Just Hands

These are just hands / There is no warmth between them / It's a hollow knock / And you're an orphan too // What sounds does this body make? / Who is shaking back and forth? // This is self-exploitation, a pull down / The abyss deepened when you left / I’m confused / How did it happen that nothing happened here? // And yet, the sun rises / And my handlebar is crooked.

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"Just Hands," written, composed, and performed by Ruth Shualy, delves into feelings of detachment and alienation within a sexual encounter. The accompanying music video weaves together a rich tapestry of everyday imagery, captured on phone cameras at various times and locations. The footage, raw and unpolished, conveys spontaneity in both the act of filming and the subjects themselves, offering glimpses into authentic moments of life.

The visuals shift between human interactions and physical actions or objects—kneading dough, a kite soaring in the sky, milk boiling over, a child sliding down a playground slide, desert floods, and a broken traffic light on a road. These and other scenes serve as metaphors for intimacy and sexuality as portrayed in the song. This broad visual collage contrasts with the specific, personal experience described in the lyrics, suggesting that such complexity is inherent in every setting and interaction.

2021, video, 03:06 min.