Clap Hands Lyrics – Eric Church

Clap Hands Lyrics by Eric Church is a new english song by Eric Church, written by Eric Church and Tom Waits. The track is released on EricChurch’s official YouTube channel, produced by Jay Joyce, and appears on the album Evangeline vs. The Machine. This track offers a gritty, enigmatic experience, filled with a sense of surreal storytelling, chaos, and paradox. The blend of Church’s robust voice with Waits’ lyrical influence invites listeners into a world where madness, survival, and dark humor collide in a heady mix.

The song Clap Hands creates a vivid portrait of society’s underbelly, capturing characters in fleeting moments of desperation, absurdity, and resignation. The lyrics evoke a sense of restless energy and a chaotic world where everything seems to be slipping out of control. Church’s collaboration with Tom Waits infuses the song with an almost theatrical flair, where disjointed imagery and strange happenings reflect a fractured reality. The recurring “clap hands” serves as a call to action, a rhythmic echo in a world teetering on the edge of collapse, suggesting that even in chaos, life continues, and moments pass.

Clap Hands Details

Clap Hands Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Sane, sane, they’re all insane
Fine is blind, the conductor is lame
Cincinnati jacket with a sad look dane
Hanging out the window
With a bottle for the blame

[Chorus]
Clap hands, clap your hands
Clap hands
Roll roll the thunder in a rain
Son bitches never comin’ back here no more
Dude in the window with a bird on a pole
Always finding a millionaire to shovel off your coal
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap your hands, clap hands
I said steam, steam
A hundred bad dreams
Goin’ up to harlem with a pistol in his jeans
Fifty dollar bill inside a paladin’s head
Ain’t nobody sure where mr. lickenboger’s at

[Chorus]
Roll roll the thunder in a roll
Son bitches never comin’ back here no more
Dude in the window with a bird on a pole
Always finding a millionaire to shovel off your coal
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap your hands, clap hands
I said steam, steam
A hundred bad dreams
Goin’ up to harlem with a pistol in his jeans
Fifty dollar bill inside a paladin’s head
Ain’t nobody sure where mr. lickenboger’s at

[Bridge]
Shine, shine, Roosevelt dime
All the way to baltimore, runnin’ out of time
Salvation army seemed to wind up in a hole
They all went to heaven in a little row boat

[Outro]
Clap hands, clap your hands
Clap hands, clap your hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap your hands
Clap hands, clap hands

Clap Hands Lyrics Meaning

[Verse 1]
In the first verse, Church paints a picture of madness with references to sanity being a fleeting notion. The “Cincinnati jacket” and “bottle for the blame” add a sense of defeat and disillusionment, while the image of a figure hanging out the window suggests someone detached from society’s expectations. The bizarre, almost surreal quality of the verse suggests a world where rules and logic don’t apply, and the character is lost within it all.

[Chorus]
The chorus introduces a rowdy, rebellious energy. “Clap hands” becomes a chant, urging participation in the unfolding chaos. Church describes a wild, almost apocalyptic atmosphere where no one is returning to a place of order. The imagery of “a bird on a pole” and “shoveling coal” offers absurd snapshots of a world that seems to be spiraling out of control, suggesting that wealth and power are nothing but illusions.

[Verse 2]
The second verse deepens the surreal imagery. Church brings in the idea of bad dreams and dangerous situations, like “a pistol in his jeans” and “fifty dollar bill” wrapped in mystery. The mention of Mr. Lickenboger further adds to the sense of confusion and lost identity, highlighting the fractured and unpredictable world the song depicts.

[Chorus]
The chorus repeats, intensifying the themes of chaos and survival. Church brings in a sense of defiance with the line “never comin’ back here no more,” as if signaling a departure from conventional norms or societal structures. The recurring line about finding “a millionaire to shovel off your coal” suggests the ever-present game of survival, where the powerful always find ways to maintain control.

[Bridge]
In the bridge, Church introduces a more somber tone, contrasting the earlier chaos. The mention of the “Roosevelt dime” and “Salvation Army” evokes a sense of time running out, suggesting that even in the face of adversity, survival becomes a race against the clock. The phrase “they all went to heaven in a little row boat” captures a tragic, almost absurd image of escape, hinting at a futile attempt to find salvation in an imperfect world.

[Outro]
The outro repeats the “clap hands” chant, reinforcing the cyclical nature of chaos and survival. The repetition of this phrase suggests that despite everything, life goes on, and the madness persists. Church’s delivery carries a sense of inevitability, as if urging the listener to embrace the absurdity and clap along, no matter the outcome.

Clap Hands Official Video

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