Oh, sweet thing
Zion doesn't love you
And Babylon don't love you
But you love everything
Oh, you saint
America don't love you
So I could never love you
In spite of everything

In the dark of this place
There's the glow of your face
There's the dust on the screen
Of this broken machine
And I can't help but feel
That I've made some mistake
But I let it go
Ya Hey

Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Only "I am that I am"
But who could ever live that way?
Ut Deo, Ya Hey
Ut Deo, Deo

Oh, the motherland don't love you
The fatherland don't love you
So why love anything?
Oh, good God
The faithless they don't love you
The zealous hearts don't love you
And that's not gonna change

All the cameras and files
All the paranoid styles
All the tension and fear
Of a secret career
And I can't help but think
That you've seen the mistake
But you let it go
Ya Hey

Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
You say "I am what I am"
But who could ever live that way?
Ut Deo, Ya Hey
Ut Deo, Deo

Outside the tents, on the festival grounds
As the air began to cool, and the sun went down
My soul swooned, as I faintly heard the sound
Of you spinning "Israelites"
Into "19th Nervous Breakdown"

Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Only "I am what I am"
But who could ever live that way?
Ut Deo, Ya Hey
Ut Deo, Deo

Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Only "I am that I am"
But who could ever live that way?
(Ya Hey)
Ut Deo, Ya Hey
Ut Deo, Deo


Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by bobduck, sulra, Mellow_Harsher, Folaeli, DjDabs, akjsdbshbd, lindstyl

Ya Hey Lyrics as written by Ezra Koenig Rostam Batmanglij

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Ya Hey song meanings
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33 Comments

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  • +5
    My Opinion

    Well, I understand the meaning of this song just like it was previously explained, however I think it's not about losing faith. I think it's about still having faith, but feeling let down. Like "nobody loves you anymore and I'm having hard times in loving you because this word is crazy and you don't even tell me your name! How can you live with that?" - Like if Ezra had this close relationship with God and he is sad that God is not showing himself never and that he's watching the whole word losing their faith, but he still wants to believe, he just doesn't know how anymore. It's like Ezra is discussing his relationship with God "I made my mistakes and you made your mistakes and we only let it go".

    And somehow, I think that Ezra intended to show that even those who say they love God, they don't really love God, everyone wanted him, wanted all the miracles, but they don't really love him. It's a really REALLY deep song and as every great piece of art, it can be seen by several perspectives :)

    lucasemgon June 03, 2013   Link

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