From the recording PHRONESIS
“House Arrest” paints the picture of someone who has come home hoping for comfort but finds himself trapped by the same fear that haunted his childhood. The uncle next door still intimidates him—reckless, domineering, even dangerous behind the wheel—and the narrator feels like a prisoner in his own house. He knows exactly what needs to be said—demand normal behaviour, insist the uncle stop driving, deliver an ultimatum to move out or be gone himself—yet decades of learned fear keep him silent. The upbeat ska groove turns that tension into a kind of defiant dance: the bright horns and catchy chorus push against the darkness of the story, urging him—and by extension the listener—to stop tiptoeing and finally speak the hard truths that will set him free.
Lyrics
HOUSE ARREST
Intro
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Verse 1
Back on the street where the pavement cracks,
Same old gate and the paint that flakes
Next door uncle with the evil grin,
Been spooking you out since you were ten.
He revs that car like a warning sign,
Eyes like storm clouds all the time.
You bite your tongue, you play it nice,
But you’re living in a cage of ice.
Pre-Chorus
Tip-toe footsteps, heartbeat fast,
How long can a good guy last?
Chorus
House arrest!—this ain’t your crime.
House arrest!—draw the line.
Say it loud, don’t second-guess:
Either he goes, or you confess—
House arrest! Hey-hey, House arrest!
Verse 2
Tell him straight—“Play it cool,
Drop the rage, don’t break the rules.”
Tell him—“Keys down, don’t you drive,
Too much risk to stay alive.”
But fear’s been sitting on your chest,
Since childhood nights you never confessed.
Now’s the time to break the chain,
Sing it out like a ska refrain!
Pre-Chorus
Tip-toe footsteps, heartbeat fast,
How long can a good guy last?
Chorus
House arrest!—this ain’t your crime.
House arrest!—draw the line.
Say it loud, don’t second-guess:
Either he goes, or you confess—
House arrest! Hey-hey, House arrest!
Bridge
Kindness isn’t silence—no,
Courage means you let him know.
This is your home, take it back,
Kick that bully off the track!
Final Chorus
House arrest!—this ain’t your crime.
House arrest!—draw the line.
Say it loud, don’t second-guess:
Either he goes, or you confess—
House arrest! Hey-hey, House arrest!