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I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light
Walking down by the bay on the shore
Staring up at the stars that aren't there anymore
I was feeling the night grow old (grow old) and you were looking so cold
So like an introvert, I drew my over shirt
Around my arms and began to shiver violently
Before you happened to look and see (and see) the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark underground
All the subways around create a great sound
To my motion fatigue, farewell
With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves in underwater caves
As if you actually were inside a saltwater room
Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time
Can you believe that the crew has gone?
And they wouldn't let me sign on
All my islands have sunk in the deep,
And I can hardly relax or even oversleep
When I feel warm with your hand in mine
When we walk along the shoreline
I guess we'll never know why sparrows love the snow
We'll turn out all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow
So tell me darlin', do you wish we'd fall in love?
Yeah, all the time
All the time
Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time
Time together isn't ever quite enough
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time
Oh, all the time
Walking down by the bay on the shore
Staring up at the stars that aren't there anymore
I was feeling the night grow old (grow old) and you were looking so cold
So like an introvert, I drew my over shirt
Around my arms and began to shiver violently
Before you happened to look and see (and see) the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark underground
All the subways around create a great sound
To my motion fatigue, farewell
With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves in underwater caves
As if you actually were inside a saltwater room
Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time
Can you believe that the crew has gone?
And they wouldn't let me sign on
All my islands have sunk in the deep,
And I can hardly relax or even oversleep
When I feel warm with your hand in mine
When we walk along the shoreline
I guess we'll never know why sparrows love the snow
We'll turn out all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow
So tell me darlin', do you wish we'd fall in love?
Yeah, all the time
All the time
Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time
Time together isn't ever quite enough
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time
Oh, all the time
Lyrics submitted by LovelyMauve
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I’m sorry it’s so long, I tend to ramble. And some of the ideas are probably a bit thin/stretched out.
(note: this is just my personal interpretation of the song. It could mean absolutely anything to you. It’s just how I see it )
Strap yourselves in & let me know what you think!
I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light - he “opened his eyes”, he realised & saw the truth. And “saw her in the low light” -which means he saw her in new a way that was bad/not very nice… [See next 2 lines]
Walking down by the bay on the shore - Now, in the album Ocean Eyes, the sea represents good things/happy life/love etc. So, he noticed that she was “by the bay, on the shore”. He saw that she isn’t actually in the sea (despite being very close to it, with him), she’s not living that happy life, she’s not in a love-fueled relationship or very happy. She’s nearly there…but not quite.
Staring up at the stars that aren’t there anymore- The stars here also represent something good/happy. Something better. She had that, now it’s gone- so she’s had her heartbroken in the past, but she still looks up in hope. She wants to find love and be happy once again (note: In the original version of this song, it said Planes instead of Stars. & In Maybe I’m Dreaming, planes mean the same thing as the sea: love, happy life etc. e.g. in “Air Traffic”). This is the lowlight he sees her in - the real truth about her.
I was feeling the night grow old and you were looking so cold -As time was going by he noticed that she was getting lonely too. (The word “night” meaning the time that they’re lonely, or the rut that they’re both stuck in.) This lonely feeling is getting old, so he doesn’t want any more of it. He’s just sick of it
So like an introvert, I drew my over shirt Around my arms and began to shiver violently- He only really helped himself, not her. He’s not doing her any favours, even though she’s “cold” herself. But, at the same time, his selfishness causes repercussions for himself. He’s suffering the consequences (“shivering”)
Before you happened to look and see the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark underground, All the subways around create a great sound - She found a way to “get to him” (through the “tunnels”).The tunnels could represent his vulnerability. He’s vulnerable because he’s desperate for a way out. And, so is she. The idea of being in a relationship looked and seemed like a good idea (“create a great sound”). Also -with subways being underground- that means they’re dark. And, isn’t darkness the thing they’re tying to escape from? (“Night”) So, they’re not really doing anything to help their situation. Only worsening it.
To my motion fatigue, farewell - Fatigue means tiredness, so motion fatigue should mean his tiredness which is moving on/escalating/getting worse. Which is because of his loneliness/sadness. So, when the boy and girl get together, it sounds like a good idea. At first, anyway. (Bye, bye to motion fatigue)
With your ear to a seashell, you can hear the waves in underwater caves as if you actually were in a Saltwater Room- Y’know when you put your ear to a seashell and they say it makes the sound of the sea? Yeah, well, that.
“The Saltwater Room”, means the sea. The sea being happiness/love/etc.
So, she’s putting her ear to the seashell to pretend she’s in the “saltwater room”(sea). Because, she isn’t real. It’s all a lie. This isn’t a real relationship. They’re pretending, because they’re lonely, desperate and they just want a way out.
Time together isn’t ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I’ve never felt so at home- When they’re together, it’s great. And they’re happy. Bye bye loneliness, he feels at home! It seems like a great idea. He gets lost in the moment when they’re together. But he only feels at home - he’s not at home.
