This song isn't about lost love as many people have been saying. As mentioned by emilyRDH who went to their performance, ATAL introduced the song as a "song about imaginary friends".
When I first heard this it reminded me of visitors as well. You can see it in their lyrics--
"I know we're all souls just trying to connect with someone, but we're all left searching on our own"
"Souls" as in spirits or ghosts. "Left searching on our own" suggests he is lonely. Searching for love. Perhaps he then imagined a ghost appear to keep him company.
The song also produces sounds that only the main person seems to hear. For example:
"Tell me that you could hear it: three taps under the floorboard. Don't say I'm losing it, maybe you're deaf."
"Could have sworn that I locked all these windows fairly tight. Shut the door, hear a knock. she starts turning off the lights"
This part would mean that there is actually no way for another person to enter the room. By "She starts turning off the lights" this could relate to the she-spirit blacking out the house (think scary movies).
"I saw you dressed all in white, I saw you pass right by. But maybe I had too much wine"
"Dressed in white" clearly relates to "ghosts". By the line about wine, he is thinking maybe he isn't really seeing that spirit and it is the alcohol (another symbol for being lonely. Downing the "spirits" and drowning ones sorrows away).
"Tell me that you could see it, a ghost who's skin is porcelain" again with the title. Porcelain to me means something white and pure like the skin of a ghost or something beautiful.
"In a York hotel hall" seems to be a film setting as in a place where you're likely to be presented with a spirit.
"You say that you're alone. But I know I can't leave you lonely on your own"
A lonely spirit? This to me relates back to the first lines in the song. Souls trying to connect with someone, but forever searching on our own. The main character is suggesting that they should be "lonely" together. I love it.
Finally, "I hope you come back tonight, you never said goodbye" is a line I'm not completely sure about. Perhaps the ghost left without a word?
To be completely honest this song does remind me of lost love (having experienced it myself) through death and now that person is visiting again. This could also tie in with the lines "you never said good bye" as in the person died suddenly. However this would have been before I read the lyrics properly.
This song reminds me so much more about being visited by something beautiful and "imaginary" during lonely times. Longing for love and imagining it to appear.
I adore this song though. (Try listening to it in the middle of the night when you really are feeling lonely. It gives me the chills.)
This song isn't about lost love as many people have been saying. As mentioned by emilyRDH who went to their performance, ATAL introduced the song as a "song about imaginary friends". When I first heard this it reminded me of visitors as well. You can see it in their lyrics--
"I know we're all souls just trying to connect with someone, but we're all left searching on our own"
"Souls" as in spirits or ghosts. "Left searching on our own" suggests he is lonely. Searching for love. Perhaps he then imagined a ghost appear to keep him company.
The song also produces sounds that only the main person seems to hear. For example: "Tell me that you could hear it: three taps under the floorboard. Don't say I'm losing it, maybe you're deaf."
"Could have sworn that I locked all these windows fairly tight. Shut the door, hear a knock. she starts turning off the lights" This part would mean that there is actually no way for another person to enter the room. By "She starts turning off the lights" this could relate to the she-spirit blacking out the house (think scary movies).
"I saw you dressed all in white, I saw you pass right by. But maybe I had too much wine" "Dressed in white" clearly relates to "ghosts". By the line about wine, he is thinking maybe he isn't really seeing that spirit and it is the alcohol (another symbol for being lonely. Downing the "spirits" and drowning ones sorrows away).
"Tell me that you could see it, a ghost who's skin is porcelain" again with the title. Porcelain to me means something white and pure like the skin of a ghost or something beautiful.
"In a York hotel hall" seems to be a film setting as in a place where you're likely to be presented with a spirit.
"You say that you're alone. But I know I can't leave you lonely on your own" A lonely spirit? This to me relates back to the first lines in the song. Souls trying to connect with someone, but forever searching on our own. The main character is suggesting that they should be "lonely" together. I love it.
Finally, "I hope you come back tonight, you never said goodbye" is a line I'm not completely sure about. Perhaps the ghost left without a word?
To be completely honest this song does remind me of lost love (having experienced it myself) through death and now that person is visiting again. This could also tie in with the lines "you never said good bye" as in the person died suddenly. However this would have been before I read the lyrics properly. This song reminds me so much more about being visited by something beautiful and "imaginary" during lonely times. Longing for love and imagining it to appear.
I adore this song though. (Try listening to it in the middle of the night when you really are feeling lonely. It gives me the chills.)