What does Riptide mean?

Vance Joy: Riptide Meaning

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Album cover for Riptide album cover

Song Released: 2014


Covered By: Jasmine Thompson


Riptide Lyrics

I was scared of dentists and the dark
I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations
Oh, all my friends are turning green
You're the magician's assistant in their dream

Oh, and they come unstuck

Lady, running down to the...

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  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Nov 21st 2014 !⃝

    the whole song is about a girl being abused by boyfriend/husband, but she always runs back to him. the other guy wants to be her left hand man to whom she comes to after she leaves the boyfriend/husband. the boyfriend/husband is trying to keep them away from each other and the other guy is trying to tell her to leave him. it is pretty sad but its a good song.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Aug 7th 2018 !⃝

    This guy used to be shy and maybe also socially awkward, but thats no longer a reality, now he probably has money and success. In "all my friends are turning green" he might mean that his friends are getting envious of his ney life, OR he might be getting so detached from his old life that now all his friends are his money ("green" because of the dollar bills' colour).
    "You're the magician's assistant..." here, this woman he's talking too is just the assistant. Like if she is just the presence, the pretty face, not the maim character. Throughout the songs it seems like she is apparently successful but she is actually in a shallow time of her life.
    "Lady running down to the riptide, taken away from the dark side" it's like she is messing her own life, and letting herself be "taken to the dark side"
    Even though it seems lile the guy still wants to be with her, even with her self destruction actions.
    In the movie that apparently she would like, theres a guy apparently trying to change his life, a cowboy running from himself and this woman who apparently has been living in a pedestal or the "highest shelf" where she can see everything from an upper view, but it keeps her distant from everything she sees.
    So... Idk, for me, it basically seems like this guy passing through changes in his life and trying to support a woman who has potential and he lives her, but she is self destructive, and this kinda hurts him but he keeps trying his best. And he wants to know if she will stay and claims that she is "destined for the screens", has talent and all...

  3. anonymous
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     Aug 17th 2023 !⃝

    Idk. All ik is that it's a sad song. LADY RUNNING DOWN TO THE RIPTIDE. TAKEN AWAY TO THE DARK SIDE. I WANNA BE YOUR LEFT HAND MAN. I LOVE YOU WHEN YOUR SINGING THAT SONG. AND I GOT A LUMP IN MY THROAT. CAUSE YOUR GONNA SING THE WORDS WRONG...

  4. anonymous
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     May 7th 2020 !⃝

    I feel like the lyric "i wanna be your left hand man" means I want to be married. Since women traditionally wear wedding bands on the left hand.

  5. anonymous
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     Jun 5th 2015 !⃝

    I wondered also what was going on with Riptide song. There's an article online news,au(Australia) where writer himself explains the mish mash of lyrics. I.e. Riptide is from Riptide motel in Queens cliff vacationed growing up. He also makes comment about sing the words wrong, that everyone does it,is a human thing. Note: Pro performers just make up words if not sure or forget, when doing covers, and likely their own songs. I do it and even when I find out exact lyrics, I'm still more comfortable with whatever I made up. Do it with my own songs sometimes too. I also don't mind explaining to people what meaning, or idea trying to convey. I.e. Show/sang my death march blues to sisters, they held lyrics and asked me,what "I'm putting on airs like I'm ok and all that crap just to save face-but my budding cares get in the way so I might snap n'go on a high speed chase" from break/bridge part of song, they ask what's putting on airs? I explain pretending things are ok despite inner turmoil, and they asked what is budding cares? A reference to pot? I said no its just another way of saying growing or mounting cares/concerns etc. I also had to explain meanings of street like lingo in my song we fly, to a pretty counselor in a drug treatment I was at in late 90s. She asked what's a gutter hype? I explained simply a street level junkie. I write mostly Christian themed stuff now, some with general life statements, other with deeper Spiritual meanings.i.e. I wrote Many Are yesterday 6/4/2015 " many are lifes problems n as most do I clone em and pile up more cases-many are them foldin' up their cards early in the game-n that slick dealer's named and blamed- The Lord on High would of heard their cry from heaven to earth where He Faces, many are them huddling in stagnant puddles while to The Living Rushing Waters The Lord's invitin' many are them thinkin the boat's been missed yet there's an opulent cruise ship on the horizon, many are life's hurdles that could be easily cleared if we weren't so busy pullin em back n fightin', many are them scoldin- be it far from em to be trying some edifying-and as they stumble thru the darkness-fumble for The Candle of The Lord to do The Lightin'" by Duncan R.M. Ferguson

  6. anonymous
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     Dec 10th 2014 !⃝

    He is not a very social guy but he meets a girl he likes and she's kind of like him. The riptide is like their place, and he's trying to help her

  7. anonymous
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     Dec 3rd 2014 !⃝

    Lady running down to the riptide might mean that she goes there to cry when she gets hurt or feels bad.

  8. anonymous
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     Nov 21st 2014 !⃝

    The lyric interpretation for this song at Lyricsmode is way much better, check the first comment. Or check the interpretations at Song Meanings. Or search Wikipedia.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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     Sep 27th 2014 !⃝

    hay somebody please tell me what does this song mean. I dont get the meaning of lyrics somewhere. & i dont have any idea what video is trying to say.... this is my best song i can listen it forever .... so u guys out there any help... (please explain what video it trying to say & meaning of whole lyrics)


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