This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Watch you sleeping
Try hard not to walk away
Cause I haven't got anything to say
When you wake
With nothing in our heads
But an idea
Of what we should be
(What we could be)
Swing closer
Catching ourselves
From close up
I think we're the same
And we've met our match
"This is the chandelier swing"
So cover yourself with whatever
Cover your eyes
Cause it's not right
You say "it's not what it should be"
But it could be
You know I think a lot like you
Swing away
It's not like you had before
When you were two years younger
(My age)
I wait for you
Try hard not to walk away
Cause I haven't got anything to say
When you wake
With nothing in our heads
But an idea
Of what we should be
(What we could be)
Swing closer
Catching ourselves
From close up
I think we're the same
And we've met our match
"This is the chandelier swing"
So cover yourself with whatever
Cover your eyes
Cause it's not right
You say "it's not what it should be"
But it could be
You know I think a lot like you
Swing away
It's not like you had before
When you were two years younger
(My age)
I wait for you
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
good. its up.
i love this song. i like to think of it as me..and another person. once there was a conversation where we were the same person..for a second. so this reminds me of it. and i always travel back to that second when this song plays.
i don't know what its about exactly. all i can think of is two people that are like eachother but they dont know what to do with themselves. maybe they should be together? i don't know. this song gets to me.
this song is soooo good. The melody is just heartbreaking and it goes with the guy's voice. This song really reminds me of someone I know..
This Is Such A Great Song, But I Never Really Thought About How Much This Is Happening To Me, Or Atleast What I Think The Song Is About. But Yeah. I Only Have The Live Braid Cd And I Have This Downloaded... The Download Sounds Live Almost But Not Really... Just Kinda Lo-Fi Is That The Orginal Or Is It Just Another Version?
This song is amazing, I can't believe there aren't more replies on it. I figured it would be a favorite...
The song is quite obviously the story of a relationship. It starts with them getting together and dreaming of "what they could be." Then they get together and believe that they have "met their match." Of course, as in any good emo song, the relationship begins to crumble and it's "not what it should be." The song concludes that one person in the relationship wasn't mature enough for it ("it's not like you had before")
The significance of the chandelier is that when it swings closer to them that they are in the light and in love. When it is away they have no light and are not in love anymore.
This song is lyrically a masterpiece and musically divine!
I think this could possibly be about an underage relationship, especially considering the last verse, the "I'll wait for you", and the "what it could be's".
so cover yourself with whatever cover your eyes cause it's not right you say "it's not what it should be" but it could be you know i think a lot like you
This makes me think about someone losing their virginity or having guilty sex.
I'd assume this song's vague nature is intentional, and any attempt to derive a specific meaning or story is fraught with folly. The fluidity allows it to be applicable to a variety of situations across a multitude of lives. That's talented lyricism. For me, it hits fucking hard. It's dreadfully and terribly beautiful. I'm not ready to give up, I'm waiting, and maybe i'm not persistant in my pursuits, but the feeling is. "I think a lot like you, and it's not what it should be". Maybe I'm not going through anything close to the events that inspired this song, but it doesn't matter. It fits.
It broke my heart to watch the Braid DVD / documentary. On one of their last shows, they let their merch guy get on the walkie and say "This is the chandelier swing." Broke my damn heart and I cried because I wished it'd been me.
And what am I left with now? All the mp3s and Bob Nanna's Twitter and myself. I don't even have my copy of the Braid DVD because someone stole it.
The live version is SOOOO much better. I'm glad they had Chris sing it. Might be my favorite track (the live version)