Heartlines

Such a beautiful song. Pretty obvious meaning with the palmistry reference, 'just keep following the heart lines on your hand' - follow your destiny, do what you're meant to do and what has to be done for you to be happy. At least, that's the meaning I take from it.

Florence is lovely as always.

prophetessofdoom, yes, and find your destiny not by making a plan and executing it, as that would be following your headlines, but find your destiny by following your "heartlines," which are your passions and your loves.

Heartlines drown you completely, unlike headlines, which would consider following your heart a bit reckless and dangerous.

Florence say embrace the danger, and she suggests a mutual destination between herself and the person she's singing to, as "your heart is the only place that I call home."

Maybe the passion "against the wall on a Wednesday afternoon" is one they once shared and one they may return to if they both follow their hearts.

My fiance killed himself 2 years ago. Whenever I hear this song, it's what I imagine he would say to me if he could because it matches his personality. From the beginning talking about drowning in the river to find peace, to the part where it says, "What a thing to do, what a thing to choose, but know that in someway I'm there with you.. up against the wall on a Wednesday afternoon" matches what I went through personally. I found out that he was dead on a Wednesday. The only thing I found comfort in was this overwhelming feeling that he was there with me. The things he said to me leading up to his death were basically all pointing to the fact that he wanted me to keep going and loving, and he would always stay with me in some way. I always sort of wondered if Florence Welch didn't write this song from the perspective of someone who killed themselves, and then their soul lingered on to watch over their loved ones.

lyrics aren't "just keep following the heartlines on your head" Heartlines are on your palm. correct lyrics: "just keep following the heartlines on your hand"

some of the things are clearer in the acoustic version. i think at the beginning she says "and i'll join in the joy it brings to me," instead of "and oh the joy, oh the joy...."

and yeah with the Odyssey part she's saying "odyssey on odyssey, and land over land...."

I went to see her live and she played this, beforehand I hadn't listened to it much but she said she wrote it when she was on tour and missed her family and friends. After the gig I listened to it properly, and it has a beautiful message. I think that it's telling you to follow your heart and live your dreams, but don't forget your loved ones who helped your dreams become reality.

Such an inspiring song. I listen to this when I feel hopeless because it gives me a sense of meaning, a sense that if I keep going the way I'm going (the right direction) and have patience with my path. Things are going to be alright and I can do it ! i love florence!

"Your heart is the only place that I call home."

That's beautiful.

Just like "cosmic love" and "never let me go" and "no light" this song is about being the other woman (mistress), but in this song she is ultimately telling him to do the right thing, and fulfill his destiny with his wife. But she will always love him, she will always be able to find him by following those heart lines on his hand. It was all just a fantasy that they would ever be together in the end... but things got rocky and now it's time to let go. She tells him to think about Wednesday's up against the wall. Wednesday's were probably the days they met to have sex and be together. So always parallels water and the ocean to being is his arms (arms of the ocean) so the river she talks about in the beginning of the song is the only place she feels free

I was not at all sure about the first line after the chorus. If anyone thinks they know it, please tell me. =]

This song is beautiful and probably my favorite from Ceremonials.