What will it take to make or break this hint of love? -Hint of love. It’s not love love, they need to see whether it can be. They’re at a crossroad.
Only time, only time- this goes back to “Time together isn’t ever quite enough”. They need time to discover whether they’re in love or not, but time will never be enough. They’re not in love and they never will be.
Can you believe that the crew has gone?
And they wouldn’t let me sign on -He had his chance and he blew it. i.e. He could have gone out into the sea (or “Saltwater Room”) to have love and a happiness. But, he didn’t take it & now they’ve gone he’s not allowed to join them. His chance has gone and he’s blaming them. Rather than blaming himself because his judgement’s clouded by his own desperation. (Boat crew—> going out into the sea. Clever, eh?)
[Note: think about The Yacht Club. Where, the boy & the girl falling in love means them joining the Yacht Club. Gah - he’s so clever!! I love his use of themes!]
All my islands have sunk in the deep
And I can hardly relax or even oversleep -His other ways of going into the “sea” have gone now. Now that he’s with this girl, his chances of finding real love are slim (islands could be a way of getting into the sea, like a platform or whatever). It’s too late and he’s worrying and losing sleep about this.
But I feel warm with your hand in mine
When we walk along the shoreline- They’re both near the sea on the shoreline, but not quite there. They’re not quite in love. Neither of them is feeling it. However, (like he said in the chorus) when they’re together it’s good, and warm. It’s a safe bet & it feels nice. They make each other feel happy & comfortable when they’re together.
I guess we’ll never know why sparrows love the snow- I’m not 100% sure about this line. Maybe a)He’s not too how or why they ended up together in the first place or b)He doesn’t know how lovers find each other in the first place & they’re stuck with each other, so they’ll never discover for themselves. A “We’ll never find love, oh well, that’s a shame” kind of line.
————————————————
Original version:
I feel as if I were home some nights - This elaborates the “When you are alone, I’ve never felt so at home” point.
[I’m cutting up the line like this, because it makes more sense with my interpretation. & It’s how I think the lines go.]
When we count all the ship lights, I guess I’ll never know why sparrows love the snow - Looking out into the sea, seeing where they could’ve been & the love they could’ve had, in the sea. And, as he looks on, he realises that he’ll never discover what that’s like for himself. (Which goes along with my b) explanation for the Ocean Eyes version)
————————————————
We’ll turn out all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow -Some people reckon it’s an innuendo or something, but I have a different idea. I reckon it’s that they’re ignoring all the negatives about this (like the fact that they don’t actually love each other, and they’re unhappy) & just brushing it under the carpet, so to speak.
They’re turning out the lights, but setting the ballroom aglow? There’s something off about that. So, to make this look like it works (being “aglow”) - they need to ignore the lack-of-love. (I really hope I’m making sense here! :/)
So tell me darling, do you wish we’d fall in love?
Yeah, all the time, all the time -See, they want to be in love. Because they’re both lonely hearts and love the idea of “being in the sea”/in love. But that’s just not what they have.
Also, the use of the word “wish” is important. (I googled this:) The difference between the words ”wish”” and hope“ is that hope is when you want something that’s probable/likely to happen, when “wish” is something very unlikely or maybe impossible. (e.g. “I hope is doesn’t rain tomorrow” Vs. “I wish I had 9 lives like cats) They’re not gonna be falling in love.
However, the use of the word “Darling” shows there’s some affection there. Or they’re at least trying.
When we’re apart what ever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?- When they’re together it feels right. But, when they’re apart, and he has a clearer head, that’s when he realises that he’s alone and they’re not meant to be. The one bit of warmth he has is a lie and that makes him feel lonelier. (If this was a story about real love, why would his “home” feel lonely?)
———-
So,to sum it up, I reckon it’s about a very lonely boy and a very lonely girl. They find each other through their loneliness and when they’re together it feels right because it beats that lonely feeling for a while. But, when he takes a strep back to think about it he realises that this isn’t love and it isn’t enough. But, they’re stuck with each other because they were so very, very lonely and they don’t want to go back to that dark place not matter how incontent they are with this relationship. Or how much they have to give up. And no matter how many times they say “give it time” or brush their lack-of-love under the carpet, they’ll never, ever be in love. However, it does that air of optimism that Owl City is so good at. I mean, they’re hoping aren’t they? They’re willing to push aside any anxieties they have about this relationship, and to risk any future hopes just so they can have this one shot at happiness. They could be being too optimistic if anything.
The songs actually pretty sad, when you think about it :(
For me I think it means that they'll go ahead with their relationship and go socialize with other partners.
I believe it's about a girl and guy that are friends who are starting to develop feeling for each other. The guy seems to have many emotional problems. Now the breakdown of the lyrics.
