Keep Your Head Up

For me this song is powerful in getting over the lose of a relationship Its amazing what Ben Howard's voice can do when he sings. With "Only Love", the simplicity of that song is easy to recognize it is all about the pure love that one possess in a relationship with another...simple and free-ONLY LOVE no bullshit. With "Keep Your Head Up" you feel the optimistic misery in it. Though the song has a happy beat, its quite sad(well maybe not sad) but defintley emotional in terms of a couple that no longer is together.
For me it is about-exactly- this:

"I spent my time, watching The spaces that have grown between us. And I cut my mind on second best, Oh the scars that come with the greenness. And I gave my eyes to the boredom, Still the seabed wouldn't let me in. And I try my best to embrace the darkness In which I swim."

-Here he is speaking about how he has watched them grow apart(spaces) and he has stressed about how he feels second best in her life. And after all of this stress and after all the heart break is gone, he can finally let his scars heal(greenness)- and let himself be bored(lonely) and try to embrace the darkness( the emptiness of not having her anymore).

"Now walking back, down this mountain, The strength of a turnin' tide. Oh the wind so soft, and my skin, Yeah the sun so hot upon my side. Oh lookin' out at this happiness I searched for between the sheets, Oh feelin' blind, I realize, All I was searchin' for, was me. Oh oh-oh, all I was searchin' for was me."

Here hes talking about the next chapter in his life(walking down the mountain/turning tides)-change. And how there may be obstacles(wind, heat) but there will be happiness again because he realizes as hes making his way down/making changes in his life that all along he wasn't searching for someone to complete him, but rather he was searching for who he really was. . Now I saw a friend of mine, the other day, And he told me that my eyes were gleamin'. Oh I said I'd been away, and he knew... Oh he knew the depths I was meanin'. And it felt so good to see his face, All the comfort invested in my soul, Oh to feel the warmth, of his smile, When he said, 'I'm happy to have you home.' Oh oh-oh, I'm happy to have you home.

Here- he's just saying:no matter the pain and trials your going through in your life keep your head up and keep moving forward with your mind set on the "prize"because it will get better. Have friends that can look in your eyes and know what your going trough, and be able to lift you up ( feel the warmth of his smile-and all the comfort invested in his soul)

'Cause I'll always remember you the same. Oh eyes like wildflowers, oh with your demons of change

And lastly here: he is saying no matter what happen, how much pain he is in- or that she is in, he will have a memory of her that will never be tainted- the good memories, but will know that there was always "demons" of change that made the relationship unsuccessful.

In all- this song is teaching the lesson of-"Either your a lesson or a blessing" and maybe she was both. They might no longer be together, but they changed each others life- becasue maybe without each other they never would have learned the lessons in life they needed to learn at the time they were together