She calls me from the cold
Just when I was low, feeling short of stable
And all that she intends
And all she keeps inside, isn't on the label
She says she's ashamed
And can she take me for awhile?
Can I be a friend, we'll forget the past
Maybe I'm not able
And I break at the bend

We're here and now, but will we ever be again
'Cause I have found
All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade
Away again

She dreams a champagne dream
Strawberry surprise, pink linen and white paper
Lavender and cream
Fields of butterflies, reality escapes her
She says that love is for fools who fall behind
And I'm somewhere in between
I never really know
A killer from a savior
'Til I break at the bend

We're here and now, but will we ever be again
'Cause I have found
All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade
Away again

It's too far away for me to hold
It's too far away

It's too far away for me to hold
It's too far away

It's too far away for me to hold
It's too far away

It's too far away for me to hold
It's too far away

It's too far away for me to hold
It's too far away

It's too far away for me to hold
It's too far away
Guess I'll let it go


Lyrics submitted by yc324

Shimmer Lyrics as written by Carl William Bell

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Shimmer song meanings
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105 Comments

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  • +9
    General Comment

    Here's what Carl (Lead Singer) said about the song:

    Was the song shimmer about any one girl in particular??? Fuel_Carl: "Yes, it actually was. A girl I dated in college and I thought -- at one time we got close to getting married and then she married someone else. Then she called me two years later. It was weird. Two lives that are so interconnected -- then your worlds collide again...it's pretty intense."

    Jamson April 16, 2002   Link
  • +8
    General Comment

    this song has a pretty deep meaning i think, about a guy dating a kinda messed up girl..and he can't tell that he is..and she's bring him down..well that's my view of the song...the last verse is pretty clear i think..she dreams all the "far out" dreams..and reality escapes her..and that love is for fools that fall behind..love holds you back..and he's somewhere in between..letting all this bring him down..he never really knows a killer from a savior..he can't tell the difference from her..he thinks she's the best thing to happen to him..but she's slowly killing him..well that's what i think anyway

    hemi4lifeon December 04, 2001   Link
  • +6
    My Interpretation

    Here's the real, on the song, and it's not what you think. It seems that the real meaning is easily lost amongst us simpletons. The standard on this forum seems to break down the song, line for line, so I shall follow suit. The song is a simple breakdown of the relationship between the Sun and the earth, and all on it. "She calls me from the cold" - She, being the Sun, in the cold of space… "Just when I was low, feeling short of stable" - I, being the earth and humans and the state of the planet's destruction from man, feels low and unstable. "And all that she intends and all she keeps inside, isn't on the label" - The extreme, destructive force that she will ultimately release on the entire solar system, is her true intentions and no one knows what is in the center of the sun or what causes it. "She says she's ashamed and can she take me for awhile?" - There would be shame in sharing time with someone you intended to destroy and I know the words say "awhile" but everyone has to admit it sounds like he sings "a whirl". Either word explains the time spent in direct relation to one another. "And can I be a friend, we'll forget the past, but maybe I'm not able" - The friendship is that She actually provides a life source for the entire planet, but any past Extinction level event caused by the sun can easily remain unknown or forgotten but shouldn't be, by it's inhabitants. "And I break at the bend" - Once the Sun grows to the point of scorching the earth when the elliptical pattern sends us close again it will be the breaking point of life surviving on the planet. [Chorus] "We're here and now, but will we ever be again" - this is a dual example of reality in our minds and this dimension. Here and now is truly all that applies in life since it could all end in a second, but we don’t live that way as a society, where instead, we live correcting the past or planning for the future, when, if we ever, are living here and now, meeting our immediate needs, (not wants and desires) equally distributing the resources available in a way to meet the most needs. "'cause I have found all that shimmers in this world is sure to fade away, again." All natural light we experience here is a direct result of the sun and it will end and be dark in this region again, as it was before there was a sun here. "She dreams a champagne dream" - If you're going to dream, dream big! She knows she's going to explode and the biggest star explosion, we are aware of, is the champagne super nova. Also note that the music bursts into loud, explosive, hard rock tempo, with this line in the song, and it totally jams. "Strawberry surprise, pink linen on white paper" - colorful descriptions of humans, red jelly insides, pink skin on white bones, and a fragile description applied. "Lavender and cream, fields of butterflies, reality escapes her" - all the lavenders and creams we use to protect ourselves from her, simple existences we know as reality, have no meaning to her. "She says that love is for fools who fall behind" - Love is generally a possessive statement, feelings related to persons seeking attachment. If you love the relationship, (earth and sun) possessively, with the hope of preserving its love for eternity, instead of finding a way for the species to survive in a new location, we will be left behind and destroyed. "And I'm somewhere in between" - Earth has reached its half life. "I never really know a killer from a savior, till I break at the bend" - regardless of beliefs, most religions in history of man, are but anthropomorphized for the worship of the sun. Even Jesus Christ is a copy of Egyptian religion and similar stories are the only reference to the behaviors of the sun and the earth's relationship. The sun is our ultimate killer, leading to our bodies decay and the earths decay, but is also the provider of life and is represented, by us, as a Savior, throughout history. When we break at the bend, the truth will be revealed and then we'll know for sure. "It's too far away for me to hold, it's too far away… guess I'll let it go?" - too far away, in actual space and actual time, as well as in our thoughts, for any of us to truly grasp, as a concept of singularity of the species, so I guess I'll let the conversation or thought just go!

