protect him. But now that the relationship has ended, it is easier for him to take someone elseβs heart than to let his own be taken, meaning it is easier for him to engage in casual relationships than to get into a serious one. Then he says βI love that little smile you keep in the corner of your mouth,β remembering the little things he misses about his lover.
In the chorus, the singer wonders if it is hard for his lover to see him go and acknowledges that he has made mistakes in their relationship, but if she is there to support him, he won't fall far. The second verse is about the singer and his lover talking on the phone and him realizing that it's over, but he still wants to hold onto the good times. The stanza "Put a cone through your hair and a clean shirt on, There's people comin' round here soon, everyone act normal," depicts the singer trying to recreate the good times by making everything seem normal, even though it's not.
In conclusion, βWhere We Startβ is a song about a relationship that has ended, and the singer longs to relive the good times they had. He reminisces about the past and recognizes the mistakes that were made. The song conveys a sense of regret but also fondness for the memories they shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Storm rolled in to our surprise
We were not expecting the storm to come
It doesn't rain under the tall trees
The trees provided a shelter for us from the rain
You were my love, you were my tree
You were my source of love, comfort and protection
You would always protect me
You were always there to keep me safe from harm
It's easier to take a heart than to let your own by taken
It's easier to hurt someone else than to let yourself be vulnerable to being hurt
I love that little smile you keep in the corner of your mouth
I love the subtle expression of happiness you show
And is it hard to see me go?
Are you finding it difficult to watch me leave?
Doing things the wrong way
Making mistakes in the way we do things
If you're here, when I fall
If you're by my side when I stumble
I know that I won't fall a long way
I know that I won't suffer greatly from making a mistake
We were talking on the phone
We were communicating via phone
I stepped out into the hallway
I walked out into the hallway while still on the phone
My face was frozen on the screen
My facial expression was still visible on the phone screen
And you started laughing
You found my expression amusing
Put a cone through your hair
You did something humorous with your hair
And a clean shirt on
You wore a clean shirt
There's people comin' 'round here soon
There are people expected to arrive soon
Everyone, act normal
Everyone should behave in a typical manner
Big trees fall all the time
Even large and strong things can fall from time to time
They crack and sound like lightning
They make a loud noise when they fall
Leave a big space in your sky when they fall
They leave a significant emptiness or void
When they fall a long way
When they fall from a great height
Pick me up
Lift me up
Fill my cup now
Give me what I need now
Take me down, down to where we start
Take me back to where we began
Let's go too far now
Let's take risks and push boundaries
All tangled up
Our thoughts and emotions are mixed up and confusing
Down to where we start
Back to the beginning
Where we start
The point in time or situation where we first began
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVE RICHARD BASSETT, JAMES KEOGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alana Niih
Storm rolled in to our surprise
It doesn't rain under the tall trees
You were my lover, you were my tree
You would always protect me
It's easier to take a heart than to let your own by taken
I love that little smile you keep in the corner of your mouth
And is it hard to see me go?
Doing things the wrong way
If you're here, when I fall
I know that I won't fall a long way
A long way
We were talking on the phone
I stepped out into the hallway
My face was frozen on the screen
And you started laughing
Put a comb through your hair
And a clean shirt on
There's people coming 'round here soon
Everyone, act normal
Big trees fall all the time
They crack and sound like lightning
Leave a big space in your sky when they fall
When they fall a long way
A long way
Pick me up
Fill my cup now
Take me down, down to where we start
Let's go too far now
All tangled up
Take me down, down to where we start
Down to where we start
Where we start
Alana Niih
Storm rolled in to our surprise
It doesn't rain under the tall trees
You were my lover, you were my tree
You would always protect me
It's easier to take a heart than to let your own by taken
I love that little smile you keep in the corner of your mouth
And is it hard to see me go?
Doing things the wrong way
If you're here, when I fall
I know that I won't fall a long way
A long way
We were talking on the phone
I stepped out into the hallway
My face was frozen on the screen
And you started laughing
Put a comb through your hair
And a clean shirt on
There's people coming 'round here soon
Everyone, act normal
Big trees fall all the time
They crack and sound like lightning
Leave a big space in your sky when they fall
When they fall a long way
A long way
Pick me up
Fill my cup now
Take me down, down to where we start
Let's go too far now
All tangled up
Take me down, down to where we start
Down to where we start
Where we start
Caz McDonough
Alana Niih idk why people do this itβs rly annoying people probably know the words if they r true fans
Hussain Rangadi
He deserves more recognition. β₯οΈ
jeremy144713
noooooo, I dont want mainstream basic people to ruin this gem lol
James
Who else loves this type of music?
Yogesh Dahiya
Me
zayaan bharucha
Anyone have more music like this
James
Salvador Valladolid yup
Salvador Valladolid
Everybody that has a good tasteπ
Nissai Kong
The whole album is fire!