Antarctica Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Father, we fled your house of grey
We ran from home to seek a place
Where our bodies would never grow
Dreamer, child, be cautious of this world
She has an appetite for boys and girls
And she's hungry for your soul

[Chorus]
Little boys with dreams of paper planes
Were never meant to scrape the sky
Keep your feet on the ground, kid
Only birds were meant to fly
Little boys with dreams of paper planes
Were never meant to scrape the sky
Keep your head from the clouds, kid
Keep your wings, always keep them by your side

[Verse 2]
Remember, before you fly, you'll fall
Before you walk, you'll crawl
Before you fly, you'll fall
Before you walk, you'll crawl
You've no need to stitch your shadow to your heels
No, not this time
Son, you'll walk with no whisper, no sound
Only the feet of the heavy-hearted are held to the ground
You've no need to draw the curtains, son, throw them wide
Cross the borders between the never and the night
Find the twinkle in your smile, chase it on 'til morning
Past the second star to the right
[Chorus]
Little boys with dreams of paper planes
Were never meant to scrape the sky
Keep your feet on the ground, kid
Only birds were meant to fly
Little boys with dreams of paper planes
Were never meant to scrape the sky
Keep your head from the clouds, kid
Keep your wings, always keep them by your side

[Bridge]
We'll be the smoke curling on the still
The airship captains, we wait for sun to brush the hills

[Verse 3]
Son, I share your windward dreams
To soar from this little town
Of shacked up windows and swinging doors
And the rafters creak and the floorboards groan
While the shadows dance to the tapping of my toes
There's nothing left for us but altitude
We'll be the kings of the air
There's nothing left for us here, there's nothing left for us here
There's nothing left for us but altitude
We'll be the kings of the air
We'll be the kings of the air
[Outro]
Before you fly, you'll fall
(Stolen by the wind that turns the leaves to razors
Holding just a string, our twine and our paper lost to the breeze)
Before you walk, you'll crawl
Before you fly, you'll fall
(Stolen by the wind that turns the leaves to razors
Holding just a string, our twine and our paper lost to the breeze)
Before you walk, you'll crawl

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About

Genius Annotation

“Antarctica” is the opening track to Hands Like Houses debut album Ground Dweller. The song is advice for the dreamers of the world, a message to not give up too easily when you first fail, to still give your all while being careful and to accept your failures in order to achieve your goals.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Hands Like Houses say about "Antarctica"?
Genius Answer

In an track-by-track done through Alternative Press, frontman Trenton Woodley had the following to say about this song:

This song is about growing up–being taught to stay grounded while reaching for your dreams, so that you’re stronger and able to keep pushing for them even when you’re knocked down. Musically it was the first song in which we really started to experiment with vibraphones and more “traditional” instrument sounds mixed in with the synths and electronic drums we’d been using prior.

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