Ingrid Michaelson – The Chain

• 0
  My Interpretation:My interpretation is that this is somebody who'd lost a loved one, not necessarily a boyfriend/girlfriend, but more like family and someone loved dearly in a non-romantic way.
  
  The first para and 2nd para are referring to the grieving teller. "The sky looks pissed" to the 2nd "And you my love are gone."
  
  Now the chorus gives hope to her, the teller starts to accept the loss of the loved one and opens up to new possibilities. "So glide away in soapy heels." it refers to oneself to find more people.
  
  "And promise not to promise anymore." this is also talking to the mind itself, telling oneself to not grief for the lost one anymore.
  
  But what about "Then I will take, the chain from off the door?"
  This line means that even though she's starting to open his/her door for new friends and loved ones she will never forget all the memories she'd made from their relationship.
  
  "I'll never say that I'll never love," supporting "So glide..."
  
  "Oh, but I don't say a lot of things," supporting "Then I will take the chain from off the door."

  Flag francismaon April 08, 2013   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:I've recently fallen in love with this song and was stumped, as it seems everyone else was, by the lines "So glide away on soapy heals".... which was why I came here :) So after reading everyone else's interpretations, I read and reread and rereread (You get the point) the chorus, and nothing seemed "right" to me because something always contradicted...until I thought "Well, maybe there's another way to read this line entirely?" And so I reread the whole song and realized she's not really talking to him until the line "And you, my love, are gone"... so the lines "So glide away on soapy heels" does not necessarily need to be about him who left her, but herself. It may be a stretch, but it kinda makes sense.. When I think of someone gliding away on soapy heels, I think of someone who is unsteady-- though it may SOUND fun, it's really not safe or fun... kinda like how living without commitment or responsibility could sound fun, but in the end it's what really keeps a person steady. I think maybe SHE'S the one with the commitment issues- Which would make the next lines a little ironic/poetic "And promise not to promise anymore"... which I'd take as saying "I know I'm unstable and have had commitment issues in the past, but I've made my last promise to you and only you and I will only keep that"... which is why she'll take the chain from off the door when he comes back. Another reason why I think this could be a possible interpretation is because of the line "And I'll never say that I won't love, but I don't say a lot of things, and you my love are gone." She's saying she won't ever love-- but, given their past he must realize that she doesn't say everything and because of that, he's gone. Does that make any sense to anyone else? I feel like if this song were about a man who had commitment issues, then why would she take the chain off the door for him? I feel like this is a chain that's been on the door a LOOOONG time, longer than him... maybe because she says "FROM off the door"... the from makes it sound like the chain is apart of the door and she's removing it permanently for him. You don't do that for someone you can't rely on.
  
  I dunno. But I fully intend on asking Miss Michaelson if I ever should have the chance to meet her :) Beautiful song :)

  Flag kdiddy33on November 01, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:Oh my gosh everytime I listen to this song im close to tears.
  I am a dancer so I also watched dance videos on youtube for almost two hours just watching people move to this song is amazing.
  This song is about losing someone to them passing away..
  
  I mainly knew this because of the line "And promise not to promise anymore"
  Because if a person has passed away they can't promise you anything anymore.
  
  As well, with all the gloomy mood at the beginning:
  The sky looks pissed
  The wind talks back
  The bones are shifting in my skin
  And you my love are gone
  
  This usually is related to a dark mood which is directly related to death.
  
  My room seems wrong
  The bed wont fit
  I cannot seem to operate
  and you my love are gone
  
  She blanky says "you my love are gone"
  
  So glide away on soapy heels
  And promise not to promise anymore
  And if you come around again
  Then I will take, then I will take
  The chain from off the door
  
  I'll never say that I'll never love,
  Oh, but I don't say a lot of things,
  And you my love are gone
  
  I even just want to cry reading the lyrics.
  And the crazy chills you get from it.

