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.
Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer
In the hills and highlands
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
And awake in your mouth
Hello Seattle, I am a manta-ray
Deep beneath the blue waves
I'll crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound
And construct my summer home
Hello Seattle, I am the crescent moon
Shining down on your face
I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill
And descend inside of you
Hello Seattle, I am a cold seahorse
Feeling warm in your sand
I sing about the tide and the ocean surf
Rolling in the evening breeze
Hello Seattle, I am an albatross
On the docks and your boats
I sail above your inlets and interstates
Through the rain and open wind
Hello Seattle, I am an old lighthouse
Throwing beams of bright lights
Red in the morning, blue in the evening sun
Taking heed from everyone
Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer
In the hills and highlands
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
Take me above your light
Carry me through the night
Hold me secure in flight
Sing me to sleep tonight
Take me above your light
Carry me through the night
Hold me secure in flight
Sing me to sleep tonight
In the hills and highlands
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
And awake in your mouth
Hello Seattle, I am a manta-ray
Deep beneath the blue waves
I'll crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound
And construct my summer home
Hello Seattle, I am the crescent moon
Shining down on your face
I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill
And descend inside of you
Hello Seattle, I am a cold seahorse
Feeling warm in your sand
I sing about the tide and the ocean surf
Rolling in the evening breeze
Hello Seattle, I am an albatross
On the docks and your boats
I sail above your inlets and interstates
Through the rain and open wind
Hello Seattle, I am an old lighthouse
Throwing beams of bright lights
Red in the morning, blue in the evening sun
Taking heed from everyone
Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer
In the hills and highlands
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
Take me above your light
Carry me through the night
Hold me secure in flight
Sing me to sleep tonight
Take me above your light
Carry me through the night
Hold me secure in flight
Sing me to sleep tonight
Lyrics submitted by JetstyleArmada, edited by wwsamson
Hello Seattle Lyrics as written by Adam R. Young
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this might sound beyond strange, but i think that this song is only supposed to seem happy on the surface, something to keep us smiling in listening.
i think it's more about the hopsital aspect. he says, "i am a sleeping pill" like something a doctor might use to get a patient to sleep. and how the lighthouse is "red in the morning, blue in the evening son"; lighthouses aren't red and blue, but ambulance lights are.
maybe he knew someone who was in the hospital at the time he wrote this. and all of the "hello seattle, i am..." are what they dreamed about beyond life in the hospital.
and then it goes, "Take me above your light/Carry me through the night/Hold me secure in flight/Sing me to sleep tonight" which, depending on the context, isn't necessarily happy. maybe they were dying.
you know?
This is the best interpretation of a song I've ever heard in my entire life.
Seconded, I have listened to this song hundreds of times and never got all of this. The ambulance idea is brilliant!
WOW! thanks so much for that interpetation, it helped me understand the song alot more!!! :)
Wow, I never thought of this song like that! Thanks for the interpretation. I really like what you said about the ambulance lights. Just the other day I was wondering what Adam meant by the red and blue lights. It's a really interesting perspective, thanks for your opninion! :)
Good call. I gave a shot at interepreting it as a sexual theme but this is probably correct since most of his other songs sound happy and have darker, sadder meanings. Good work.
Wow, I never thought of of it this way, thanks!
