This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Here's the foreign son on holiday
Meeting her eyes about halfway
A look you know it's killed many men
And I've been all of them, inside a week
See the man on the bar who got too drunk to speak
He endures, that's all, mundane as it is
Days in a dream that wasn't his
Nights up at the top of the lift
Where continents drift too far away
To keep it together for long, on this half holiday
From the bar they walk to Place Pigalle
The taxi waved down
Goodnight, sleep well
Now it's just a step to the door
Where he wants all the more to bring her away
Out of this temporary half holiday
Meeting her eyes about halfway
A look you know it's killed many men
And I've been all of them, inside a week
See the man on the bar who got too drunk to speak
He endures, that's all, mundane as it is
Days in a dream that wasn't his
Nights up at the top of the lift
Where continents drift too far away
To keep it together for long, on this half holiday
From the bar they walk to Place Pigalle
The taxi waved down
Goodnight, sleep well
Now it's just a step to the door
Where he wants all the more to bring her away
Out of this temporary half holiday
Lyrics submitted by tronistroy, edited by Aragorn224, Mellow_Harsher, Jate, dogcity, HeyJeC22
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
happy birthday elliott.
but these lyrics are partially incorrect. here's how they should go:
"here's the foreign sun on holiday meeting her eyes about halfway a look you know it's killed many men and i've been all of them, inside a week see the man on the bar who got too drunk to speak.
he adores that song mundane as it is days in a dream that wasn't his night's about the top of the lift where continents drift too far away to keep it together for long, on this half holiday
from the bar they walk to place pigalle the taxi waved down goodnight, sleep well now it's just a step to the door and he wants all the more to bring her away out of this temporary half holiday"
the place pigalle in the song is the actual place pigalle in paris, where elliott stayed for a while
Ginteardrops, it's thought to have been recorded for Figure 8. Figure 8 was originally going to be called Place Pigalle. There are a few other songs from that era that have been leaked. Brand New Game, Tiny Time Machine, No Life, Sorry My Mistake, and Stained Glass Eyes.
I think this is a great song and I am wonderng about the connection to Place Pigalle in Seattle and whether Elliott titled the song this way because Place Pigalle is right on the waterfront of Elliott Bay in Seattle. It is interesting to think about and if anyone knows the story behind this song I would love to know.
<br /> Check out her tumblr it's interesting. placepigallesong.tumblr.com/
@sistersea there is a facebook page called 'figure 8' which tells in poetry and images the whole story behind this song, it's fascinating and very moving.
Happy Birthday Elliott.
actually, i kind of hear it as "chasing a dream that wasn't his" but i don't really know
there is a studio version release of this now. i'm wondering where he was going to put this etc... bigger question, is where was the studio version leaked from? i would really get my hands on the rest of the songs from that album >=)
considering that Elliott did stay in and was referring to the Place Pigalle of Paris, then the meaning of the song seems to be rather obvious. Falling in love with a girl while he's only staying there temporarily on a holiday and wanting to save the relationship but the long distance and separate continents prevent anything more than a temporary relationship. Probably more to the symbolism, but i'm too lazy to analyze the whole song.
dmv666 is spot on. also here are the CORRECT lyrics:
'here's the foreign son on holiday meeting her lines about halfway a looking oh it's killed many men and i've been all of them inside a week see the man in the bar who got too drunk to speak
he endures that song mundane as it is a daze in a dream that wasn't his night's up at the top of lift when continents drift too far away to keep it together for long, this half holiday
from the bar they walk to place pigalle a taxi wave down, good night sleep well now its just a step to the door when he wants all the more to bring her away out of this temporary half-holiday'
More corrected lyrics:<br /> <br /> 'here's the foreign son on holiday<br /> meeting her eyes about halfway<br /> a look you know it's killed many men<br /> and i've been all of them, inside a week<br /> see the man in the bar who got too drunk to speak<br /> <br /> he endures, that's all, mundane as it is<br /> a daze in a dream that wasn't his<br /> night's up at the top of the lift<br /> where continents drift too far away<br /> to keep it together for long, this half holiday<br /> <br /> from the bar they walk to place pigalle<br /> a taxi wave down, good night sleep well<br /> now its just a step to the door<br /> when he wants all the more to bring her away<br /> out of this temporary half-holiday'
More corrected lyrics:<br /> <br /> 'here's the foreign son on holiday<br /> meeting her eyes about halfway<br /> a look you know it's killed many men<br /> and i've been all of them, inside a week<br /> see the man in the bar who got too drunk to speak<br /> <br /> he endures, that's all, mundane as it is<br /> a daze in a dream that wasn't his<br /> night's up at the top of the lift<br /> where continents drift too far away<br /> to keep it together for long, is half holiday<br /> <br /> from the bar they walk to place pigalle<br /> a taxi waved down, good night sleep well<br /> now its just a step to the door<br /> when he wants all the more to bring her away<br /> out of this temporary half-holiday'
incorrect lyrics, partially correct interpretation. it's a pretty straight song actually, written very early into the relationship.