Still alive

I'll explain the meaning of the song whilst making some crucial corrections to the above lyrics, some which effect the meaning of the song itself.

I have changed I have changed just like you. Just like you.

This verse is about how Faith (main character from Mirrors Edge) has watched the city her parents faught to protect, turn from a 'dirty but alive' city, to a sterile lifeless utopia, and in this change she was forced to change in turn, with the city to be able to survive.

For how long? For how long must I wait? I know there's something wrong.

This verse, while seemingly simple is actually something which would be more transparent in later games, or for anyone who has explored the hidden messages behind the runner bags within the game, and messages shown on lift walls, that speak of a 'terrorist organization' named November, after the November Riots which is where the main character Faith lost her parents. On a simpler level he verse also reffers to knowing that what the city has become isn't natural.

Your concrete heart isn't beating and i've tried to make it come alive.

Again this verse is reffering to the city which has been robbed of it's pulse, clean and lifeless, the verse refers to Faiths efforts to restore the city to it's former state.

No shadows, just red lights. Now I'm here to rescue you

This is somewhat a double meaning also, no shadows reffers to the bleached lifeless city, in mostly white concrete, broken by striking colors here and there, however throughout the game the primary color used to signify freedom is red, with all objects you may interact with being colored red, the last line is Faith declaring that she will rescue the city.

Oh I'm still alive, I'm still alive. I can't apologise, no.

This verse is an apology to those that have accepted the changes to the city or been too afraid to defie them, and as referenced in the game, 'life a comfortable life'.

So silent, no violence. But inside my head so loud and clear. You're screaming... You're screaming... Covered up with a smile I've learned to fear.

This verse points again to the lifeless, soulless sheen over the city, no violence because the populus is subdued, but as the latter half says, Faith sees through the sheen and sees that the city is actually suffering, the 'smile' points directly at the look of the city.

Just sunshine and blue sky. That's just how it goes for living here.

Again points to the fact that other than the sun and the sky, theres nothing with soul or life, that living in the environment that's all you have.

Come fire, come fire, let it burn and love come racing through.

Rather cryptic but i believe this is a reference to fires burning away the mask the city has been given, once burned away it'll be given it's life back.

Learn to lose, learn to win, turn my face against the wind.

This verse is in refference to Parkour, where dangerous and unique motions are sometimes a 'leap of faith', but also in reference to the trailer/catch intro where Faith is stand atop of the crane with the wind blowing her hair.

I will move fast, I will move slow. Take me where I have to go.

A reference to the type of motion required within the game, flowing over obstacles at speed, or to shimmy across ledges slowly, both of which lead Faith to her goal, so she is using the city as it is, to rescue it.

i think this song is about knowing someone can't love you no matter how hard you try. she sings about still being alive (in love) and apologizing for it, yet she sings about his concrete heart and red lights (sirens) and his (fake) smile she fears because he doesn't truly love her and deep down she knows this, even though she wants him to love her in return. i think the song summarises knowing all this and coming to terms with the truth of the situation and looking to find a way to live with her feelings so she can move on.

I don't think this song is really about the city.

~I have changed just like you. Just like you.

For how long? For how long must I wait? I know there's something wrong. ~

I think this is about someone she cares about.

~Your concrete heart isn't beating and you tried to make it come alive. ~

The person she cares about "had a concrete heart" meaning he/she is cold or emotionless. And he wants to make it "come alive" As in, feel something.

~No shadows, just red lights. Now I'm here to rescue you.~

She wants to save him, and there are no "shadows" as in secrets, just "red lights" Like an alarm. Maybe she's afraid he's going to kill himself.

~Oh I'm still alive, I'm still alive. I can't apologise, no.~

Maybe he died, she can't apologize for her not being able to save him because she's still alive.

~So silent, no violence. But inside my head so loud and clear.

You're screaming... You're screaming... Cover up with a smile I've learned to fear.~

Most people hide their pain or suffering with a smile when the feel the worst, and knowing something is wrong and maybe that he is losing himself, she's afraid of his smile and she can tell he's screaming inside.

~Just sunshine and blue sky. That's just how it goes for living here.~

This is referring to the world we live in, in the way most people only see the sunshine, which makes it hard to tell when people see the world darker.

~Come fire, come fire, let it burn and love come racing through.~

She wants to love him, or for him to know how much she does.

~Learn to lose, learn to win, turn my face against the wind.

I will move fast, I will move slow. Take me where I have to go.~

She's saying she will do anything to help him. No matter what as long as he will let her.

The lyrics is incorrecnt in several moments, here is how it goes:

You have changed, I have changed, Just like you, Just like you...

For how long, For how long Must I wait? I know, there's something wrong...

Your concrete heart isn't beating, And I've tried to Make it come alive.

No shadows, Just red lights, Now I'm here to rescue you...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

So silent, No violence, But inside my head, So loud and clear,

You're screaming, You're screaming, Covered up with a smile I've learned to fear...

