The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
You see the world in black and white
No color or life
You think you'll never get it right
But you're wrong, you might
The sky could fall, could fall on me
The parting of the seas
But you mean more, mean more to me
Than any color I can see
All you ever wanted was love
But you never looked hard enough
It's never gonna give itself up
All you ever wanted to be
Living in perfect symmetry
Nothing is as down or as up
As us
You see the world in black and white
Nothing too bright
You see no meaning to your life
Yes you try
Yes you try
And all you ever wanted was love
But you never looked hard enough
It's never gonna give itself up
And all you ever wanted to be
Living in perfect symmetry
Nothing is as down or as up
And don't you want to see it come soon
Floating in a big white balloon
Or given your own silver spoon
Don't you want to see it come down
Enough of throwing your arms around
And saying not a moment too soon
'Cause I feel low
'Cause I feel low
Ooh
Yeah I feel low
Oh no
Oh ooh
'Cause I feel low
'Cause I feel low
Ooh
And I feel low
Oh no
Ooh
No color or life
You think you'll never get it right
But you're wrong, you might
The sky could fall, could fall on me
The parting of the seas
But you mean more, mean more to me
Than any color I can see
All you ever wanted was love
But you never looked hard enough
It's never gonna give itself up
All you ever wanted to be
Living in perfect symmetry
Nothing is as down or as up
As us
You see the world in black and white
Nothing too bright
You see no meaning to your life
Yes you try
Yes you try
And all you ever wanted was love
But you never looked hard enough
It's never gonna give itself up
And all you ever wanted to be
Living in perfect symmetry
Nothing is as down or as up
And don't you want to see it come soon
Floating in a big white balloon
Or given your own silver spoon
Don't you want to see it come down
Enough of throwing your arms around
And saying not a moment too soon
'Cause I feel low
'Cause I feel low
Ooh
Yeah I feel low
Oh no
Oh ooh
'Cause I feel low
'Cause I feel low
Ooh
And I feel low
Oh no
Ooh
Lyrics submitted by RdeC, edited by rosematazz, DiddyB
Low Lyrics as written by Guy Rupert Berryman Christopher Anthony John Martin
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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No offense, but everyone's lyrics are horrible. First off...
"The parting of the seas" "But you mean more, mean more to me Than any colour I could see" "You see the world in black and white But paint it white" "I'll give it to you on a silver spoon" "Saving you no moment too soon" "'Cause I feel LOW"- those are the correct lyrics everyone's getting wrong. Everything else seems fine.
I'll say that its common for anyone to associate their own personal outlook on life to a favorite song. And there are a lot of examples in the posts i'm seeing here for this song. With that being said, i think tyhale19's interpretation was most objective and closest to this song's true meaning (if ever something existed).
If you listen carefully (with heart and mind; not just with heart or mind), you'll notice the theme of "God" throughout the album. In short, the song is about the love of God and that feeling of elation you have knowing Him/this (backed up by the up-beat rhythm and tempo). Ironically enough, it is only when a person is "low" (sad, depressed, blue, etc.) when he/she is truly close to God, hence the title ("nothing is as down or as up, as Us" - God's words). In fact, the entire song is sung from God's perspective. And He's crying out to whoever wants to listen and trust in Him ("Don't you want to see it come soon?" "I'll give it to you on a silver spoon")
Know-it-alls too steeped in their "logic" can only see the world in black and white, and like most people, decide to paint it white. Black and white refers to good and evil. But God is too much to be put in a box - He is both good and evil, defying all logic. He is the LIGHT (if you know anything about the light spectrum and its involvement in the way we see colour, then you already know) But it's so easy to see ("Floating in a big white balloon"), if only you'd stop trying to understand and realize there can't be good without the evil (and vice-versa), then you would be free.
Also, though your lost and feeling "low", God will ALWAYS come, and usually at the last second, the very last inch of faith ("Saving you no moment too soon"). But if He is always with you, always there to save you, then what's "low"? High is low and low is high (again, "nothing is as down or as up"). Just as black is white , white is black. Good is evil, evil is good. Makes no sense, but that's God. To sum it all up, human beings are already perfect -- they just haven't realized it yet.
That's what I can extract from the song.
"Let those with knowledge understand."
NOTE: Radiohead music is God-themed as well but they go way deeper than Coldplay and are harder to understand. By the way, I'm no Christian.