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In High Places Lyrics

Look down from in high places.
Lift off the ground
Without a sound, yeah.


We move through open spaces.
The wind, it pulls.
The sky gets close, yeah.


Could we get much higher?
Could we get much lighter?
Navigator to heaven.


Check out, did you check your heart?
This cloudless blue.
This starlight night, yeah.


Shoot out into the shining,
That devil moon. (That devil moon)
He sings of love, yeah.


Can we get much higher?
Can we get much lighter?
Navigator to heaven.


The stars, so close we touch them.
They seem so small.
They make me wonder.


Far out in formation,
Five thousand moons.
Floating balloons.


Couldn't get much higher,
Couldn't get much lighter.
Navigator to heaven.
Song Info
Submitted by
ice On Jun 26, 2001
1 Meaning
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Pls correct me where I'm wrong. It's verbose. I'm a serious listener to Oldfield and Enigma(Cretu). These two guys have so much to tell by words and by instruments...here goes the analysis of the song.

  1. Look down from in high places" = High places here means space craft/vehicle/rocket. Oh it has spiritual meaning too, abode of gods. Mike Oldfield is spiritual inquisitive.

  2. Lift off the ground" = the space vehicle taking off a launching pad like a rocket

  3. Without a sound, yeah" = advanced launching technology unlike our current violent explosive/combustion/rotary blades that makes massive noise. In the Song, Note how the yeah is emphasized in the end as if to quell any doubt that there is any such noiseless lifting/launching.

  4. We move through open spaces" = space craft racing up towards the sky to escape gravity

  5. The wind, it pulls " = this is talking about gravitational pull. But expressed from atmospheric pressure vantage. As in cubits of columns of air pushing down on the space craft.

  6. The sky gets close, yeah" = getting closer to the clouds

  7. Could we get much higher? Could we get much lighter? Navigator to heaven" = let's get higher, let's get to zero gravity(lighter), Navigators to heaven aka space explorers.

  8. Check out, did you check your heart?" = Not sure but must be some precautionary/safety measures for crew relating to change in pressure, environmental variables. An astronaut here might help us.

  9. This cloudless blue" = reached upper atmosphere

  10. This starlight night, yeah" = has escaped planetary atmosphere but seems to have done so at the opposite side of the sun. So it's dark because the planetary body still blocks sun rays from reaching where the space craft is. And the darkness is dotted with stars in the sky.

  11. Shoot out into the shining" = completely escaped the planetary body and shot into the warn rays of the sun.

  12. That devil moon (That devil moon) He sings of love, yeah" = I'm lost here. But let me assume! Mike is a spiritual inquisitive fella. Loves mythology, and gods. He read wide on these things and integrated them in his songs. This is a spiritual message. Giving the moon a dark aspect: Devil moon & positive aspect : sings of love.

  13. The stars, so close we touch them" = pls note in the lyrics '...we touch them'. I think the correct one is '...we'd touch them'. Meaning, they appeared so close as compared to viewing from planet that we almost touch them. Not physically!

  14. They seem so small They make me wonder" = Of course, far out objects seem small. Support my point above that they didn't physically touch any star.

  15. Far out in formation" = yes they yearn to learn more of the other stars/heavenly bodies like any other curious explorers would.

  16. Five thousand moons Floating balloons" = this is emphasis on the sheer amount of multitude moons they can even see from their limited position thus far. Not a real fixed number per say. All floating lazily in the ordered celestial orbits like balloons.

  17. Couldn't get much higher Couldn't get much lighter Navigator to heaven " = this indicates limit of their state of space exploration capabilities ; equipment/technology. It's expression of sadness, as in shit, wish we could go further, but here is out limit, for now!

@swellowl The truth is a lot more simple, as is the song. Mike has a pilots license and the song is simply describing his feelings when flying.

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