Single Review: Jewel "Standing Still"

Jewel wonders if she made the right decision by moving to a new town in the doubtful "Standing Still."

A ruminative guitar starts the single, setting a weary tone. She's driving through the small town where she now lives. Street lights are scarce and she finds it to be an adjustment. She looks the left and the road ends. On the right, a bush has caught on fire. She's lost and the person she loves the most, her ex-boyfriend, is at least 200 miles away. She just wants to cry in his arms but can't.

"Cuttin' through the darkest night in my two headlights/Trying to keep it clear, but I'm losing it here to the twilight/
There's a dead end to my left, there's a burning bush to my right/You aren't in sight, you aren't in sight."

She's still has feelings for her ex. The relationship meant more to her than she thought. She wonders if he is going through the same thing. She's found that the changes she anticipated haven't happened. Life, overall, is much like it was before. With the exception of the size, her job still has the same flaws. The people vary from catty to friendly. She wonders if people (specfically her ex) have had that big moment occur where they accomplish their major goal in life. Then, they move on and forget the struggle that got them there.

"Do you want me, like I want you?/Or am I standing still, beneath the darkened sky?/Or am I standing still, with the scenery flying by?/Or am I standing still, out of the corner of my eye?/Was that you passing me by?"

She heads back home. She sees mothers sitting on the stoops, watching their children play. She sees boys cruising through the streets with the refurbished classic cars. They rev the engines and drink. It reminds her of home. She starts to have a panic attack. Her body is sweating. As she regains her composure, she remembers that perception leads people to make the right decision. Despite the air conditioning in her car being on full blast, she rolls the window to get some relief. The new job, life, and people are overwhelming. She feels like she's going to crumble under the pressure. It's as though she's stopped functioning.

"Mothers on the stoop, boys in souped-up coupes on this hot summer night/Between fight and flight is the blind man's sight and the choice that's right/I roll the window down, feel like I'm gonna drown in this strange town/Feel broken down, I feel broken down."

After the chorus, Jewel notes in the bridge that adversity helps a person achieve their goals. It's part of the process.

"Sweet sorrow is the call tomorrow/Sweet sorrow is the call tomorrow."

In the chorus, she asks if he still cares for her.

"Do you love me, like I love you?...Was that you passing me by?/Are you passing me by?"

In the last chorus, she asks him if she still plays a role in his life or if she's been forgotten.

"Do you want me? (Passing me by)/Do you need me, like I need you too?/And do you want me, like I want you?/Are you passing me by?"

Jewel is without direction and by herself for the first time in her life. She's left to rely on herself and doesn't think she can do it. She's anxious and confused. She doesn't fit into the small town. Whatever she identified with back home doesn't exist there. She's scared to carve out a new identity and find out that home wasn't what she thought.

Article Author: Pam Avoledo

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