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 think it's about a child and the divorce of his/her parents.
The crop circles are in the carpet from someone moving furniture and taking it away, The oil stains on the wall are from paintings or pictures that used to be on the wall of the family but were taking down. The sewing machines and trains refer to a sewing machine her mother used to use and the train is referring to her fathers collection of trains. She then thinks her parents don't care about her anymore and doesn't believe anything that is said by them. -
its interesting reading every ones comments but I think this song is about parents divorce ]
"hide and seek
trains and sewing machines
all those years
they were here first"
talking about playing with her parents and her dad makig modle trains and her mum sewing etc, sayin that that's how its was first,
"oily marks appear on walls
where pleasure moments hung before the takeover"
talking about wher family pictures use to hang but no the family has split there pictures have been taken down.
"the dust has only just begun to fall
crop circles in the carpet" -- about the fniture that use to be in her home leaving marks on the carpet from where one of her parents have taken the things and left with nothing"what the hell is going on"
Mmmm what do you say,
Mmmm that you only meant well?
well of course you did
Mmmm what do you say,
Mmmm that's all for the best?
ah of course it is
Mmmm what do you say?
Mmmm that it's just what we need
you decided this
Mmmm what do you say?
Mmmm what did she say?
talking about how they thought it was the best decisionbut she's doubting it, what did 'she' say, the mu maybe?
"ransom notes keep fallin out your mouth, bittersweeet talk, news paper word cut outs" saying that the words are bitter sweet as they sound nice but in reality arn't true/ won't happen. News paper words cut out sayin what her parent is sayin has no meaning as if fake like news paper words.
i think this is the most important it to the family genre "blood and tears
they were here first"
talking about they are family y blood and that's what counts, the fact theys struggled together and cried together but are still family
not sure if this is right...tell me what you think! -
I had listened to this song many times before I ever knew or even thought about the meaning behind the lyrics. Someone on my dance team actually looked it up and told us it was about being cheated on. That interpretation really clicked with me. Its a feeling totally undescribable to find out the person you love wasn't completely true to you. Coming to grips with the reality of what happened is difficult and I think she reflects that in many ways throughout the song. I like that Imogen didn't flat-out say what this song means because it does contain something different for every person that listens to it. I recommend 100% for everyone to really listen to it and find what it means for you. Its a great example of the art of words, its beautiful.
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Hope this doesn't offend anyone... but... Personally it never ever occurred to me that it was about the 9/11 attacks.
What I got from Hide and Seek... I got this image of someone's love breaking up with her or leaving her. In an empty room, and for another woman. all the emotions are displayed in the song, as well as in the tone and strength that she sings it in: confusion in the beginning, maybe even being caught off-guard. Then comes denial: "this can't be happening", and a sort of pleading.. please say it isn't true. The feeling that the rest of the world has stopped, must stop, SHOULD stop, when something like this has happened to her, and grieve with her. but of course... It doesn't. The soft murmurs that fall from her lips as it begins to sink in. repetitive, drilling noise disorientate her.
but she was here first...
memories of the times they had together filling her mind, taking over, just as he had taken over her. If only those times had never ended, or if she could only find a way to replay them. How inconsiderate of him to possess every bit of her, and then leave her, empty, numb.
ANGER. protests and her hurt flowing through those words, furious but with desperation. She's fighting this! ...desperately, hopelessly.
BUT SHE WAS HERE FIRST!
so she uses what she has left, before it's all gone: anger, sarcasm. working hard to induce guilt.
"mm what you say
oh that you only meant well, well of course you did
mm what you say
mm that it's all for the best, of course it is
mm what you say
that IT'S JUST what we need, you decided this
mm what you say
what did SHE say?
it didn't work. She knew it wouldn't. In the end there's no choice left but for her to surrender. left behind to let her tears fall on the floor, lying alone in the empty, cold room. disoriented, shocked. a NUMB shell. fading...
into
emptiness.... -
I really do think this song talks about 9/11 as some of you has already mentioned. But I would like to take this in a different angle.
The first verse talk about how buildings had just collapsed. But how did steel frames buildings felt in free fall speed (it is just scientifically impossible)? This can't be happening.
Hide and seek. Something is really wrong here, we need to get the truth.
Train and sewing machines represent our Constitution (Our foundation). How that got torn apart after 9/11.
We used to be a free country but after 9/11 this country has been taken over and hijacked.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it's all for the best? Ah of course it is.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it's just what we need? And you decided this.
Mmm what you say?
Well, we had a reason to go invade Iraq, although we were lie to, but The president said it is for the best. And he had make this decision long before 9/11. Well not him but a group of criminal including him.
