Riptide Lyrics

Lyric discussion by ElectraHeart2000 

Cover art for Riptide lyrics by Vance Joy

Music videos either make or break a song- this one made me love this song even more, and watching him live at the Arias 2013. This guy is a genius! His voice sounds even better live. I believe this song is about a girl he loves who is slowly changing before his eyes. "I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations" meaning he'd conquered that fear and now he's found her. "All my friends are turning green" His friends are jealous because he has this beautiful girlfriend.

"Lady, running down to the riptide, Taken away to the dark side". His girlfriend gets caught up with bad people or an addiction or something that is changing her ways.

" i wanna be your left hand man" But he loves her so much he'll still stay and help her no matter what happens

" I love you, when you're singing that song, and I've got a lump in my throat, Cos your gonna sing the words wrong" The relationship starts going downhill because she's saying things and doing things that are out of character. It makes him feel sick inside that she's not the girl he first met.

"This cowboys running from himself" Meaning he's confused with why she's become this way so he questions himself and that maybe he's he's not good enough.

"And she's been living on the higher shelf" He's always worshipped her and put her up on a pedestal.

"I just wanna, I just wanna know, If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay" He asks her for the truth, he wants to know if she really loves him.

And that's my interpretation of some of the lyrics in this song ;)

My Interpretation

i think this is the truest one

My Opinion

I feel like "living on the highest shelf" is in reference to top-shelf liquor.

My Opinion

@ElectraHeart2000 You're mistaken on a few counts. In Biblical terms, Lucifer sat to the left hand of God. He's pulling her in the wrong direction.

Also, the Cowboy section. He's a cowboy in New York City; he's Completely out of his element.

This is a song about a man who knows he's bad for this girl, but she's the greatest thing that's ever happened to him. they keep pulling each other down in hopes she'll stay with him, but they keep getting separated. 'And they come unstuck.' This is a song from the perspective of an abuser. And...

My Interpretation