@kbee you nailed it on the head
This song is a euphemism for hospitals. When people think of hospitals, they think of sickness and bad things. However, when one is faced with a horrible situation such as the death or sickness of a friend, they may try to cover the bad things up by simply thinking of good things. The attempt will fail, though, because the tragedy of a bad situation is not concealable, and will always show through because it will always be there. Adam, or whomever you want to say is the ‘narrator’ likes the city of Seattle. They associate the city with happiness and good memories. In all actuality, Seattle is a hospital. In the song, Adam talks about how he is a mountaineer, but “I fall asleep in hospital parking lots.” A mountaineer is supposed to be someone who is strong and not afraid of anything. Because the person falls asleep in hospital parking lots, they probably know someone in the hospital. It is obviously someone they love, because they don’t want to leave them in the hospital. They sleep in the parking lot so that they are still at the hospital, even outside of visiting hours, because they can’t leave this friend of theirs who is dying. They are only pretending to be a mountaineer. On the outside they act strong and brave, but on the inside they are worried more than anything about this person. In the next few verses, I am not sure what exactly Adam means. In the one starting with “I am the crescent moon,” he talks about being a pill. Pills are associated with sickness and hospitals, so there is probably a connection there. I think that the “moon shining down on your face” could be some kind of a light that the doctor is shining into the patient’s eyes. I’m not sure about that one though. Later, he gets into the verse about the lighthouse, and someone else already said something about the lighthouse that was brilliant, so I'm just going to repeat it. The lighthouse is a building that helps people. However, lighthouses are not red and blue. The lighthouse here is actually an ambulance with its red and blue lights. Others take heed from an ambulance, and, like a lighthouse, it helps people. The two have similar purposes, but the difference is that an ambulance is a symbol of panic and injury, while a lighthouse is a savior. The lighthouse covers up the pain that the ambulance brings, but nevertheless, the ambulance is still there. When he starts singing “Take me above your light…” the point of view has switched. Before, the narrator was the protector, or the one trying to help the patient. Now, the patient is speaking. The patient talks about the things he or she wants. All that the patient wants is to feel safe. They don’t even mind dying, I don’t think, as long as they have that first narrator there to protect them. “Sing me asleep tonight.” Here, they do not actually want to be sung to sleep. Sleeping is a metaphor for dying. Small children like to be sung to sleep because it calms them down and is peaceful. They can fall asleep because they have that sense of security from the singer being there. The patient does not mind dying, but all they want is to be with the person when it happens for that extra comfort. Once they have that friend there to ‘sing to them’, they can ‘fall asleep’ and feel safe. Ah, sorry this is so long.
Amazing interpetation! I wish i could interpet songs as well as you do! thanks!
This is a beatiful intepretation of this eccentric, but deep song. I'm not usually into stuff by Owl City, but I love this song because it is sad, but at the same time it seems to cheer me up with all the interesting lyrics. Again, great intepretation.
I feel like "Seattle" could actually represent a person. He describes how he's so comfortable and happy in Seattle, which could also mean that if "Seattle" were a lover, that he found comfort in that person and loved to be around her. The way it's described, it almost seems like him and Seattle belong together like PB&J, like you can't have one without the other. You especially get that gist in this verse: "Take me above your light Carry me through the night Hold me secure in flight Sing me to sleep tonight"
I LOVE THIS SONG =]
I think the whole first part of the song is from the perspective of God, who embodies and encompasses all the comforting things that make life pleasant. I think the last four lines are him talking back to God in a poetic prayer. Adam does mention that he is very religious...
I've read through all these interpretations, and out of all of them, I seem settled on this one. It makes so much sence, and as a religious person myself, it somehow seems reassuring to think that God almost...takes place of these places, objects, and people. Almost to experience life like we do. <br /> I love the part about him praying. <br /> <br /> This is definitely the most accurate interpretation in my opinion. (:<br /> <br />
I definitely agree! Great post sable! It is just so amazing, Adam's perspective of life in his music, so positive, so alive, so refreshing, so amazing! Thank God for this music.
LOVE this song, it reminds me of seattle in the summer time when everything is bright and the ocean is blue, and all is well
I might be reading into it too much cuz im a native, but if youve been here and spent enough time to really appreciate the city youll most likley fall in love with it too...
I think that the line "Hello Seattle, I am an Albatross, on the docks and your boats" is SUPPOSED to be: "Hello Seattle, I am an Albatross, on the docks and MOORED boats." A moored boat is one that is tethered to a dock, anchor, etc. usually by rope, cables, or chains. Listen carefully, and you can hear it.
I love this song. It's so haunting and beautiful...
stop comparing owl city to postal service, they're completely different. no one's ripping anyone off, just get over the fact that the bands are alike...
still, the best Owl City song ever.
I take this song as a metaphor of someone who is dead, not there with you physically but mentally.
i like to pretend this song is about wishing you were in Seattle. Simply bc i wish i were in Seattle right now at my sister's house. :'( hahaha
but, i guess it could also be a dream sequence..(Guava) or about being comfortable with someone you love...(theBLUESToctober) or being mentally dead..(eyaewo) or about God...(sablechatrat) haha, who cares, its just a good song? maybe this is one of those songs where the lyrics are intended to be taken any way you want. :]