Damn...what a catchy song. There can't be one person out there that doesn't enjoy it. Anyways, I thought I'd put in my two cents. I think everyone can have their own interpretation of the lyrics regardless of what Snowpatrol truly intended; that's the beauty of expressing yourself artistically. You try to find a connection to the song.
Now, it could be about drugs, family, suicide, or a long-distance relationship. After countless hours of analysis (I've got it playing on repeat on my Winamp right now -- what can I say, I'm addicted!) I would have to agree with the long distance opinion. I think that when he says "Light up, light up" it might allude to his girl crying profusely to the fact that they will soon be apart for a long time, possibly forever. I believe the song is him trying to convince her that they should run away. "I know we'll make it anywhere/Away from here." I picture them sitting on a bed, spending their last moments together. During his whole attempt to convince her, she knows that she can't go away with him, for whatever reason. When he says "Louder, louder," he's talking about the man in the song getting excited about running away as he tells her all about what their future lives could be like together. He asks her "Why you can't raise your voice to say" -- he is wondering why she isn't speaking up and agreeing with him. Finally, when the lyrics are "Slower, slower" (which do not appear in the lyrics above!), the guy in the song slows down his excited speech and comes to terms with the fact that they will never be together again. Sometimes love can't win.
That seems like the most plausible explanation to me. I deduced this after reading all of the above posts, so thanks to you guys for sparking my creative fire.
Damn...what a catchy song. There can't be one person out there that doesn't enjoy it. Anyways, I thought I'd put in my two cents. I think everyone can have their own interpretation of the lyrics regardless of what Snowpatrol truly intended; that's the beauty of expressing yourself artistically. You try to find a connection to the song.
Now, it could be about drugs, family, suicide, or a long-distance relationship. After countless hours of analysis (I've got it playing on repeat on my Winamp right now -- what can I say, I'm addicted!) I would have to agree with the long distance opinion. I think that when he says "Light up, light up" it might allude to his girl crying profusely to the fact that they will soon be apart for a long time, possibly forever. I believe the song is him trying to convince her that they should run away. "I know we'll make it anywhere/Away from here." I picture them sitting on a bed, spending their last moments together. During his whole attempt to convince her, she knows that she can't go away with him, for whatever reason. When he says "Louder, louder," he's talking about the man in the song getting excited about running away as he tells her all about what their future lives could be like together. He asks her "Why you can't raise your voice to say" -- he is wondering why she isn't speaking up and agreeing with him. Finally, when the lyrics are "Slower, slower" (which do not appear in the lyrics above!), the guy in the song slows down his excited speech and comes to terms with the fact that they will never be together again. Sometimes love can't win.
That seems like the most plausible explanation to me. I deduced this after reading all of the above posts, so thanks to you guys for sparking my creative fire.