This song is about a very dear friendship or relationship that has to split up for some reason (perhaps due to growing up and growing apart). The pair focuses not on the pain of parting, but on how meaningful their bond is, and how much they will enjoy meeting again down the road. The song has a very passionate and bittersweet feeling.
“Laughter Lines” begins with a hauntingly beautiful whistled counter-melody that appears several other times throughout the song, including after the first chorus. Dan Smith’s vocals are the only ones used for the majority of the song, but he is joined by backing vocals for the choruses. The first two lines of the last chorus are sung a capella, after which instruments join in again, led by strings. Strings feature prominently, especially later in the song. After Smith delivers the last line of the song, the whistling reappears for an extended counterpoint opposite the strings and Smith’s vocals. The vocals fade out first, then the whistling, and the song ends on a single, sweet note, played by the strings.
This song is about a very dear friendship or relationship that has to split up for some reason (perhaps due to growing up and growing apart). The pair focuses not on the pain of parting, but on how meaningful their bond is, and how much they will enjoy meeting again down the road. The song has a very passionate and bittersweet feeling. “Laughter Lines” begins with a hauntingly beautiful whistled counter-melody that appears several other times throughout the song, including after the first chorus. Dan Smith’s vocals are the only ones used for the majority of the song, but he is joined by backing vocals for the choruses. The first two lines of the last chorus are sung a capella, after which instruments join in again, led by strings. Strings feature prominently, especially later in the song. After Smith delivers the last line of the song, the whistling reappears for an extended counterpoint opposite the strings and Smith’s vocals. The vocals fade out first, then the whistling, and the song ends on a single, sweet note, played by the strings.