Sand naturally evokes the serenity of ocean-view holidays whenever it appears in art. However the concept of sand comes clustered with metaphors ranging from escapism, loss, buried treasure, emotional upheaval and the ephemeral nature of life itself.
Our playlist collects some stand-out songs about sand from an array of genres and eras, each harbouring unique sentiments from fleeting love to following another’s footsteps from darkness into light.
Songs About Sand
1. Dodo – Sand InMy Shoes
Dido’s ‘00s pop hit, Sand In My Shoes, uses its title metaphor to artfully describe the grating emotional residue which slowly grinds you down over the weeks and months following a break up; “I’ve still got sand in my shoes, and I can’t shake the thought of you.”
Flushing her lyrics with the clarity of exotic oceans, Dido anchors her track in the theme of escaping the misery and monotony of home, her unsuccessful attempts at personal revolution softened by the fresh sense of hope for the future;
“Two weeks away feels like the whole world should have changed, but I’m home now, and things still look the same … Try to remind myself that I was happy here, before I knew that I could get on a plane and fly away.”
Sand In My Shoes is a track for anyone trapped in a fruitless cycle of blissful avoidance.
2. Aerosmith – Remember (Walking In The Sand)
Aerosmith’s 1979 cover of The Shangri-La’s mid-60s hit, Remember (Walking In The Sand), is a bluesy rock piece laden with ghostly, descending harmonies and vintage-style backing vocals that brew a panorama of dark energy beneath their lyrical story.
This track metaphorises long-gone footprints in the sand for a dissolved relationship, Aerosmith’s narrator longing for the lover who slipped through his fingers, crafting a song for both those reminiscing on holiday flings and the sincerely heartbroken alike;
“Seems like the other day my baby went away, she went away ‘cross the sea … Remember walking in the sand, remember walking hand in hand, remember the night was so exciting.”
3. Leona Lewis – Footprints In The Sand
Leona Lewis’ 2008 charity single, Footprints In The Sand, is a track about reaching out and sharing mutual support with others in need.
Crafted with harmonic inspiration from heartfelt gospel/soul ballads, Lewis’ lyrics also allude to the empowerment of faith and finding hope in God, whilst diverting her choruses to humanitarian aid;
“I see my life flash across the sky, so many times have I been so afraid, and just when I, I thought I’d lost my way, you gave me strength to carry on … I promise you I’m always there, when your heart is filled with sorrow and despair.”
Whether you’re leading the way or placing your trust in another’s laid-out path, this sentimental track reminds us of the blessings hidden upon the distant horizon, and the need to persevere and move forth as a society to attain them.
4. Ed Sheeran- Sandman
This quirky album track from Ed Sheeran’s ‘=’ album, is painted with a childlike landscape of sound amplifying the sweet bedtime sentiments saturating its lyrics.
Sandman is composed from a parent’s perspective as they put their child to bed, threaded with an array of cosy, loving lines and imaginative illustrations of what a young child’s dreams might look like;
“Though there’s rain outside, you’ll be warm and dry, the thunder and the lightning won’t hurt you now, so go to sleep, my love, hanging out with the sandman … Chocolate covered roof and candy cars, rainbow sugar river we can sail upon, marshmallow books and strawberries, snowmen made of ice cream.”
5. Tally Hall – Hidden In The Sand
Tally Hall’s serene, vintage-style pop track, Hidden In The Sand, is laced with a strange, despairing message of losing a lover to someone, or something else.
Set in the style of a barbershop quartet, Tally Hall’s childlike analogy reveals a message about hiding your love away rather than unearthing your emotional buried treasure as imagined;
“We were playing in the sand and you found a little band, you told me you fell in love with it, hadn’t gone as I planned … You told me to buy a pony, but all I wanted was you.”
6. Old Dominion – Written In The Sand
Old Dominion’s contemporary country pop release, Written In The Sand, harbours a number of compelling metaphors about a partner who can’t be anchored in place, leaving their other half stranded between deep love, confusion and resentment;
“Are we names in a tattoo, or just a number on a hand… Are we written in the stars, baby, or are we written in the sand.”
This is a song for those battling an imbalance of commitment in their relationship, unclouding the skies ahead with clarity and honesty to make way for clear sailing in the future;
“I see those bubbles pop up like you’re texting then they disappear, let’s cut through the s*** then let’s get to what we’re doing here.”
7. Colbie Caillat – Christmas In The Sand
Detailing her bright pop soundscape with old-school jazzy elements, Colbie Caillat’s festive track swaps traditional Christmas celebrations for Hawaiian vacations.
Reworking a myriad of seasonal sentiments into her sunkissed seafront scenery, Christmas In The Sand is a fresh take on escapism, crafted with the wild, childish imagination inherent in the season of joy;
“Hawaiian Tropic on my skin, a candy cane of peppermint, a hint of cocoa on my lips … I saw Santa in his bathing suit, tried to catch a wave, but he tried too soon, he laughed so hard that he could barely breathe and washed up next to me.”
8. He Is Legend – Sand
This melodic heavy metal track by He Is Legend captures the deep-rooted fear of having your love washed away. Sand makes no direct reference to its title, as if hiding and losing its true meaning in the torrent of crashing waves and lovelorn emotion overcoming their lyrics instead;
“Stay with me, I’m begging you, don’t do this on your own, stay with me, I’m not a fool, not just for anyone.”