Just sunshine, And blue sky, Is this all we get for living here?

Come fire, Come fire, Let it burn, and love come racing through...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

I've learned to lose, I've learned to win, I've turned my face against the wind.

I will move fast, I will move slow, Take me where I have to go.

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

I'm still alive...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I can't apologise, no...

it is the theme song for a video game called "mirror's edge". great song.

I'll take my shot at it. First thing to note that song has two singers a guy and a Lisa and from the song we can infer that Lisa is singing about the guy. "I have changed just like you" Probably means that something in the relationship changed them. Something drastic happened in the relationship that might have threatened her life as evidenced by saying shes still alive but that his concrete heart isn't beating even though he tried to make it come alive. To make things worse he hides his feelings of guilt through smiling. The source of this pain might be evidenced in the lyrics " Come fire, Come fire, let it burn and love comes racing through". My first thought on this was that she might have been in a burning building and even though he tried to save her he failed. But the burning building is probably best to be viewed a metaphor for the source of his pain. Still I think at some point he tried to rescue her from something because the lyrics "now I'm here to rescue you" implies that he was there to rescue her first. The lyrics "No shadows, just red lights" I interpret as that the relationship has no secrets but pain that stops it from progressing.

Still I think this song has an up lifting message because it indicates that she will do whatever is needed to rescue him.

As another poster pointed out this is the theme song for a video game called "mirrors edge" which is a video game about parkour. Parkour, as you may already be aware, is sort of a sport where those involved acrobatically run and jump from building to building as fast as possible defying danger. The "you" that's referred to in this song is her city, and it's buildings, evidenced by phrases such as "concrete heart" and "Just sunshine and blue sky. That's just how it goes for living here." She LOVES her city.

There are a number of troubling phrases though "come fire . . . let it burn and love come racing through" is one of them. I'm tempted to belive the "it" that this line refers to is a building or something, but she loves her city. I think it just refers to the fire itself. So "it" just refers to the fire. Let the fire is probably a metaphorical one.

Another one "So silent,no violence. But inside my head so loud and clear. You're screaming...You're screaming...Cover up with a smile I've learned to fear." is a delicate way of expressing what high regard the speaker holds her city in. This phrase, like others in this song brings out the humanity in the city, and thus helps the listener to understand the speakers love for it. The city itself is quiet. Without human activities it isn't violent, but she assigns an internal turmoil to the city. The "learned to fear" reference has to do with respecting it in he same way a surfer respects the water, and its awsome power.

When the speaker says "i'm still alive" "and I can not apologize, no" there are actually dual meanings there IMHO. It's a song about a video game that's about parkour. She's "still alive" because she didn't fall. But the buildings can't be alive. Although they are live to her in her hear and mind, and she interacts with them acrobatically, they essentially have a "concrete heart" that "isn't beating", and she can't "make it come alive" so she can not apologize to them because they are inanimate. Why she'd need to apologize, I'll leave to someone who is better than I at breaking this down. I confess, that my analysis doesn't quite capture exactly the essence of the song, and falls somewhat short, but perhaps someone else can shed further light.

The phrase "Still Alive" could come from the ending sequence of the game "Mirror's Edge". The character Jackknife who turns out to be evil explains to Faith (the protagonist) what has happened and why she is "still alive"

As for "Your concrete heart isn't beating" this could reference the fact that the city from the game is ruled by a totalitarian mayor, who has turned the city into a uniform place where everything is devoid of soul or life.

"Just red lights" the game uses something called "runner vision" to guide the player on where to go. Basically, when you see a red object that stands out, that is where to go e.g. a wall may be red to tell the player to run up it.

"So silent, no violence. But inside my head so loud and clear" As the city is under heavy surveillance, there is no crime in the city, but Faith can remember back to when the city was rough and dirty and had violence (known as the November Riots), but had character, which she can picture in her mind.

God I love this song :) First time you hear it after beating the game it just fits right in. It just makes me feel at peace every time I hear it.

As for the lyrics, they are about the game. As somebody mentioned earlier, she sings to the city. In the game the main character lives in a heavily surveyed city. Everything is clean, safe and sterile, but the city has lost it's soul and the people have lost their freedom. She wants it back the way it was, dangerous and filthy, but alive.

But then again, it's all really vague and you can read whatever you wish into it ^^

I like the interpretations that link it to the game Mirror's Edge, it is the theme song after all... But I don't think this song is simply about a video game. Perhaps it was intended to but it can be about the world around us too, in every way that Nyonako linked it to the game. (Of course that might just be my interpretation of the game being mirrored in its theme song.) The "red lights" are particularly interesting since they generally mean "stop" in our world, but in the game they mean "go"!

In this context the "come fire, let it burn and love come racing through" part sounds like a "off-beat wish for Babylon to fall" - kind of thing!