I met a man of two feet tall
This man was quite ambitious
In a world that is so vicious
To us all

I said hi
As he replied
He said listen to these words that I have lived by my whole life

You're only as tall
As your heart will let you be
And you're only as small
As the world will make you seem
And when the going gets rough
And you feel like you may fall
Just look on the bright side
You're roughly six feet tall

I met a man of twelve feet tall
He towered like a giant
In a world that was defiant
Of his height

I said hi
As he replied
He said listen to these words
That I have dreaded my whole life

You're only as tall
As your heart will let you be
And you're only as small
As the world will make you seem
And when the going gets rough
And you feel like you may fall
Just look on the bright side
You're roughly six feet tall

I am a man of six feet tall
Just looking for some answers
In a world that answers none of them at all

I'll say hi
But not reply to the letters
That you write because
I found some peace of mind

Cause I'm only as tall
As my heart will let me be
And I'm only as small as the world will make me seem
And when the going gets rough
And I feel like I may fall
I'll look on the bright side
I'm roughly six feet tall.


Lyrics submitted by shannakett99

On the Brightside Lyrics as written by Christofer Drew

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

On the Brightside song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a wonderful song. But Chris is changing and I miss his older music when he was Nevershoutnever!and not Never Shout Never....

    HaiJacobon August 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    i think that this song is talking about being your self. The line "your only as small as the world would make you seem" is talking about the fact that if you let what ppl say affect you, you wont be able to be happy hence the line "I'll say hi but not reply to the letters that you write because i found some peace of mind" is saying that he will finally be himself and not care what ppl will say about him. But thats what i think but yet again what do i know

    jasperhale69on November 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I like this song a lot. But is it just me, or does the structure of the song/melody remind anyone else of I will play my game beneath the spin light by brand new?

    ceiff07on November 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song means that no matter how big you are or how tough and invulnerable you may seem on the outside, you're true height isn't physical but emotional. By being tall he isn't referring to height but how tall you feel. And by "You're only as small as the world will make you seem" he means that being short isn't a physicality but an emotion. He means letting the world bring you down is the only way to really be short.

    OMGitsTess316on February 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it is about growing into ur self emotionally! an amazing song btw but i agree w/ HaiJacob i enjoyed the music a little more when chris was NeverShoutNever! but then again it is hard to be an artist without changing at all...

    xXIzzieBeeXxon March 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't understand why all three verses talk about being roughly six feet tall. I get the point of the song but why are all three people in the song all the same? What makes them all equivalent?

    HalaMadridon April 20, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    I never really understood the song until I looked at the video. The song itself is good, but the video helps you to understand better.

    It starts out with a man (2 feet tall). He seemed kind of scraggly, for lack of better word. He was content, smiling, and laying in the grass.

    The next man (12 feet tall) was not only well dressed, but he had several accessories. In fact, when he opened his eyes, there were dollar signs. ($)

    The point of this was that the smaller man was content with himself, and didn't focus on the negatives even though he had nothing. The taller man tried to fix his problems through money, material items, and he learned that wasn't the way. Which would explain why he dreaded said words spoken.

    Both of them, from experience, are trying to give the narrator advice so that he doesn't lose his way. And through it, he was carrying this bag, which seemed as if it was very heavy. This meant he was carrying around his problems, and both men that met him saw that. (It even said he was carrying his burdens at the beginning of the video.)

    Saying that he is six feet tall means that his life is pretty normal, and he has plenty to be thankful for.

    At the end of the song, the narrator decides to listen to the advice he was given. He leaves his bag (his problems) behind, and carries on seeming much happier.

    To be honest, this song is really good if you get it. I may not be 100% correct, but I know that some, if not most of that is what it means. And at this point in my life, I really should listen to the message in the song.

    FaxundGerIta98on November 17, 2013   Link

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