“Hands Away” is a short slow burner off of Interpol’s Turn On the Bright Lights.
The song is about a homosexual who is into bondage. Banks had also stated that people don’t usually understand his humor.
Paul Banks told Q Magazine:
That’s from the standpoint of a homosexual into bondage.
Will you put my hands away?
Will you be my man?
Serve it up, don't wait
Let's see about this ham
Oh, what happened?
Oh, what happened?
Home spun desperation's knowing
Inside your cover's always blown
Hands Away was written by Interpol.
Hands Away was produced by Peter Katis & Gareth Jones.
Interpol released Hands Away on Tue Aug 20 2002.
It’s so absurdist, it’s an almost dreamy snapshot of a scenario that involves homosexuality, you know, like bondage and some weird sexual partnership which at the time I felt was very radical as a lyrical context for a rock song. And I felt like I gotta do this as this is crazy. As I’ve said, usuall...