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The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Push Back the Hands" by the artist "They Might Be Giants"

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The song "Push Back the Hands" by They Might Be Giants explores the themes of regret and the yearning to turn back time. The lyrics depict a narrator consumed by a desire to revisit the past, even at the cost of incredible sacrifice, both metaphorically ("give your right hand") and literally ("push back the hands").

The song paints a picture of someone haunted by past mistakes or missed opportunities. The surrounding world is chaotic and hostile, filled with jarring imagery ("broken glass," "wailing sirens," "dawn comes on like an army"). The narrator feels helpless against the passage of time, longing to return to a state of childlike innocence ("close your eyes and scream like a baby").

The recurring motif of "push back the hands" emphasizes the desperation and obsession with altering the past. The narrator seems aware of the impossibility of this desire, yet cannot escape its grip. "The task has grown larger than you expected," the song states, reinforcing a sense of helplessness.

Ultimately, "Push Back the Hands" is a song about the futility of fighting against time and how the past can haunt us if we don't learn to let go. The "rosy fingers" of dawn serve as a reminder that time marches on, bringing with it both beauty and pain, and that true peace lies in accepting the present moment.

You would give up your right arm to go back

To when you had a right arm

You'll need some muscles

To move it backward

Push back the hands of time

Broken glass is glittering like diamonds

Can't hear yourself thinking over the sirens

Push back the hands of time

Push back the hands of time

You wanna sing to drown out the car horn

Squeeze your eyes shut and scream like a newborn

Like a newborn babe

Dawn breaks like a fallen vase

Push back the hands of time

Unwelcome vision of rosy fingers

Push back the hands of time

It wouldn't help you if you'd had any sleep

It wouldn't save you from the mission creep

Push back the hands of time

Push back the hands of time

Screeching tires but never a collision

Endless day without a sunset provision

Endless day

Push back the hands of time

Push back the hands of time

You wanna sing to drown out the car horn

Squeeze your eyes shut and scream like a newborn

Like a newborn babe

Push back the hands of time

Push back the hands of time

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