On a night like tonight
you saved my life
Red and green
wet shoes slip on refracted lights

Running faster than my legs can take me
Shouting louder than my lungs allow me

Wide as the rivers run
Still got time for someone
Be my embrace now
Be my embrace now
(x 2)

Light a match,
bring the flame over to your eye
Slipping past, you won't see me before you die
Breaking down our sleep, my head's still aching
This war is killing you and all around me

Wide as the rivers run
Still got time for someone
Be my embrace now
Be my embrace now
(x 2)

You go, go, go, go
(x 4)

Wide as the rivers run
Still got time for someone
Be my embrace now
Be my embrace now
(x 4)



Lyrics submitted by girl_afraid

Track duration: 05:29

"Embrace" as written by Phillipa Margaret Brown, Nicholas George Littlemore, Peter Bruce Mayes, Samuel David Littlemore

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Embrace song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:War? Wow you guys got dramatic.

    I think it's more implying distance between two people. Like a lover who is far away. So there's a dramatic imagining of travelling the distance by road to them.

    It's about not being able to reach somebody because they are far away, either physically or emotionally. And wanting to come together.
    Flag ellie2121on December 01, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:When listening to the song I imagine a person who has a very busy life. Things for him/her change as quickly as the traffic lights [red and green]. Always trying to do to the best of his abilities [louder, faster]. Sometimes he stops at some peaceful place [rivers] and reflects. This is where he realises that as busy as he is, he still has time for someone (and that someone is the person who saved his life that night (maybe by making realise that he's got time for love) so he pleads: 'be my embrace now'). All that it takes is to let yourself spark up about that person [light a match] and not miss a chance [slipping past..]. 'This war' makes me think it refers to a war against (or maybe for) time.
    Flag lemonyminton March 08, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:Guys, my interpretation of this song is that it is representing a car accident where the driver hits a pedestrian.

    It is at night-time, raining. The

    "red and green"

    is (obviously) traffic lights.

    "wet shoes slip on refracted lights"

    There are puddles on the ground from the rain, and a pedestrian is crossing the road and slips over, the puddles reflecting the light from the traffic lights and the street.

    "Running faster than my legs will take me"

    The narrator is driving a car, as a car can travel faster than a person.

    "Shouting louder than my lungs allow me"

    She is using the car horn before the moment of impact.

    "Wide as the rivers run"

    Rivers of blood running from the pedestrian

    "Still got time for someone"

    This could mean a few things. One, that there is still time to save the life of the pedestrian that was hit. Two, that there is still time for the narrator to console the pedestrian in her final moments.

    "Be my embrace now"

    This supports the second of the two above options more, but could still provide evidence for both. However, arcing back to the first two lines of the song; "On a night like tonight you saved my life", i would be inclined to say the pedestrian survives. However again, it is also odd that these two lines are sung from the narrator's perspective, when it seems to be the pedestrian who is in danger of dying.

    "You won't see me before you die"

    The pedestrian is fading fast, she may not be in a fit state to see.

    "Breaking down our sleep, my head's still aching"

    I heard this as "breaking down ASLEEP". Now, when you read this whole verse, there is another way i interpert it. The pedestrian is alert enough to light a match and attempt to see the narrator, but the narrator subtly flees the scene, hence the "you won't see me" line. She gets home, and she is "breaking down, asleep" and her head is still in pain from where it was slammed into the steering wheel from braking during the impact.

    It's a beautiful song with a haunting melody. I love it.
    Flag sethwishon February 04, 2011   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:On Pnau's official Facebook page, it says "Wide as the rivers flow," it's not run or flood.
    Flag Recycledvomiton May 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Alright. Ready guys? I'm about to get all philosophical and deep on you guys.

    On a night like tonight
    you saved my life

    Running faster than my legs can take me
    Shouting louder than my lungs allow me

    Slipping past, you won't see me before you die
    This war is killing you and all around me

    Bam. It's about war and how she's grateful to someone for saving her during a battle or something as she's running for her life. Deep huh? :]
    Flag sleepyhead87on May 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:love the song (as all Pnau and Empire of the sun's work), very energetic, I use it as a running tune!

    I think it's about a girl who's been saved by this guy... And now she feels something for him...
    Flag thatsheilaon December 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought it was "Whilst the rivers run, still got time for someone. Be my embrace now."
    Flag thebisonxon August 31, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The Miami Horror/Fred Falke mix of this is majestic.
    Flag Jombion February 04, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:The Miami Horror/Fred Falke mix of this is majestic.
    Flag Jombion February 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:^ thanks, i've changed it. if there's anything else that might be wrong with it, please tell me and i'll fix it asap
    Flag girl_afraidon December 16, 2008   Link

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