"I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light"
-The guy wakes up and instantly starts thinking about what went on last night
-The "low light" probably refers to literal low light, meaning its nighttime, which is easily identifiable with the lyrics to come
"Walking down by the bay, on the shore, Staring up at the stars that aren't there anymore"
-That's pretty self explanatory; she's walking by the shore at night, no doubt accompanied by the guy
"I was feeling the night grow old"
-No need for explanation
"and you were looking so cold, So like an introvert, I drew my over shirt, Around my arms and began to shiver violently"
-She's cold, so he gives her his over shirt to sacrifice his warmth for hers
"Before you happened to look and see the tunnels all around me, Running in to the dark underground"
-This is where it seems to get more emotional. I think this refers to him having emotional problems, mainly, loneliness
"All the subways around create a great sound"
-There's two ways I can take this:
1- This is referring again to these "tunnels running in to the dark underground" where there are possibly subways in these "tunnels" and scream with joy when he's with her and to me seems that he feels like all his problems go away when he's with her (like loneliness).
or
2-He literally means he hears subways and simply likes the sound of them.
"To my motion fatigue, farewell, with your ear to a seashell"
-He's thinking of how great he feels when he's with her as he watches her put a seashell to her ear.
"You can hear the waves in underwater caves, As if you actually were inside a saltwater room"
-She hears the typical sound of the "ocean" when she puts the seashell to her ear
-The "saltwater room" may be an actual thing of existence that I'm unaware of, but I'm pretty sure they don't exist, so I think this is just possibly a figment of imagination to the guy because he loves the sea.
"Time together isn't ever quite enough"
-Obvious
"When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home"
-His loneliness is cured when he's with her
"What will it take to make or break this hint of love? Only time, only time"
-Now at first this was the part of the song that made me feel like this was a sad song, but again, my views have changed
-I now believe she's wondering what would "make or break" the start of their developing feelings for each other, and he answers that time is the answer, because their "hint of love" would fade over time if neither of them did anything about it, but in order for feelings to develop, it takes time... so it answers both parts of the question
"Can you believe that the crew has gone? And the wouldn't let me sign on"
-This could be a reference to a sea crew that he wanted to join because of his love for the ocean, or it could be old friends that left him behind in some way or other. Either way, it seemed to have hurt him, which is probably part of those emotional "tunnels"
"All my islands have sunk in the deep"
-I'm not really sure about this part. My only thought right now is that it could possibly be financial debt because the islands (money, source of wealth, etc.) have sunk (debt)
"And I can hardly relax or even oversleep"
-He can't sleep because of his problems
"When I feel warm with your hand in mine, When we walk along the shore line"
-He's recalling good memories with her
"I guess we'll never know why sparrows love the snow"
-This is the part that I'm most unsure of. I think he's using this as an analogy of sorts to his situation with the girl; apparently sparrows love the snow (I don't know if that's true or not) and he doesn't know why, and he also doesn't know exactly why he feels the way he does when he's around this girl
"We'll turn out all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow"
-We're going to fix the problems and let our love grow
Well I believe that's it. I love this song so much I've spent like 20 minutes typing all of this up, and it's pretty much just come to me when I was listening to it a little while ago. Anyways, my thoughts are that this song isn't a sad song at all, but the starting of love. I hope you like my thoughts :)
"Time together isn't ever quite enough"
I feel that this is saying that the time they spend with each other never lasts long enough and that they always find themselves wanting to be together for longer.
"When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home"
I feel that this is saying that they feel best when they are together and that whatever else they do doesn't quite feel right without the other.
"What will it take to make or break this hint of love"
I feel that this is saying that although they both may have realised their love for each other, they are not willing to admit it to the other through words in fear that it will "break" their relationship.
"Only time, only time"
I felt that this is saying that they need to let time pass for their love to blossom and for them to get to a stage where they feel able to admit their love to the other, and for it to "make...this hint of love"
These lines especially feel very close to me as I feel that the "hint of love" is there, although I am not sure if it is large enough to "make" the love. Also, we talk for long periods of time each night, and I feel happy and "at home" when I am doing so, but after stopping talking, I wish that we could be talking again and that I had more things to say to her.
"So tell me darlin', do you wish we'd fall in love?
Yeah, all the time
All the time"
I feel that this is what they both want to happen but cannot because they do not know what the other person is feeling exactly, although they know it is love, it may not be the same love that they are giving.
These lines represent how I feel about the girl and possibly (hopefully) what she thinks about me; that we want to fall properly and openly in love, rather than keeping our most true feelings hidden from each other.
Thankyou for taking the time to read this (rather long) comment.
PS: I like the newer version better. Even if only because "stars" seems to fit better than "planes". More sentimental, I guess. :)
But it has come to my attention that they got some of the lyrics wrong...
"Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so in awe"
Not "at home"
Listen to it closely, you can tell
The only tough line is "if this is what i call home, why does it feel so alone?"
but i think it can translate to "if i love being with you so much, why are we not together?"
as for the verses, they confuse me at some points.
Ps i like the newer version better :D
It's so cute! The girl's voice is so sweet and goes well with Adam's.