  Flag awr1ghton March 27, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  Lyric Correction:I've heard this song plenty of times to tell you all it's "My room FEELS wrong," not "SEEMS wrong."
  
  and be careful to remember the "that" in the first line of the third verse.
  "I'll never say, I'll never love,"
  and
  "I'll never say that I'll never love,"
  mean two COMPLETELY different things.
  
  good day to you (:

  Flag ragingwhirlpoolon October 02, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Opinion:Peter Pan Theory makes more sense to me, it words and mood fits better. Saying it is a carousel based on a portion of the song being sung in a round, seems like it is looking into it too much. Songs are not necessarily that complex.

  Flag Devrinon August 08, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:To be completely honest, I have always thought the line was "so glide away and so be healed". It makes much more sense in my mind even if its not the actual lyrics! I still hear those words when I listen to it too lol

  Flag futurestar12288on March 13, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +3
  Song Meaning:I have a different interpretation of the "fly away on soapy heels" line. The first thought I had when I heard this line was that it was Peter Pan reference. At the beginning of the story, Wendy discovers Peter trying to reattach his shadow by applying soap to his heels. I think this is meant to imply that her lover left her for childish reasons or that he has a Peter Pan complex. Fear of commitment because he didn't want to grow up.

  Flag darkguybon December 20, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:This song is heartbreaking and breath-taking.
  
  To me it means that she has lost someone important and also feels lost without them, as if being their other half was part of her identity; nothing in her life is the same. She recognized that she didn't let them in, which is what she would change if she were given another chance (taking the chain from off the door).

  Flag Megnificenton November 13, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:This song, to me, is about that big argument a lot of couples go through. Here's my breakdown:
  
  The sky looks pissed/the wind talks back
  -the actual argument between you and your lover
  
  The bones are shifting in my skin/ and you my love, are, gone.
  -That awkward feeling of being "shaken" after an argument with your bf/gf and they end up storming off.
  
  My room seems wrong/ the bed won't fit
  -an interpretation of how one feels when your alone in a room that you used to share with your significant other, the room "seems" wrong.
  The part that touches me the most is the line "the bed won't fit" I feel that the actual bed won't fit in the room, but the loneliness one feels when you lye in bed and it feels so big without the other person next to you, the bed itself when you lye on it doesn't seem to fit, if anything it feels too big.
  
  I cannot seem to operate/ and you my love are gone
  -you've gotten so used to doing everything with your bf/gf that even simple tasks seem difficult to preform. when their gone
  
  RERERERERERERERE This is a RE: Response to the conundrum of the line "so glide away on soapy heels"
  I was first introduced to this song through a friend who sang this to me, beautifully if i might add, and she sang this line differently, and in no disrespect to Michaelson, but i much prefer my friend's re-verse.
  
  instead of "so glide away and so be heeled" -something i can never wrap my mind around
  
  in replace with "so fly away and so be healed" -meaning, let your bf/gf go to think about the argument. let them reflect on what was said, what one should have or shouldn't have said.
  
  and promise not to promise anymore
  - the cause of the argument, breaking promises
  
  and if you come around again/then i will take the chains from off the door
  -When your bf/gf has come to realize what went wrong, and has summed up enough courage to come back and apologize, only then, shall you take the chains from off the door. the door whether meaning literally (door of the aparatment), or the door to your heart, both interpretation suffice in my book.
  
  Let me know what you think, THANKS!

  Flag ubtalkn2joelon July 18, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:i always believed this song to be about what all of you have been saying, about how her love left and he heart is now closed off to love, and so on. but recently i got a different interpretation from the song. a close friend of mine's mother just passed away, and the context of the song to me could be interpreted as losing a loved one as well.
  
  The sky looks pissed
  The wind talks back
  The bones are shifting in my skin
  And you my love are gone
  
  My room seems wrong
  The bed wont fit
  I cannot seem to operate
  and you my love are gone
  
  So glide away on soapy heels
  And promise not to promise anymore
  And if you come around again
  Then I will take, then I will take
  The chain from off the door
  
  especially these opening lines, and those who believe in signs after people die, i think this song definitely could be interpreted in this way.

  Flag itimpactson June 16, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

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!