Imogen Heap: Hide and Seek Meaning
Hide and Seek Lyrics
the dust has only just began to fall
crop circles in the carpet, sinking, feeling
spin me around again and rub my eyes
this can't be happening
when busy streets a mess with people would stop to...
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I know its a love song about breaking up with someone.
but I can't help but wonder a second double meaning about the past, about the 19th century in America.
Where are we?
(where are we in this world, things are so different)
what the hell is going on?
(whats going on with this world. out country)
the dust has only
just begun to fall
(the dust as in the dust bowl in the west, the tragedy is only beginning)
Crop circles in the carpet
Sinking feeling
(we no longer rely on farms. where farms used to be, carpet, or housing now lay)
Spin me round again
and rub my eyes
this can't be happening
when busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy
(talking about the urban life, the city)
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
All those years
They were here first
(the transcontinental railroad of the west finished close to the 19th century, and sewing machines, textile mills of the south were here before urban life)
Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before.
The takeover, the sweeping insensitivity of this
still life.
(the oil industry (Rockefeller), the discovery of oil in the U.S. Is taking over and is insensitive about the world)
**thats all I have that supports my argument. I know it's about love since the rest of it supports a breakup as opposed to politics -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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We think this song is about...people who just broke up, and are dealing with moving on. and the person is remembering all the times they had together. when oily marks appear on walls, where pleasure moments hung before is her remembering the sex they experienced together. The crop circles is about her looking at the empty house where the furniture used to be.
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I also believe it is about the Native Americans and the overtake of their homeland by the white man. It fits perfectly.
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This song is undoubtedly about the massacre of the native peoples of america at the hands of western expansion... "all those years they were here first"
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I believe the song is about the "other woman" side of an affair. She comes to find out the man she loves and has built her life around already has a family and kids and a house somewhere else, she is just that "other woman"
Where are we?
what the hell is going on?
the dust has only
just begun to fall
Crop circles in the carpet
Sinking feeling
(realizing what is going on, confused, crop circles = lines in carpet from moving and getting rid offrniture)
Spin me round again
and rub my eyes
this can't be happening
when busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy
(self explanatory, sadness)
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
All those years
They were here first
(trains couldbe the trains he took to go see his other family suposedly on business or something... "they were here first as in the other family)
oily marks appear on walls
where pleasure moments hung before
the takeover
the sweeping insensitivity
of this
still life
(pictures on her walls that hung representing their happy moments before the whole downfall)
Hide and seek
trains and sewing machines (you won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears
They were here first
mm what d'cha say?
mm that you only meant well
well of course you did
mm what d'cha say?
mm that it's all for the best
of course it is
mm what d'cha say?
hmmm that it's just what we need
and you decided this?
ooh what d'cha say?
mmmm what did she say?
(shes bitter and sad because he is saying now that they should end it because its for the best, but it was him calling the shots all along, betraying. "what didd she say" aout his other wife)
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid sweet talk newspaper word cut outs (paper word cut outs)
Speak no feeling no I don't believe you (no I don't believe you)
you don't care a bit
you
don't care a bit
(Hide and Seek)
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid sweet talk newspaper word cut outs
(Hide and Seek)
Speak no feeling no I don't believe you
you don't care a bit
you don't care a bit
(about his fake apologies) -
The song is expressive of the notion that men and women should stop playing "hide and seek" from one another. This idea is conveyed through a timeless situation: there is a breakup or some sort of relationship breach between the artist and her significant other. The significant other is hiding (Mmmm whacha say...that you only meant well...
well of course you did...it's just what we need...you decided this...) The boyfriend insinuates that his distance (hiding)is "all for the best", etc. "The sweeping insensitivity of this still life" refers to the crudely painful stillness necessary to maintain an effective hiding spot- the artist alludes to the pain of erecting an indifferent facade in order to pretend not to care about a significant other. In the opening of the song, the "trains and sewing machines" as well as "blood and tears" are stereotypical relations to males and females, respectively. (Proverbially, the men would be affiliated with the trains, cars, etc., whereas women manned the sewing machines at home. Blood and tears- men shed blood in wars; women cried over the losses.) "They were here first" just explains that these associations are historic. Even the first line is exemplary of Heap's message. "Where the hell are we?"-We, as in both boys and girls collectively. Well, hiding, of course. -
I think there are some very good interpretations here. I agree with the break-up theme and I will expand on it via the title of the song. If you think about the game itself and relate those terms to a relationship it gives insight to the title.
In the game "Hide and Seek", as the "hider" you are not there when the game is being played, but the pleasure, the excitement from this game comes in knowing you are being sought. A good hiding place allows you to see the "seeker" and enjoy watching them try to find you. There is a degree of satisfaction present. In "hide and seek" the feeling of aloneness is accompanied by bodily separation yet you feel connected by the chase.
Now think of the horror and betrayal you feel (or felt, as the case may be)when the "seeker" didn't come (or no longer came) to find you. Or worse, as a group, the other players all stopped looking for you. You are hiding from no one. You are the joke. That is ageless pain.
Think of those emotions and relate it to the phases of a relationship. (This is how I viewed the scene) A person sitting on the windowsill peering into a recently semi-empty room, complete with carpet crop circles and dust frames on the walls, while outside, through rain streaked windowpanes, the world continues on. If they only knew of my pain..would they not hang their heads in sympathy? And your ransom words are meaningless because even if I gave you something more you could not return what was mine. It is gone. I am the joke. I'm glad you feel it is for the best.
Just the way I felt.
M -
I think that the song is based on betrayal. Perhaps and friend or lover broke your heart and told you that it was all for the best and what we need and never come around again. Ransom notes that fall out of you mouth are the words that end your love. Oily marks appear on walls where we use to get along and now its tarnished with hate and revolt.Where are we??We are lost we both have no clue what happened and now as the dust falls it become clearer. We start to feel and see what happened. Spin me around an pinch me this isn't happening and no on cares. They just hold their heads heavy. Hide and seek....where are you will I ever find you? All those years they were wasted but they were there first. You don't care a bit...you don't care a bit.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I don't know why, but this song reminds me of World War 2. Look over it. Or maybe somewas
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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And further to my previous comment about it being related to a break up - and a slightly different interpretation to MPete77317 - the tough one 'trains and sewing machines' I believe to be fairly simple metaphors: 'trains' being about the journeys you took both physically and emotionally together, and 'sewing machines' referring to the careful construction - or even fabrication of your relationship - this perhaps makes further sense when you consider 'they were here first' they were what created the relationship - long before it's final dissolution...
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I find the end of the song provides the key to interpretation, where she repeats "ransom notes keep falling out your mouth" this is a perfect description of the emotional blackmailing and attempts to direct guilt or blame on a partner either following or during a breakup. I agree with other people's assumption about crop circles in the carpet being removed furniture - and this is further reinforced by the 'oily marks from pleasure moments' - obviously being photographs taken off walls. A stunning concept and delivery of a song! It will rank in my all time favourites for all eternity.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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