Lyric discussion by Cwhaticando 

Cover art for Afterglow lyrics by A Great Big World

love this song. my interpretation is that this song is just about life.

I'm not entirely sure what the lines "Annie dreams of others when she's wide awake, wishin' on the beauty that they hide away". Maybe it's about daydreaming about different possibilities. I would imagine the "afterglow" means heaven or something like it.

but otherwise i think it's just about appreciating life.