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth.
This line pretty much said what it mean. Everything this administration had said and done to this country. Pure hijack.
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs.
Again, all the sweet talk about War on terror, fight them over there, all their rhetoric and numerous headlines they had created since they took office. Along with those newspaper headlines and diversion. Continuing manipulating the public and take our attention away from their real agenda (IRAN) and controlling the global oil market (why we did not attack Saudi Arabia when most of the hijackers are Saudis) Now think, and who was with G.W.B.SR on 9/11. Well go and find out.
Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you.
Thats pretty much Imogen's reactions.
You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit
And you really think this administration really care about humanity.
100,000-600,000 Iraqi Deaths, 3000+ US soldiers dead, thousands are wounded. Return soldiers with horrible treatments and accommodations.
For those of you who think I am crazy, please go and do your own research and start connecting dots.
Start here. www.wtc7.net
Google operation northwood, gulf of tonkin and false flag attack.
one death is one death too many.
Wake Up, and stop watching your Mainstream Media news. Do your researches, Please.
Peace -
I also thought it was about aliens but differently. They were here first - They came here and planted the seed for humans to be able to evolve into sentient beings. They came back and were ticked that we messed up what they gave us so they took it back violently, and everybody is wondering what just happened. I picture it as a freeze frame or time being stopped and we're seeing this one instant of the take over and going from place to place seeing the destruction. The aliens explanation is that it's for the best and the humans are saying it's ours leave us be, we'll take care of it our selves, being very sarcastic. You're probably wonder "what about the trains and sewing machines", well that's all we have to show for millions of years of evolution. We have the potential for so much more and we can't all get along to solve all of the really hard problems that actually matter but we fight amongst our selves for land and wealth and overall greediness.
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to me this song is about 9/11 and goes on to realise how short life is, the morality bit.
the first verse shows the confusion of the event, 'where are we?' 'the dust has only just begun to fall'
second verse is much the same 'this can't be happening' and 'when busy streets a mess with people (the bodies possibly)
would stop to hold their heads heavy'
'Trains aren't solving machines' this line makes me think it cud be the terrosrist attacks in Madrid, but it could be a way to keep the interretation open rather than obviously to do with 9/11.
'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?'
i think this section is the singer talking to the terrosists, 'its what we need' 'you decided this?'. Its accusations of why I feel.
the rest of the song is the disbelief and soming to terms with what happened. That's what it means to me.
let me no if you agree nick_langridge@hotmail.co.uk
thanks -
Seems obvious to be about how we've changed the world for the worse (though thinking we're making it better and giving people what they want "of course it is"). Maybe some reference to iraq, 911, but I think it's generalized enough to be interpreted as the sudden change technology has brought on the world in a whole.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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That it was about 9/11 and that people are a mess in the streets and that the dust has just begun to fall. It's political romantic and soothing
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When I listened to this song (which is beautiful btw) my interpetation was mixed.
In the beginning of the song, I believe she's singing about a loved one who may have been killed in 9/11. Her confusion about what happened and her realization that she's lost someone close to her. Not wanting to accept that this person is gone. She sings about the pain and confusion of other people (people in the streets, etc).
My best guess about trains and sewing machines is about technology becoming so dangerous (planes crashing). Trains and sewing machines are simple.
I agree with the person who said the oils marks on the walls are over the bed.
The mm what'd you say? part is refering to Bush's actions after the event, and starting a war. Same with randsom notes and not caring a bit.
that's my interpretation. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I agree with several of the other interpretations that this song is about a break-up. The one thing that I firmly disagree with is the beginning of the second verse. "Oily marks appear on walls, where pleasure moments hung before." That has absolutely nothing to do with photographs. It is referring to the oily residue left on dry-wall after someone's hands have touched it. These marks are very common around the bedroom... In particularly on the wall where the headboard is. After a break-up, go to an empty bedroom, look at those marks, and that will stir memories that can destroy you inside.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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well..i think the whole interpretation by MPete77317 is probably the closest to wht Imogen possibly had in mind..
however..i feel that this song although explores love, and loss it does not necessarily have to do with a separation of love through will.. death could also have a lot to do with this.. losing a dear one..
On tht note.. Its understood why exactly the song was chosen to be played at Calebs funeral..
the song I feel.. explores the loss of a loved one..
And like said before.. Imogen when writing this song uses a lot of equivocation.. when words are thrown,feelings are let loose with overwhelming reactions..which amazingly fix into each other and give out the key to the puzzle of what Imogen has tried to say..
It's pretty amazing how intimate feelings have been expressed in such an obvious hard hitting way, that no one except for Imogen would know the complete truth behind this song..
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