Home By The Sea

Welcome to the Home by the Sea

Listening to Phil Collins singing this song gives me that homecoming feeling of being welcomed to a 12 step meeting, sitting down, and listening to others tell their journey, reliving their lives --  through sorrow, gloom, confusion, fear and despair then opening the door to a delightful new freedom and happiness by working the 12 steps.

Home by the Sea

Creeping up the blind side,
shinning up the wall
stealing through the dark of night
Climbing through a window,
stepping to the floor
checking to the left and the right
Picking up the pieces,
putting them away
something doesn't feel quite right

Help me someone,
let me out of here
then out of the dark
was suddenly heard
Welcome to the Home by the Sea

Coming out the woodwork,
thru the open door
pushing from above and below
shadows with no substance,
in the shape of men
round and down and sideways they go
adrift without direction,
eyes that hold despair
then as one they sigh and they moan

Help us someone,
let us out of here
living here so long undisturbed
dreaming of the time we were free
so many years ago
before the time when we first heard
Welcome to the Home by the Sea

 

Sit down Sit down
Sit down Sit down Sit down
as we relive our lives in what we tell you
Images of sorrow, pictures of delight
things that go to make up a life
endless days of summer longer nights of gloom
waiting for the morning light
scenes of unimportance, photos in a frame
things that go to make up a life

Help us someone, let us out of here
cos living here so long undisturbed
dreaming of the time we were free
so many years ago
before the time when we first heard
welcome to the Home by the Sea

Sit down Sit down
Sit down Sit down Sit down Sit down
as we relive our lives in what we tell you
let us relive our lives in what we tell you

Sit down Sit down Sit down
cos you won't get away
no with us you will stay
for the rest of your days - Sit down
As we relive our lives in what we tell you
Let us relive our lives in what we tell you

How I hear these words

Home By The Sea - Meaning

Creeping up the blind side,
shinning up the wall
stealing through the dark of night
Climbing through a window,
stepping to the floor
Before I joined a 12 step fellowship I lived in a dark hell for for 10-15 years.

I was completely blind to the reality of my real issues for 35 years.    
Picking up the pieces,   I did harm along the way, damaging relationships, hurting others and, in doing so, hurt myself...
 putting them away ... and I was in complete denial of my real problem (because I didn't know what the problem was!)
something doesn't feel quite right   I was not myself; I was striving to be someone I was not. I hid how I felt about myself. My willpower began to fail me, and I lost my self respect.  
checking to the left and the right   I felt fearful (although I didn't recognose my fear then). I was living a double life: on the outside everything looked good, but on the inside I was a mess, seriously depressed.  
Help me someone, let me out of here   Only when I became really desperate did I seek help. ("Me" represents the self-centredness of the person seeking help)
Initially I sought medical help, and was prescribed antidepressants, but over the next 10 years my problems continued to grow and I became suicidal.
I finally recognised that I could not solve my problem on my own.  
then out of the dark was suddenly heard   Step 12: someone inside the fellowship saw me reaching out for help, and "took my hand," and said..  
welcome to the Home by the Sea   "Welcome" to a 12 step meeting  
Coming out the woodwork   "Coming out", or acceptance at Step 1 "out the woodwork" = the anonymity and diversity of people at the meeting;  
thru the open door   The Preamble: being "open" to everyone regardless of race, religion, creed, criminal history or anything. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop <problem behaviour>.
pushing from above and below     the glimmer of a spiritual awakening at Steps 2 & Step 3... "Above" representing a higher power
shadows with no substance   Emotions, fears, resentments and regrets...  
in the shape of men ... incessantly perpetuated by the "committee" in my minds that drove me to insanity  
round and down and sideways they go   Step 2 acknowledges the insanity that many of us carry when we first arrive is witnessed by others in the fellowship.
adrift without direction,   We are spiritually lost when we arrive. We need the direction offered by the programme 
eyes that hold despair   ... desperate, full of despair and devoid of hope.    
then as one they sigh   The most important person at any 12 step meeting is the newcomer.  The group sighs with relief that they have someone to share their strength and hope with  
and they moan    ... the outpouring of compassion, unconditional love and understanding for the newcomer
 Picking up the pieces,  Step 4
 putting them away  Step 5
   something doesn't feel quite right  Step 6
Sit down Sit down Sit down Sit down Sit down
as we relive our lives
in what we tell you

At 12 steps meetings we sit down,
and we relive our lives in what we tell each other our experiences.
We share our experience, strength and hope for your recovery.
Newcomers experience, sometimes for the first time ever, hope for their own recovery.