She bathes me in sweetness I cannot reveal
For sharing dreams I need my woman
This humble expression meagerly dressed
My eyes so mean it has no meaning

But jealous night and all her secret chords
I must be deaf on the telephone I need my love to translate

I play the piano no more running honey
This time to the sky I'll sing if clouds don't hear me
To the sun I'll cry and even if I'm blinded
I'll try moon gazer because with you I'm stronger
Arc of a diver effortlessly, my mind in sky and when I wake up
Daytime and nighttime I feel you near
Warm water breathing she helps me here

This time to the sky I'll sing if clouds don't hear me
To the sun I'll cry and even if I'm blinded
I'll try moon gazer because with you I'm stronger

Lean streaky music spawned on the streets I hear it but with you I had to go
'Cause my rock 'n' roll is putting on weight and the beat it goes on
Arc of a diver effortlessly, my mind in sky and when I wake up
Daytime and nighttime I feel you near
Warm water breathing she helps me here

With you my love we're going to raid the future
With you my love we're going to stick up the past
We'll hold today to ransom 'til our quartz clock stop until yesterday


Lyrics submitted by ruben

Arc of a Diver Lyrics as written by Steve Winwood Vivian Stanshall

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Arc Of A Diver song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    Not really so opaque, my friend. Just a bit of symbolism.

    First of all, Steve Winwood didn't write the lyrics - he put them to music and sang, played and produced the album.

    But in a nutshell, the song is about this: the dude needs his woman. And he describes her in aquatic terms: "She bathes me in sweetness..." "Warm water breathing, She helps me hear... (or "here", doesn't really matter)"

    Get it? If his woman is "warm water breathing", then HE is the diver.

    He's unfulfilled and confused when he's without her: "For sharing dreams I need my woman..." "I must be deaf on the telephone - I need my love to translate."

    He's an aging rocker who knows he needs to settle down with the one that helps him: "[I'll] play the piano -no more running, Honey...(should be capitalized)" "Lean streaking music spawned on the streets. I hear it, but with you I had to go. 'Cause my rock 'n' roll is putting on weight..."

    "This time to the sky I'll sing if clouds don't hear me To the sun I'll cry and even if I'm blinded" He's vowing his determination to slow down his hectic life.

    "Moon-gazer" - A man gazing at the moon, is in some state of contemplation, not a busy man darting here and there - The speaker wants to try to slow down and spend more time with his lady.

    "Sticking up the future", "raiding the past", and "holding today to ransom" are intentions a renewed and confident man would boast. She is his healing, safety and renewal. And their love-making is "effortless". One lucky dude...

    jaZZjaZZ54on December 19, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    this was one of my mom's favorite songs and she made me download it. i'm really glad, it just sort of makes me happy in a really nostalgic way. i really don't know what it means, i've never thought about it and i'm not in a thinking-about-it kind of mood.

    typicaleoon December 09, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Three things : the night, music and steve Song narrator has music he dreams about as he longs to be a musician but everytime he awakes the music is gone. He allows this to happen becoz he is afriad to be a musician(but one who plays a certsin type of music)

    It is only by diving into the music that he can fully express his love for music instead of focussing on the fear he feels about it.

    sweety555on March 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    rather esoteric

    gregorybrianon July 05, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    No one knows, because Steve Winwood seems to be in a race with Ric Ocasek as to who can produce the most opaque lyrics...but it's cool wordplay anyhow.

    law4on September 30, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Every time I listen to this song I like it more. I think Jazzjazz54 got it pretty close. I've always pictured a musician settling down and he had this woman waiting patiently for him. She's known him quite a while, and when he finally decided to pursue this relationship he realizes it's been there all along.

    greenerblueson October 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I think it's about his muse, music personified.

    "I play the piano. No more running honey."

    Winwood had spent five years farming and out of the music business, This album was his return.

    clcortelyouon May 13, 2017   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I truly believe this song has no meaning...or, it's about muff diving while in the water.

    frank10071on August 14, 2020   Link

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