In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see a lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be
How can I sleep at night there's a war inside my head
I found a lion hidden right beneath my bed
I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed
'Cause I am a lion, and you are dead
Heres a story of everything we'll ever be
You can hide but some of us can never leave
And if you go I don't need those little things
They remind me of all our little dreams
Can you hear the words, all I can say
We can watch the world even if they walk away
Forget about tomorrow, tomorrow is today
You where born a lion and a lion you will stay
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see the lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be
Remember an army of all those little kids
Livin' life like they only get a little bit
It's hard to fight when you're born in the middle-end
I'd rather die then watch you givin' in
I'm sorry daughter but you're fathers not the same
I can look into your eyes and I swear that I will change
But tomorrow is tomorrow so forgive me if I say you can hide
Beneath the covers while I hide behind the pain
After all only so much we can say
Words can lose their meaning once you walk away
Promise me that you'll love me, watch me as I fade
I'll give you all the things that these lions never gave
The hands on the clock and the things we cannot change
Tearin' out the pieces and take back what I made
If there's one thing I'd keep, it's you that I would save
'Cause I am just a lion and a lion I will stay
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see the lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you cannot be
Hey! I never meant to let go
All I want and you're all I'll ever wanna know
Can't hide in the attic of a pretty home
Of a pretty home, of a pretty home
Hey! I never meant to let go
All I want and you're all I ever wanna know
Can't hide in the attic of a pretty home
Of a pretty home, of a pretty home
Hey!
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see the lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be
Do you see a lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be
How can I sleep at night there's a war inside my head
I found a lion hidden right beneath my bed
I will not hide myself from the tears that you have shed
'Cause I am a lion, and you are dead
Heres a story of everything we'll ever be
You can hide but some of us can never leave
And if you go I don't need those little things
They remind me of all our little dreams
Can you hear the words, all I can say
We can watch the world even if they walk away
Forget about tomorrow, tomorrow is today
You where born a lion and a lion you will stay
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see the lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be
Remember an army of all those little kids
Livin' life like they only get a little bit
It's hard to fight when you're born in the middle-end
I'd rather die then watch you givin' in
I'm sorry daughter but you're fathers not the same
I can look into your eyes and I swear that I will change
But tomorrow is tomorrow so forgive me if I say you can hide
Beneath the covers while I hide behind the pain
After all only so much we can say
Words can lose their meaning once you walk away
Promise me that you'll love me, watch me as I fade
I'll give you all the things that these lions never gave
The hands on the clock and the things we cannot change
Tearin' out the pieces and take back what I made
If there's one thing I'd keep, it's you that I would save
'Cause I am just a lion and a lion I will stay
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see the lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you cannot be
Hey! I never meant to let go
All I want and you're all I'll ever wanna know
Can't hide in the attic of a pretty home
Of a pretty home, of a pretty home
Hey! I never meant to let go
All I want and you're all I ever wanna know
Can't hide in the attic of a pretty home
Of a pretty home, of a pretty home
Hey!
I am a lion and I want to be free
Do you see the lion when you look inside of me
Outside the window just to watch you as you sleep
'Cause I am a lion born from things you can not be
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
its like he wants to escape the failure he's in like depressed like he's going to break down he does set free. He's doesn't wan a hide he lost his wife and stuck staking caring of his daughter and he's not the same because his wife is dead. he's just want escape his misery that he's caged in.