This song is about realizing that your life has become too small and that the opportunities of the changing world are out there for you. If you do not take the chances given to you, you might end up living a comfortable, but meaningless life. It is about choosing the safe and familiar option or choosing to really live!
The first verse very clearly describes that freedom and excitement is important to the singer. Philadelphia symbolizes everything familiar – his hometown, current relationship, current job. Even though his history in Philadelphia is close to his heart he yearns for freedom and the opportunity to grow.
In the second verse the good memories are recalled “when the world was young and warm”, but the feeling soon passes when he thinks about the winter wind in Philadelphia that will blow year in and year out and reduce his existence to “nothing”. He knows that his searching heart will die if he decided to stay in Philadelphia (the familiar).
The chorus signifies the person / circumstances he has to leave behind in order to live his life to the fullest in a new environment / town / relationship. He loves her dearly and doesn’t want to hurt her (“rock your tears away”), but the decision has already been made. He knows that it is not going to be easy to go away, but he knows that it is for the best.
This song is about realizing that your life has become too small and that the opportunities of the changing world are out there for you. If you do not take the chances given to you, you might end up living a comfortable, but meaningless life. It is about choosing the safe and familiar option or choosing to really live!
The first verse very clearly describes that freedom and excitement is important to the singer. Philadelphia symbolizes everything familiar – his hometown, current relationship, current job. Even though his history in Philadelphia is close to his heart he yearns for freedom and the opportunity to grow.
In the second verse the good memories are recalled “when the world was young and warm”, but the feeling soon passes when he thinks about the winter wind in Philadelphia that will blow year in and year out and reduce his existence to “nothing”. He knows that his searching heart will die if he decided to stay in Philadelphia (the familiar).
The chorus signifies the person / circumstances he has to leave behind in order to live his life to the fullest in a new environment / town / relationship. He loves her dearly and doesn’t want to hurt her (“rock your tears away”), but the decision has already been made. He knows that it is not going to be easy to go away, but he knows that it is for the best.