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 any way the song is interpreted is correct and it is what you think of the song and what it means to you that counts. However my meaning I take away from this song is the Holocaust. "Hide and Seek" like the jews are hiding from the Nazis and the Nazis are Seeking them. "Trains and sewing machines" the jews were deported on trains; "they were here first" the jews have been around forever; "Blood and tears" obviously the excruciating terror and horrors they were subjected to; "crop circles in the carpet; oily marks where pleasant moments once hung" they were forced to disappear,to leave everything behind most of which was plundered and destroyed by the Nazis; "mmm what you say? that you only meant well? well of course you did. mmm what you say? that it's all for the best? of course it is. Mmm whatcha say? that it's just what we need? you decided this" could be a clear example of the forced horrors; "ransom notes keep falling out your mouth";"This can't be happening"; "streets a mess with people who stop to hold their heads heavy" maybe meaning the fear, depression, horror, loss, and deep grieving of masses of people forced to live in enclosed encampments and such.... that's what I take away from this song. but like I said, any interpretation is correct.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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i think this song is about the holocaust.(trains and sewing machines)the trains they used to send away the jews to concentration camps and the work they had to do(blood and tears ransom notes keep falling out your mouth) ransom notes they found(when busy streets a mess with people would stop to hold their heads heavy) people ignored the holocaust and didnt even try to help should feel shame . if you listen to the song this theory makes perfect sense
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EVERYBODY needs to stop rejecting everybody else's interpretations! The beauty in a song is that it can mean someone special to each one of us! The truth is, is that there is no real 'correct' interpretation. Yes, imogen heap had an inspiration when she wrote the song, but that doesn't mean that her interpretation os 'hide and seek' is like mine, or yours, or any of ours. Personally, I believe this song is about a person who is dying inside of depression (Hiding) and is trying to find the light and find the way out (Seeking) and is speaking to the world about how they forgot her.
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These are all very interesting interpretations, but none of them occurred to me before. If I ever interpreted this song as having to do with a relationship/break-up, it was fleeting.
I heard this song as a statement about pollution, cutting down forests, and how technology and expansion is taking away homes from animals. They've all lost their homes, and now they're hidden (hence, "Hide n Seek"). This message goes well with the song if you give it a listen with it in mind.
All those years
They were here first
Oily marks appear on walls (disgusting buildings)
Where pleasur'd moments hung before (wildlife happily flourishing)
The take over (mankind takes over the land)
The sweeping insensitivity (insensitive to animals' homes)
etc. -
Hey this is B. I just want to add a few thoughts to the interpretation
of this song.
Where are we?
This is something a lot of people have said before when they're
disappointed and don't understand why things have changed so much in
such a short time. Sometimes this also reflects how different not only
the relationship in question has become, but the people themselves.
What the hell is going on?
The dust has only begun to form,
Things have only started to change and she's afraid of the wind
that's building up this dust that's forming. If the dust was settling,
then things would be calming down and life would be getting easier; But
it's clear that some horrible chapter in her life is about to start.
Crop circles in the carpet,
Sinking feeling,
She's either cleaning the carpet or pacing around to keep
herself busy so she can't let the anxiety set in. It's very common to
try to bury yourself in a task so that you can't focus on what's
bothering you.
Spin me around again,
And rub my eyes,
This can't be happening,
Wake me up. I don't want to believe what I can almost see
hanging in the air around me. She needs spun because she can't bring
herself to move on her own.
When busy streets a mess with people,
Would stop to hold their heads heavy,
If everyone could express the way they really felt when things
were like this instead of burying themselves in their otherwise
meaningless life activies, then they would really never do anything.
She feels amazed to think that even despite these feelings that anyone
else can really stand to live and do anything.
Hide and seek
This could mean any number of things. Trying to find someone
new is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Trying to avoid the
past and the feelings of the moment when they take you and make you cry
is like playing a game with yourself. Maybe it's just describing the
way she's trying to stay away from the person that's hurting her for a
little bit now that things have shattered this way.
Trains and sewing machines,
I think of a lot of different things here. I understand others
have this related to a wedding dress. I think of travel and work, maybe
these represent the things that are going to stay the same except that
she won't be able to share them with this person she's losing, as she
goes on to talk about in the next few lines.
All those years,
They were here first,
I really put together the wedding dress idea after this, which
makes me agree more. But this also makes me think of aditional, like
her plans and what she was looking forward to, and now erasing those
memories and dreams and putting someone else there in her lover's place
will be nearly impossible.
