Jewel’s “Hands” Lyrics Meaning
“Hands” by Jewel is an uplifting song which focuses on encouraging oneself to do more despite the hustle and bustle associated with life. In the song, Jewel makes strong proclamations to herself as she takes back the authority over her own life.
The singer speaks on subjects such as worry, faith and fear in the first verse. She advises herself and the world in general to avoid wasting time worrying because it is the source of idleness. She also inspires herself to gather faith instead of focusing on her fears.
Meaning of “Hands”
The “hands” Jewel speaks about in the song refer to her very own hands and metaphorically stand for the choices that she makes as an individual. Her message here is that everybody has “hands” as in choices and it is the decisions we make that determine whether we will end up broken or elevated.
Poverty
The singer also addresses poverty, saying that it has the ability to deprive you of certain wants, but cannot deprive you of your laughter or strength to fight back and do the right things. Jewel mentions that kindness and prayers are what really make a difference in the world.
Compares humans to God’s bodily parts
Her comparison of humans to bodily parts of God, is a form of motivation. She’s trying to say that if humans can see themselves as parts of or better still an image of a caring God, then the world will be a much better place to be.
Inspiration behind this track
Jewel has explained that she wrote the song as a homeless 18 year old when she realized she had to regain confidence in herself. The singer said after losing her job, house, getting sick, and getting so broke that she had to shop-lift, she came to understand that her hands were still under her control and could either be used to change her story for the better or keep her stuck in poverty.
Facts about “Hands”
- Jewel penned “Hands” along with seasoned American producer/songwriter, Patrick Leonard. The duo was also involved in producing this tune.
- This folk-pop track appears on the singer’s Spirit album (which came out as her 2nd studio album). The song was released as a single outside the U.S. on October 16th, 1998, making it the 5th single of her musical career.
- A re-recorded version of the song was included on Jewel’s album of 1999 entitled Joy: A Holiday Collection.
- “Hands” was accompanied by a music video that was directed by English photographer, Nick Brandt. This marked his first collaborative project with Jewel.
Chart Performance
“Hands” performed extremely well in Canada, where it topped the charts. It was similarly successful in the U.S., peaking at No.6. In the UK, it achieved moderate success, ranking at No.41.
Appearances on TV Series
“Hands” appeared on several episodes of the popular TV drama series, Dawson’s Creek. It also appeared on CBS’ Cold Case.
