It's not a silly little moment
It's not the storm before the calm
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love that we've been working on
Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms
Nobody's gonna come and save you
We pulled too many false alarms

We're going down
And you can see it too
We're going down
And you know that we're doomed
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room

I was the one you always dreamed of
You were the one I tried to draw
How dare you say it's nothing to me?
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw
I'll make the most of all the sadness
You'll be a bitch because you can
You'll try to hit me, just to hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
'Cause you can't understand

We're going down
And you can see it too
We're going down
And you know that we're doomed
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room

Go cry about it, why don't you?
Go cry about it, why don't you?
Go cry about it, why don't you?

My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room
Burning room
Burning room
Burning room
Burning room

Don't you think we ought to know by now?
Don't you think we should've learned somehow?
Don't you think we ought to know by now?
Don't you think we should've learned somehow?
Don't you think we ought to know by now?
Don't you think we should've learned somehow?


Lyrics submitted by InfraRecon, edited by Shannon20

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room Lyrics as written by John Clayton Mayer

Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING

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Slow Dancing in a Burning Room song meanings
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  • +12
    My Interpretation

    I love listening to this song after going a while without playing it; it feels like I'm hearing it for the first time every time.

    From the second this song starts, it's obvious that it is a song of heartbreak and sadness. I don't think that there's any hidden meaning - I just think it's about two people who are in a relationship, and they both feel that it's coming to an end, but neither are willing to actually break up yet. I think that both had gotten so comfortable and secure in the relationship that not being together scares them. I get the sense that both feel so out of control of what's happening to their relationship - especially the line "You try to hit me just to hurt me, so you leave me feeling dirty because you can't understand we're going down."

    My favorite line of the entire song is "how dare you say it's nothing to me - baby, you're the only light I ever saw." I think that encompasses the entire feeling of a breakup, and how both people usually blame the other and initially feel very bitter toward each other. Despite the fact that he's obviously in pain, he's acknowledging that she is/will always have an important part in his life.

    Skyefallson July 01, 2012   Link

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