Oily marks appear on walls,
Where pleasure moments hung before -
This is way different for me. These are the places where they
couldn't wait to get in the bedroom. There's a truth in having a lover
that wants you that you believe is always going to be there when you're
with them. When this beautiful human artwork gets turned into nothing
more than a lie, it's hard to look at anything as gorgeous or honest or
meaningful anymore. This is where their sweat and their love was
stamped all over their home and illustrated in a way that you just
can't take back. Once you've made love it's like a painting frozen in
time you always want to look back on. Only now? She can't. That's why
they don't hang there anymore. They just bleed sadness; Not even worth
looking at.
- Takeover,
This another different thought. I'm led to believe this
takeover is where the problems startover. Where the love is just sex.
Where she's still in love and he's moved on. This is where the real
world and the grind of life has dulled the senses.
The sweeping insensitivity of this still life,
Life is vain and fickle and the fuel of good feelings runs out
quickly when you aren't commited or loyal. He's anxious, things aren't
like they were, all the other problems I mentioned early have set in.
Suddenly he doesn't love her the way she needs to be and money is tight
and everything so hard that now her love for him is all she has and
even that is about to be ripped away without any consideration for
whether or not she can survive.
Hide and seek,
Trains and sweing machines, ( oh, you won't catch me around here )
Dreams and plans are over with; You won't catch me this naive
and hopeful towards you and probably not anyone else ever again.
Blood and tears, ( hearts )
They were here first,
Sacrifice, age, energy, suffering, the closeness that two
lovers have that's beyond any description, all these costs are lost and
the reciept is void; She will never get the time back to give to
someone else. And even if she could, why would she want to? Why
couldn't things have just turned out the way they were supposed to?
Mmmm whatcha say,
Mmmm that you only meant well?
Well of course you did,
Mmmm whatcha say,
Mmmm that it's all for the best?
Of course it is
Mmmm whatcha say?
Mmmm that it's just what we need
you decided this
This is the conversation. It explains itself. She's not stupid
enough to believe this empty common exchange of words means anything.
She's already seen through him and she knows better, so she answers
every word with the truth; Even when she already knows it won't do any
good. It won't make him love her again.
whatcha say?
Mmmm what did she say?
She. There's someone else. You're just a liar. Just tell me
what she says to you. If she means so much to you, tell me why. What
did you need I didn't have? There are so many questions summarized in
these four words. You would have to repeat them all 1000 times to
express what's felt here though.
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth,
Mid-sweet talk, Newspaper word cut outs,
It's consensus that this is refering to idle promises and good
intensions being held back from her, love sworn but never shown, that
could never come back. His words are empty and practiced, like a
newspaper phrase used over and over at infinitum.
Hide and seek
Now she's trying to see if she could ever have him back. Maybe
this is a mistake. Don't do this. Don't leave, if I can find the good
person I loved before I'll make him do the right thing. Is this true or
not? But of course she knows already. It's another game. It's all a
game.
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth,
Mid-sweet talk, Newspaper word cut outs,
Same ideas here, only she's trying to see through. But this
childish weeping and self torment.
Hide and seek
She's won the game, or so she thinks. Maybe this over.
Speak no feeling no I don't believe you,
You don't care a bit,
You don't care a bit, You don't care a bit,
And the truth chokes the words; She can only repeat what she
knows. It's set her free but at what cost? Will she recover? There's a
poetic device here called repitition, and that denotes a special
meaning. Here I think it's that now this is reality and life for her;
She's never going to be the same or forget what this feels like, only
cover it up and deal with it. Once you've smashed the porcelene of
youth and hope, you can never glue it back together perfectly again.
You can't put the enamel back on and see it shine like it used to. Just
like the body-oil paintings on the walls: All they do is remind her of
what she's having to accept from now until forever.
Hide and seek
oh no you don't care a bit,
oh no you don't care a bit
Hide and seek
oh no you don't care a bit,
you don't care a bit
you don't care a bit.
And it's over. From now until the world burns to the ground
there's a tapestry, a story, a record, a file cabinet full of the way
things could have been and to her how they -should- have been that will
drag on her like a burden. The only person that can save her is
herself, and as far as this poetry tells us she's really unable to do
that. The repitition is telling us this is the most important thing.
You don't care a bit. I can't have you back. I won't be the same. I
can't physically forget what went wrong here. God rest her, I know
these feelings and I can only hope that time and forgetfulness can
somehow heal this kind of sadness.
Thanks.
