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.
You know it tears me up inside
To see the feelings that you hide
Hide inside that empty bottle
I wish you saw how great you were
I wish you saw what life was worth
You wouldn't have to hide your problems
And I don't care what you might think
I think you've had too much to drink
Can't even talk when you're this way
Run away, run away
But that won't make it any better
Run away, run away
And make tomorrow harder to live than today
There's so much out there you could miss
There's so much life out there to live
If you would just believe in yourself
You know you're better than all of this
You know you've got so much to give
But you're so afraid to give of yourself
There's a bright light shining inside you
It shines out through your eyes
Don't drown it away, don't be afraid, don't hide
Let it shine
You say you're looking for happiness
But when it comes, you run away from it
You tell yourself you don't deserve it
There's not much more that I can do now the rest is up to you
Until you love yourself, you'll never change
You'll keep on running
Until you deal with today
To see the feelings that you hide
Hide inside that empty bottle
I wish you saw how great you were
I wish you saw what life was worth
You wouldn't have to hide your problems
And I don't care what you might think
I think you've had too much to drink
Can't even talk when you're this way
Run away, run away
But that won't make it any better
Run away, run away
And make tomorrow harder to live than today
There's so much out there you could miss
There's so much life out there to live
If you would just believe in yourself
You know you're better than all of this
You know you've got so much to give
But you're so afraid to give of yourself
There's a bright light shining inside you
It shines out through your eyes
Don't drown it away, don't be afraid, don't hide
Let it shine
You say you're looking for happiness
But when it comes, you run away from it
You tell yourself you don't deserve it
There's not much more that I can do now the rest is up to you
Until you love yourself, you'll never change
You'll keep on running
Until you deal with today
Lyrics submitted by music_lover
Shine Lyrics as written by Tom Higgenson
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
PWTS are seriously one of the greatest bands out there...and they are also a great live band! This song is of great importance to me...its the song i always put on when i have thoughts of suicide...and it just reminds me that there is shit out there to live for ya know? And plus my best friend dedicated this song to me at the PWTS concert! well Peace..and PWTS ROCK!!!
what a great song!! i definitely think plain white t's will make a name for themselves with this song.
I remember seeing this song live and I immediately fell in love with it... it just reminds me that sometimes you gotta pick yourself up... and that you are just a person in the world... you may just be the world to one person...
I love this song!!!!!!!! PWTS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow this song is so true. To me it's about someone dealing with life through drinking. [make tomorrow harder to live than today] ...and how things end up when you do that.
This song is totally amazing. I think it's about a friend that cares about someone so much, but their really depressed and don't see themselvs as anything special even though their friend knows their so important and special, or have affected their life in a huge way.
This song reminds me of saves the day - your ghost takes flight
In the song I think the person is trying to hide with a substance abuse, in this case alchohol. Eh, i dunno. it was self explanitory just by reading the lyrics. but hey, i'm an idiot so who cares.
this song eats at you. thats how powerful this is. it's amazing to see music at its finest. "you know it tears me up inside to see the feelings that you hide hide inside that empty bottle" wow
I think this song is about some person close to him i.e. example:
you know it tears me up inside to see the feelings that you hide hide inside that empty bottle I wish you saw how great you were I wish you saw what life was worth you wouldn't have to hide your problems (about his friend who obviously depressed and must have some sort of drinking problem)
and I don't care what you might think I think you've had to much to drink cant even talk when you're this way runaway, runaway but that won't make it any better runaway, runaway and make tomorrow harder to live than today (This part sounds like its about them talking. It seems like they are drunk again to the point of where they cant talk. Then hes trying to tell them they are just running away from their problems. And it seems like everyday their life is just getting harder.)
there's so much out there you could miss there's so much life out there to live if you would just believe in yourself there's a bright light shining inside you it shines out through your eyes don't throw it away, don't be afraid don't hide let it shine (This part is most likely about how he telling them they are missing out on life. How they have so much life to live if you'd just reach out and grab it.)
you say you're looking for happiness but when is comes, you runaway from it you tell yourself you don't deserve it there's so much more that i could do now the rest is up to you until you love yourself, you'll never change you'll keep on running until you deal with today (Now this part is about how this person always finds happiness but throws it away constantly as if they are afraid of it. Hes just like I cant help you with with this you gotta solve your own problems. And if they wanna change they are gonna have to love themselves and solve there problems)
Well thats just my opinion
I see it as the narrator is trying to get through to a person that is depressed, and they dont think theres anything great about them, but they are obviously a very speical person to the narrator. the person has thoughts of suicide and the narrator is trying to tell them that "there's so much out there you could miss/ there's so much life out there to live " all they have to do is believe in themself, and the narrator is telling them to go ahead, and runaway... but its not gonna make it any better, and all its gonna do is make that day harder to live than the previous.
i thiiiiink they wrote this about me. :( <3