I Saved The World Today

For me it says something totally different... actually i didn't find the charity part... i think it's about depression... a very deep depression... the kind of depression that won't let you do anything without thingkin on bad things happening on the world. and also, the kind that will make it very difficult to go to work... but though there's something that hurts inside she feels like she saved the world because she made it for another day. and she0s still breathing.

I disagree strongly with everyone's interpretations here, except for Huaso's...I think it's a devastating sad song about depression, which fits with Annie Lennox's own self-confessed history of depression and matches a lot of her other 90's/00's pessimistic lyrical themes...I think "The World" is actually "HER World"--herself, she means: she held herself together, made it through another day. As if she feels so hopeless that the burden of just getting through a day in life is so great, it feels like a task as heavy as saving the whole world. "I Saved The World Today" is almost saying "Well, I managed to not commit suicide--today, at least."...I believe the charity/"save the world" angle some see in this song is wrong: she merely MENTIONS that in a world full of hungry people, she has everything she should require, BUT she is still miserable inside--I don't think this song is about charity or giving to the poor at all--it's very personal...in the end, she's not exactly hopeful, but almost pleading ("bad things go away...please good things stay") or trying to convince herself ("everybody's happy now!") that whatever got her through the day will get her through the next one ...even though it's a sad song, I love it, and glad "Sopranos" seems to have given it a bit more exposure than it had in 1999 when it came out on the "Peace" album

My interpretation of this song is more in line with huaso & jul G. To me, it's from the point of view of someone very sad, overwhelmed and stretched beyond her limits who feels the need not to worry those around her. ("there's a hurting thing inside and I've got everything to hide) I imagine her "saving the world" by protecting her loved ones from her inner darkness, so that "everyone is happy now." I can relate well to this theme and I love this song.

I see it as being sort of ironic. The music video that goes with the song is amazing. She's singing in what is first darkness and slowly lights turn on to reaveal her band and a whole orchestra. It turns out the orchestra is made of of members of the millitary. At one point Annie and David are signing peace treaties and several orchestra members come to watch, then Annie spills ink over the treaty. The millitary men go back and continue to play. It has a surreal and dreamlike feel to it. To me it's saying that deep in her heart she wishes she could take away all the pain, violence and suffering in the world but it's only possible in her head.

as a burnt out social worker, I can really relate to this song

Yes, this is one beautiful song. It's a shame it was not a hit here. Great lyrics, great melody, and as always, great singing by Annie Lennox.

i've got another suggestion about the meaning of this song.....well actually my friend said it the other night when we were having a deep & meaningful conversation (as ya do) and anyway. it might be ironic, like some people get so high and mighty about doing something- like if they give a pound (dollar whatever) to charity, then they're like "ooh i saved the world"...and maybe she's saying that that's not enough when you consider all that's going on in the world, and she's going to look after herself and not be disillusional about making a difference when she knows she can't.

I completely disagree with the first interpretation because Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics are very involved with charity, live 8, an other organizations involved with helping those less fortunate so she would not advocate only taking care of yourself. In fact she mentions in the song how those more fortunate should help the poor and hungry...even though she has everything she needs she is hurting inside. She is talking about the disillusioned mentality of the American citizen.

To me, this song tells me that I can't change the whole world by myself, but I can do SOMETHING - no matter how "small". Maybe giving money to charity, helping a neighbour and so on. That's my little contribution to saving the world.

Alright, I just heard this song a couple of days ago, but when it was in my head at school, it seemed very creepy, almost childish and naive. I don't this as insulting, I love it. for ex: "the bad things gone away" and "good things here to stay"... that seems more like something a child would say. or someone who is so world worn and or traumatized. "Please let it stay" is basically someone pleading for their dream to come true, bad things gone, good things stay. I think is is a somber song, I was actually getting shivers as it replayed in my head. So I think it is about someone who is world worn. THey have seen suffering, sacrficed or worked really hard to end some of the suffering in the world, but as you settle back into your life from completing that, you realize that there is still suffering. But you are so tired, so worn out.. you can't save everyone, you just saved alot of other poeple, can't the world be right now?