    trieyeopenon February 21, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    This song is so amazing. This is one of the few songs that I could listen to over and over and over and never get tired of it. Although i think this song has an underlying sad meaning of not being able to go back to the past, this song for some reason just gives me the happiest feeling. It's one of the best songs to put on in if your in the car with a bunch of friends and you can just blast it and everyone can sing to it.

    razberry18on May 02, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    LiveUrLife- I realize you made your posting over a year ago, but just coming across it now still angers me. You are correct in that Carl Bell is not the lead singer. But before making smart comments, try purchasing the actual album and reading the liner notes. There you would learn that though he is the guitarist, he writes all the brilliant music that Fuel performs.

    eowynon May 06, 2003   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    She killed his spirit when she left

    Romantic_mion September 03, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i think his girlfriend is too idealistic, and he's too jadaed to deal...but i'm no expert

    jaxgrrlon January 10, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I'll interpret this song line by line.:D

    She calls me from the cold-the girl that left him comes back to him when her life has gone sour Just when I was low, feeling short of stable-still when he misses her, having no stability in life And all that she intends-her true intentions And all she keeps inside isn't on the label-can't be seen because she hides them She says she's ashamed-says she's ashamed of how things ended. Can she take me for awhile-she wants to be in his life again Can I be a friend, we'll forget the past-at the least a friend, and can they forget the past? Or maybe I'm not able-but he's not sure if he can foget how she was to him And I break at the bend-and he "breaks" from trying to bend himself from the person he is to the one she wants him to be

    We're here and now, will we ever be again-she's back now, will they ever have a second chance? 'Cause I have found-he's realized All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade-anything that is good, will never stay that way Away again-ever

    She dreams a champagne dream-she dreams a perfect life Strawberry surprise, pink linen on white paper-"" Lavender and cream-"" Fields of butterflies, reality escapes her-everything she believes, is not true She says that love is for fools that fall behind,-this line confuses me..ha And I'm somewhere between-he's somewhere in between the love triangle Never really know-he never knows A killer from a savior-the girl is there to save him or ruin him more 'Til I break at the bend-and breaks again

    We're here and now, will we ever be again-same 'Cause I have found-same All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade Away again-same

    It's too far away for me to hold Too far away....-she's been gone for so long that the love he once had fornher is to far for him to get back It's too far away for me to hold Too far away....

    It's too far away for me to hold Too far away.... It's too far away for me to hold Too far away.... It's too far away for me to hold Too far away....

    It's too far away for me to hold Too far away....

    Guess I'll let it go.... -so even though he knows he loves her, he has to give her up because she will never be the girl he wants

    chilimak20on September 07, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The key to this song is and i break at the bend. Means that he chooses the familiar over the Unknown. He chooses to go back to her even though he thinks she isnt right for him, because the one that he dreams about (who shimmers) is too far away for him to hold.

    So the song is about him settling for her.

    Raycharles01on July 13, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Opinion

    I've always had the personal belief that the song is about being in love with someone out of your league, and it eats away at you has try your best to become hers. "All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade-anything that is good, will never stay that way" means to me that everything in this world you want is worthless without her. "She dreams a champagne dream" means to me how someone can be luxurious to you and dream of better things than you. This applies to my case of having a crush on a girl who is most definately more decent than I am, and has ambitious dreams.

    MajorAirmanon December 23, 2011   Link

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