Half-Life

To me, this song is about someone in a relationship & they're feeling like the relationship isn't worth it. It's only left them with a half-life, but when they really think about it, they realize that without that person in their life, it's even worse & they want the person back. To quote something from "Hold", by Saves The Day : "I'm too stupid to be aware of the beauty that you give this place & how shitty this town would seem without you in it." It's all about not realizing what you've got until it's gone. ~Paige~

i agree. its that kind of song you want to listen to when you know that something is wrong with your relationship. it helps you think.

In the song

Maybe, I need to see the daylight leave behind the half-life don't you see I'm breaking down?

For me, i think the one singing is pretty lost, and thinks that the life he's living is not complete as of the moment. and it's not good..

come on, let's fall in love come on, let's fall in love come on, let's fall in love, again.

I think they need to start over. They're in a relationship all right, but its not the kind that you can hold onto forever..

sniff

I've been a huge fan of Sheik's for about a year now, this song being the first song that opened me up to the rest of his songs. I always considered this song to be about some girl and that was it, but I'm not sure anymore. The song deals with "fear", "pretend[ing]", a "half-life", "mysteries", our "fellow man", ectera... This song reminds me of times when I've looked around and I didn't feel right about my life because of all the truth- the truth that people sometimes hide to make themselves happy. When I feel like this, as most of us have at some point, I want to escape and pretend like everything is alright but sometimes we need to see something more that is making all of our lives meaningful--what Sheik calls daylight. Maybe love is the cure, when we're in love everything seems to fall in place, but when our crush is over things break down again. If you really like this song and the lyrics you should check out In Between by Sheik. The songs seem to deal with the same sort of feelings. Another thing I think about, being a song writing, I sometimes write songs that deal with all my current feelings because I'm never really feeling one emotion at a time. To me, Sheik uses music and lyrics to express a moment of time; he does this so well that whatever song I'm listening to of his, I just get this feeling, it's like telephathy!

I agree with Shnikiei, if you've listened to Duncan Sheik over the years, you will realize most of his songs are very rarely JUST about a girl or a relationship. This song is about so much more. This song is mostly about his anguish and persute for the "meaning of life" sort of thing. Duncan is a Buddist, so the "Daylight" is basically finding peace and hapiness, being enlightened. He understands he can't understand everything about life, but he just wants to be able to live an enlightened life, not a "half-life". The part about falling in love with a girl, to me is sort of his way of saying, this torment is too much sometimes, so can't I just do the cliche thing and fall in love with a girl, and everything will be ok, because that is what society tells me. He is almost mocking the fact that if he falls in love he won't have to deal with the feeling of living a "half-life". That is what the song means to me.

I love this song cos I think everyone at one point feels they're living a half life maybe because of a relationship or just because you got yourself stuck in a rut either way it very relatable.

When I first heard this song, I thought it was about a couple who had broken up and realized it was a mistake. I still think so, but I think it's much more specific. Duncan Sheik is always so amazing to me because of how complete a story the song seems to tell. I think that the guy (Duncan?) is having trouble relating to his significant other because of a general dissatisfaction with the world. This song is his realization that no matter how confusing the world is, it's his relationship that gives his life meaning and he's asking her to understand and to forgive him for whatever problems his personal crisis might have caused. At the end when he says "come on, let's fall in love", it's referring obviously to their relationship itself, but also to the world at large. He became disillusioned and "fell out of love" with the world, but now he's ready to give life meaning again.

I also really like fffffrade’s interpretation of this song being a mockery of Hollywood’s message that “true love” = “happiness” I’d never thought about it that way, but it’s also a definite possibility. This is why DS is amazing.

I always thought it was about a guy and a girl who were good friends, and he's realizing that he's in love with her.

"findin' something more than this fear. It takes so much out of me to pretend" to me is saying that he's afraid of telling her how he feels, but it's taking a lot out of him to pretend he doesn't love her.

The "half life" is that he is spending his life in love with her and never telling her.

"come on let's fall in love" is pretty obvious

I don't know if that's right, but it's what I've always thought.

i first heard this song in what a girl wants when i was little. i immediately fell in love with it.

the more obvious message is that the "half-life" is not living to the fullest, almost just wasting time. but i think there's an underlining tone weaved through it. i relate to his idea that reality sometimes "doesn't feel right." Maybe like you are so far away from where you had planned that all you can do look back to try to find that missing puzzle piece.

anyways, great songg =]

I agree with lyriclistner....it's like a couple that isn't exactly going great--like someone is hiding something from the other, or they're lying to each other but they still love each other, they just need to open up. When Revenge of the Seth came out in 2005, I made a tribute video to the relationship with Padme and Anakin--I'm not sure if there are any star wars fans here--but ever since then, I still identify that song to the kind of relationship that they both ended up having....with Anakin loving her so much but is totally distant and leaving her feeling empty...sigh

Great song :)

Most of you are right, but for the defense of my mother I need to say this. That this song is about a relationship, however a specific relationship between Duncan Sheik and my mom. They dated for their entire childhood and my broke up with him, (I forget why, I'll ask her later and re post another comment to why she did). However, "... Come on lets fall in love, again" He wants my mom to fall in love with. (Which she still very much in love with him, but she is married now to my father. So, yes this song is about a relationship. But the relationship my mom had with Duncan. :)