Backwards, forwards but making no ground at all
Standing in the city with the clocks counting one
And your face is still wet from the fight before
As your tears hit the ground, blue flowers spring from them
Baby, I'm ashamed of the things I put you through
Baby, I'm ashamed of the man I was for you

[Chorus]
And all you said in your quietest voice
Was "I needed you as much as they do"

How fast must we run before we can just take off in flight?
How far must we run before they do not recognize us?
So let's take this from the start, you'll be me and I'll be you
And let's try not to complain about your smoking
And my distant heart
And my distant heart
And my distant heart

[Chorus]

(Too many mirrors in this house)
(And I don't like to see myself like this)
(I'm becoming the man I used to be I guess)
(These walls could tell you a thing or two)
(Things that you really don't want to know)
(Lend me your eyes for your point of view)
(Lend me your feet and I'll stand up for you)

[Chorus]



Lyrics submitted by true.love.way

Track duration: 04:35

"Zephyrus" as written by Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Zephyrus song meanings
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33 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:In the first section of this song i believe its him (or a guy) feeling horrible for the tears that were shed because of him, how he is trying to make things better, but it hasnt been getting better. and by the "clocks count one" i think its maybe how often they fought with each other. there for he puts him self down for the kind of man he is or is to this women.

    the Chorus is so small...but i think it has allot of meaning. basically the other stating that she needed him on a day/night he wasn't there. saying it in a quiet voice cause she was scared for another fight to start between the two of them.

    in the verse after the chorus these words symbolize a way of running away, just for things to be them, to have no one else in there way. for them to switch places with each other so they will learn about each other and understand what goes on in there minds.and maybe the distant heart is him cheating?? im not sure.

    the verse of talking is just symbolizing that he hates who he has become. how he cant stand him self any longer.

    i hope i did ok xD
    Flag josjoson May 10, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I know song meanings are personal to the individual as you tend to apply the words to a specific part of your life but I think its obvious that the song is about a troubled couple. However, I don't think the narrator is cheating, the lines 'your face is still wet from the night before... And all you said in your quietest voice was I needed you as much as they do', I used to be in a relationship that was very intense and he did love me but he used to be extremely angry and fight constantly with other people and he found it hard to connect with me sometimes 'distant heart'. To me it seems like a typical 'bad lad' trying to be different for a girl but failing 'baby I am ashamed of the things I put you through. Baby I am ashamed of the man I was for you' then it ends with 'too many mirrors in this house and I don't like to see myself like this, I am becoming the man I used to be'. I am probably completely wrong but so many times I said "I need you more than they do" so that's what the song means to me..
    Flag BlaxFoxon December 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is just taking an idea an running with it, but...
    I think this song is about a forced relationship. Perhaps the narrator started going out with his s.o. (significant other) out of sympathy or kindness, but in the end it isn't what's best because he still has a "distant heart" and gets hung up on small grievances like smoking, resenting them. He still feels bad and wants to keep trying, though, starting over and trying to make it work. Maybe they had been close before the relationship and he doesn't want to lose the friendship?
    In the end, though, because he doesn't feel the same, all he can do is acknowledge his hurting them and feel ashamed for it.
    I think this especially because the lines about not liking what he sees come after his lines about starting over-in the end, it just can't work and his s.o. still suffers.
    This would fit into the mythology, too, because if Zephyrus was forcing a love onto Hyacinth, it only ended up hurting them both.
    Again, just running with an idea.
    Flag Leprosteveon January 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Personally, my favourite lyrics (amazing work all 'round, Kele!) are:

    "So let's take this from the start
    You'll be me and I'll be you,
    And let's try not to complain about
    Your smoking, and my distant heart."

    It's like one person saying to the other "let's start over again" but the clever trick to the lyrics is that he wants them to switch personalities so they can see how the other person perceives things. The speaker is saying how the other person complained about his smoking as the main fault in their relationship (e.g. focusing on a small thing, being not too committed or attentive). The speaker wants this person to see how he was trying so hard to be with them, but they were alwys distant and cold.
    Lyrical fucking genius.
    Flag this_is_your_life07on August 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song sounds a lot like the prayer from a weekend in the city because of the off beat tempo and soaring chorus
    Flag helicopteron June 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm trying to sum up everyone's comments really.
    It's about two people in a relationship, yet one is not completely commited to it. This one is famous, and has many distractions, many personalities, by the way that he says "baby i'm ashamed of the man i was for you", saying that he was a different man when they were in a relationship, because he has to have a lot of personalities because he is famous. They have had some kind of fight, probably because the narrator has been cheating. Only now does he realise what terrible things he's done. He writes "two many mirrors in this house / and i dont like seeing myself like this", saying that he has only just seen his real personality. He also wants to take his partners eyes to see her point of view, because he still wants her back
    Flag Casparon June 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:always reminds me of Eavan Bolands poem The Pomegranate... just the mythology in both of them
    Flag hopetheressomeoneon May 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm thinking about your comment supasyd23, theres way more behind it then a simple apology to some girl. Kele, your lyrics are purely amazing.
    Flag Kleveron April 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Don't know if this has any reference, but in some terms 'Zephyrus' or 'Zephyr' means a gust of wind, or specifically an easterly wind?
    Flag Kleveron April 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think this songs trying to show how he feels about the person he loves, by switching the role.
    he feels like she has a distant heart but she hates his smoking.
    Flag morrissey123on April 15, 2009   Link

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