This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Was it loneliness that brought you here
Broken and weak
Was it tiredness that made you sleep
Have you lost your will to speak
Was the earth spinning round
Were you falling through the ground
As the world came tumbling down
You prayed to God what have we done
Free me from these chains I need to change my way
Heal these broken wings I need to fly far away, far away, far away
Was it emptiness that made you weep
No more secrets to keep
Was it bitterness that gave you time
To forgive your sins
Was the earth spinning round
Were you falling through the ground
As the world came tumbling down
You prayed to God what have we done
Free me from these chains I need to change my way
Heal these broken wings I need to fly far away
Free me from these thoughts long forgotten down below
Take these angel's words give them life to carry on, carry on, carry on
Free me from these chains…
Broken and weak
Was it tiredness that made you sleep
Have you lost your will to speak
Was the earth spinning round
Were you falling through the ground
As the world came tumbling down
You prayed to God what have we done
Free me from these chains I need to change my way
Heal these broken wings I need to fly far away, far away, far away
Was it emptiness that made you weep
No more secrets to keep
Was it bitterness that gave you time
To forgive your sins
Was the earth spinning round
Were you falling through the ground
As the world came tumbling down
You prayed to God what have we done
Free me from these chains I need to change my way
Heal these broken wings I need to fly far away
Free me from these thoughts long forgotten down below
Take these angel's words give them life to carry on, carry on, carry on
Free me from these chains…
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More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
I think this song is about depression. And how it just breaks you down and leaves you feeling so tired and weak. And everything you have is falling and you feel you dont have much to live for anymore.you want to be healed so bad and to be happy again but there is so much holding you back "heal these broken wings, I need to fly far away". What you want and NEED is to fly far away,too feel free and happy again, and the only thing holding you back is the broken wings, which can be the loneliness and emptiness you feel all the time and it feels like it wont ever ever go away.
I agree with you 100% What's interesting is I have been in a depressed mood all week and I remembered this song in one of my playlist but I never really knew the meaning to the lyrics and after listening closely I understood it was about depression.
I agree with socialbrockenscene3, I would only add that they want their loved one to save them from this horrible depression. They want some one to heal them someone's shoulders to cry upon.
indeed indeed
This could be totally far off but I can't help but sense a relation to the September 11 events. In the first verse, I keep thinking about how the people of America turned to the country and it's leaders for help and a sense of hope. However, if nothing happened.. everyone would've continued living day to day not caring about what went on.
However, I get to the second verse and that's where it loses me and I feel some other meaning to the song. shrug
I highly doubt your interpretation of the song simply because I'm pretty sure it was made before september 11th. To me this song is more about someone who lived a life far from what they wanted to and eventually found themselves in a position in which they could no longer pretend to enjoy it. Their secrets spent, they realized all their reasons for what had happened to them and now just hope to be able to once again embrace life. But like Radiohead, I might be wrong.
i listened to this song constantly when i was on zoloft & battling with an ED (i listened to a lot of Zero 7).
September11 !!??... hey you, people of the USA, wake up! you are not the center of the universe!!
Because this song resonates with a person from the USA on a global issue that has impacted billions of people does not arbitrarily mean everyone in the USA thinks they are the center of the universe. On the contrary, your broad statement makes clear your ignorance of Americans, full throttle, and reveals your sad inadequacies. Whatever your complexes, in the context of lilipop's post, you've provided an invalid argument. In fact, it's not an argument at all, just a cheap statement. If you want to make a judgement call on a mass population, back yourself up with reasoning, else you look like a fool.<br /> <br />
September11 !!??... hey you, people of the USA, wake up! you are not the center of the universe!!
I dont think it's about 9-11 at all, it's about trying to break away from from things in your life that make you stop loving life or making you believe all is worth nothing.
like all literature, in this case poetry, many interpretations can be made, and to deem one wrong is rather close-minded and rude.
i don't necessarily agree with the 9/11 interpretation, but i could see this song being used in a film on 9/11. i see its relevance.
to me, personally, this song brought me to think about all the negative things that were happening in the short time frame of a month and all the wrong things i was doing, and how much i needed to return to being who i really am, and remembering where i come from. it's like, coming to Christ for forgiveness.
"as the world came tumbling down"-- apocalyptic, but it could also be a personal feeling of someone's world caving in.
i love music and poetry!!!
Best song on the album by far!!!!!