-B. -
I think this song has a personal meaning to Imogen Heap, but is meant to be interpretated however the listener thinks it should be. My interpretation:
Everytime i heard this song, it makes me think back to when me and my bestfriend were little. We both had abusive parents, and after one stressful night, we decided to sneak out together to play on the neighborhood playground.
where are we?
what the hell is going on?
the dust has only just begun to form
crop circles in the carpet
sinking feeling
[i'm reminded of how we both felt lost in life]
spin me round again
and rub my eyes,
this can't be happening
[how stressful staying at home felt, especially because we were so young]
when busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy
[reminds me of everyday life, walking to the bus stop together]
hide and seek
trains and sewing machines
[reminds me of that night on the playground, swinging under the stars, going down the slide in the dark, playing games]
Mmmm whatcha say,
Mmm that you only meant well?
well of course you did
Mmmm whatcha say,
Mmmm that it's all for the best?
of course it is
Mmmm whatcha say?
Mmmm that it's just what we need
you decided this
whatcha say?
Mmmm what did she say?
[the hurt we felt toward our parents, our family]
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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Has anyone ever thought that maybe this song was about the suicide of a loved one? Not just a breakup? I got the feeling of suicide when Imogen says people in the streets would stop to hold their heads heavy.
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The meaning of this song is about mass killing of jews by the nazi's. read the lyrics again and it'll all make sense. It's not about a silly old break up or divorce. much more.
"the takeover"
"where are we? what the hell?" <- the jewish ghettos.
hide and seek. Think about anne frank.
hitler.. whatcha say? that you only ment well?
of course you did. you decided this. -
Where are we?
what the hell is going on?
(initial moments of thought when the terrorist attacks on sept. 11, 2001 were taking place)
the dust has only just begun to form
crop circles in the carpet
(this era of terroris attacks is just beginning, more and more evil is taking over the world. Literally, the dust is the falling WTC's and the carpet is our beautiful earth that we live on)
sinking feeling
spin me round again
and rub my eyes,
this can't be happening
(more confusion about terrorism and why people would want to kill people)
when busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads heavy
(Not just new york city residents in the streets spectating, but the entire nation and world)
[transition from present to past ways of living]
hide and seek
trains and sewing machines
all those years
they were here first
(This is referring to the many years when things were much more conventional rather than our highly technological world we have today. Things were simpler and they were there first)
oily marks appear on walls
where pleasure moments hung before the takeover,
the sweeping insensitivity of this still life
(oily marks = cars, planes, gasoline etc. The takeover = the shift from the conventional, pleasureful, way of living to our modern society)
hide and seek
trains and sewing machines (oh, you won't catch me around here)
blood and tears (hearts)
they were here first
Mmmm whatcha say,
Mmm that you only meant well?
well of course you did
Mmmm whatcha say,
Mmmm that it's all for the best?
of course it is
Mmmm whatcha say?
Mmmm that it's just what we need
you decided this
whatcha say?
Mmmm what did you say?
(Questioning what our life in this age is about, why is the evil here?)
ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut outs
speak no feeling 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 (you don't care a) bit
(hide and seek)
oh no, you don't care a bit
oh no, you don't care a bit
(hide and seek)
oh no, you don't care a bit
you don't care a bit
you don't care a bit
(up to you)
This is what I thought of when I heard the song. It's beautiful and up to many interpretations. I hoped you will consider this one and be open to others too. -
This song reminds me of the holocost. "Where are we? What the hell is going on?" The Jews didn't know what was happening. Alot of them are dying and their furniture is being taken away, leaving crop circles in the carpet. "Hide and seek" the Jews are hiding from the Nazis. "Trains and sewing machines." Trains and sewing machines came out around the tim eof the holocost. "Mmm whatcha say? mmm that it's all for the best? of course it is. Mmm whatcha say? Mmm that it's just what we need, you decided this." The woman is angry with her husband, a nazi. She disagrees with what they're doing to the jews and they get into a fight.
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She is talking about Native Americas and how they were kicked out of their home because of the lies of the English men.
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This song is about Aliens. Its clear as night and day. "They were here first" is about how the Aliens are actually our early ancestors and can be found deep in the earth. "Crop circles in the carpet" refers to actual crop circles, you see these aliens are lazy and didn't want to make the circles big in a field so they made tiny ones instead. Lazy bastards.
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My personal opinion is that you aren't supposed to know the meaning to this song. Imogen Heap, when asked about the meaning, didn't explain it for a reason. This is a beautiful song that means something different to everyone who hears it. Some people listen and hear 9/11. Others listen and hear a divorce, or a child moving to a new place, or the tragedy of the Holocaust. Some hear the death of a loved one. Some people even believe that there isn't a meaning, that the lyrics are just a collection of words meant to sound like poetry, and that they have no meaning. This song is meant to do that. Your question is not a question worth asking, because you will get so many different answers that all make sense, and that will only leave you wondering which is correct. My advice to you is to just let it be. This song means whatever you want it to mean; it speaks to people on a personal level. It is meant for people to interpret for themselves. And that is the way music should be.
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