Calling tears from deep inside, oh, you're so exquisite
And in the mirror, all midnight eyes
Oh, if I could remain, but it's just a visit
All midnight eyes read "vacancy"
Twisted, twisting

To the lovely dancing lights, I begged, "May I cut in?"
But they never stopped playing "their song"
Of a joyous song the sing, I've heard whispers
On a freezing note, I resonate

Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Just like a memory, it twists me
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Twist... twisting me

You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt

In the glitter, in the dark, sunk into velvet
Praying this will never end
In the shadow of a star, in static pallor
I realized I never began

Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Just like a memory, it twists me
Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end
Twist... twisting me

You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt

All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
All the colours upon leaving, all will turn to grey
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
(All grey) all will turn to grey
(All grey) All the colours (All grey) upon leaving
(All grey) all will turn to grey... grey...

You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Onto the melting boy, and melt away
You light as gently, you're so cinematic
Bathed in your radiance

You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
You land as lightly as the new snow, and melt away
You land as lightly as the new snow, cinematic
Bathed in your radiance, I melt



Lyrics submitted by ruben

Track duration: 04:10


This Celluloid Dream song meanings
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68 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion:This is just a theory, but I think maybe the titles for Girl's Not Grey and This Celluloid Dream were switched. If you read the lyrics, it kind of makes sense... Any ideas?
    Flag d3bateson May 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is an amazing song to start and AFI is great. But I think the song has something to do with the night sky. And comparing it to a girl maybe. This is all I could think of for now. Maybe it can help someone find out the meaning.
    Flag Lucianon January 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The other interpretation I have for it has to do a little with the whole thing about davey being alredy dead (STS). Nobody talks about this song like a special part of the story, maybe he's already dead, and he really wants to be with the woman he loves. But "it's just a visit", it means that he will never be with her, even though he can still see her and be around her. Probably she's already found someone new, and he is just "begging to cut in". That would explain "In the glitter, in the dark", "just like a memory", "in the shadow of a star" and "IN STATIC PALLOR", because he's DEAD. He can't move, he can't touch her or make her realize it, neither say anything, and of course he's gonna be pale. All the colours have gone because, well, he died, and she was everything that was beautiful, and once he leaves her, or probably when he left her, i don't know, everything turns grey and dead.

    anyway it still explains the beauty and magic or this charming woman. GOD!!! it's such a beutifu song. Not only the lyrics, but the sound, is like sweet, and heavy, but for paties, everything at the same time
    Flag MCRockerwayAfion November 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:As I usually say, all of their songs have double meaning, even triple sometimes; anyway, this is a BEAUTIFUL love song a little 'twisted' though. I think is the perfect meaning of the title words on their own and together. Celluloid and dream might indicate that is something so beautiful so wonderful and exquisit that could only happen to him in a movie, or a dream, but movies tend to have happy endings, or, joyous end, which real life doesn't. To me, the "This" in the title makes it sound like it upsets him, or he's really desperate about it, just a thought.

    I think that for him the girl is lovely, gorgeous and he's completely obsessed and awed by her, so he dreams about her, i don't if he actually dreams or he just imagines her with him and use dream and movie as a metaphor but he doesn't quite get to be with her. he's pretty much just explaining how amazing probably pure, because of all the snow thing, and it melts him, she melts him. but it hurts him "Calling tears from deep inside", it breaks his heart cuz he knows that it will NEVER happen, maybe because she's with someone else "their song" or because he doesn't considers himself worthy of her. But the dream seems so real, so real and he prays that it will never end, as if he knows it will. He then wakes up and realizes it can't end because it never began. To Me, midnight eyes means probably that it is very late and Vacancy, needs someone, pretty much sex, or just love. Or he's sleepy and he's dreaming.

    Then the bridge means, that when he wakes up, everything will be like him: Grey. She represented all the good and nice things, but she's gone. Or maybe that because he's not dreaming anymore, the dream or fantasy is kind of blur-grey. and i love how grey is also related to movies, once he's awake, the movie will be black and white, old, like him.
    Flag MCRockerwayAfion November 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:yeah, like some people before said, this song has to do with the whole clandestine thing. i personally think it's about how he knows he's going to die, but for a second he kind of forgets...and then realizes it again. it's hard to explain. like sometimes dreams seem really real, and while you're in them/a second or two after you wake up you might forget the truth, then you remember. there are references to movies/cinema in but home is nowhere... too, so i think this song is about how he thinks for a second that he will be able to continue his career, but then realizes again that he is going to die and never reincarnate. when he "wakes up" from the celluloid dream, all the colors turn to grey. i'm really sorry if none of this makes any sense!
    Flag euphiliteon February 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It sounds to me like it's about a romance he only knows will end in tragedy.It could be about anything though.This one and This Time Imperfect are the best songs off Sing The Sorrow.I hope they release a new cd in 2009.They're overdue for one now.
    Flag tyranny_soulson January 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The part "you light as gently..." doesn't make sense. Is that a typo?
    Flag XxNotsoPunkRawkerxXon May 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's about being with someone in a dream and then waking up to see they're not there. You're only visiting in the dream and you don't want to wake up. It's almost like a movie. It's only temporary.
    Flag MasterKismeton February 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is just a beautiful love song.
    The person he is talking about makes the boy 'melt' inside because she is so beautiful - she 'lands as lightly as the new snow'. Think about snow falling when no one has walked on it yet; how beautiful that is. 'Bathed in your radiance I melt' speaks for itself really - the person he is talking about radiates beauty, and it makes him melt more.
    'All the colours upon leaving turn to grey' - when the girl leaves, everything is dull and boring. The radiance is gone; therefore, the colour is drained and everything looks ugly.
    Flag xedajxon October 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song to me means a boy who can't stop obsessing over a girl and has a dream of her at the same time being lost i a world of denial and regret...hense the line "bathed in your radiance, i melt" (my favorite line)
    Flag Withering_Awayon September 15, 2007   Link

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