Said your name, in an empty room.
Said your name, in an empty room.
Something I would never do.

Said your name, in an empty room.
Said your name, in an empty room.
Something I would never do.

I'm alone again.

When I'm by myself,
I can be myself,
And my life is coming but I don't know when.

You were burning now you're black and grey.
You were burning now you're black and grey.
Something I would never say.

I'm alone again.

When I'm by myself,
I can be myself,
And my life is coming but I don't know when.

Toute ma vie, est avec toi.
Toute ma vie, est avec toi.
Moi J'attends, toi tu pars.

Toute ma vie, est avec toi.
Toute ma vie, est avec toi.
Moi J'attends, toi tu pars.



Lyrics submitted by bm15420

Track duration: 02:54


Empty Room song meanings
Add your thoughts

20 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    My Interpretation:absolutely miserable indeed, and quite beautiful. Makes me smile.

    Said your name in an empty room.
    First we imagine some significant other or departed friend.. but as the song builds, and invokes the vaguest sense of travel, or flight, the lyrics take an increasingly eerie tone.. Images of someone sitting alone, yet flying or falling, possibly tripping on drugs, or falling into a coma of some kind.
    Said your name in an empty room.

    Could it be their own name the writer is referring to?

    You were burning, now you're black and grey.
    What consomaut mentioned, of a child-hood friend become seemingly less expressive, is an inviting concept. Of child-hood stretching to the limits, not quite making it into adult-hood, very entertainable and interesting. But does not correspond quite enough with the undeniably eerie quality these verses are colored with in the contrast of melodies and wall of sound. Hmmm, but considering for a moment that it is possibly a letter to themselves, then it somehow strangely would make better sense to me. Because the lyrics in their entirety, altogether very clearly resemble a kind of journal entry, about nothing in particular.
    You were burning now you're black and grey.

    I've seen other people write notes to themselves, but the private ones are something else, only found by accident if ever. Beautiful.

    So then perhaps the song was simply evocative of a person, no one in particular, silently falling apart inside. Maybe teetering on the edge of insanity as they question their life.
    Flag thymamaion September 16, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Huh. I always thought the lyrics were:

    "Sitting in, in an empty room."

    ;)

    Amazing song, though. Amazing band really.
    Flag Steeon July 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The french part translation is :
    I will spend my entire life with you
    I will spend my entire life with you
    I'm waiting, you're leaving

    I will spend my entire life with you
    I will spend my entire life with you
    I'm waiting, you're leaving

    A literal translation is wrong, only the meaning matters!
    A french guy
    Flag Tendaxon July 28, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This is the first lyric site I've come across that actually has the last verses right whereas all the other websites don't even have correct French grammar
    Flag emgeeemteeon July 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Teen angst - unrequited love (said your name in an empty room), identity issues/pressures to conform (when I'm by myself, I can be myself), and the looming uncertainty of adult life (my life is coming but I don't know when). Also, the French at the end reminds me of how kids starting to learn another language will write simple phrases in that language that they don't want others to understand, such their massive, melodramatic crush on some person.
    Flag blue.painted.tearson June 08, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I love how the most depressing songs that Arcade Fire have, they have the most upbeat tempos
    Flag ActionWaterson February 24, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:To me this song makes me think of my best friend who passed away last June.

    The feelings of loneliness
    "Said your name in an empty room
    Something I would never do."

    She was cremated.

    "you were burning, now you're black and grey.
    Something I would never say."

    It's a very sad song, yet I love it so much.
    Flag Sheeton December 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Remember that their full albums tell a story, a la Neil Young and many others. Think about the full compilation of songs when you analyze this one.

    Some of you are on to something. Honestly, this reminds me of a relationship I was in, where I had a very fulfilling job and my ex had lost hers, and was searching (aimlessly, or effortlessly) for something new after being beaten down in her old gig. She was by herself most of the time, and for some reason she was content with that. ("When I'm by myself, I can be myself"). The French translation says it all. There had to be a break there in some way. The songs that followed keep the narrative going.
    Flag Bwhoon November 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:a teenager with a crush on either a person in their life or some star.
    Said your name in an empty room (to no one else but the person)
    Something I would never do (as in try to make the relationship work by actually asking the person out)
    You're burning now you're black and grey (and maybe they burn the picture but wouldn't actually go out and hurt the person)
    They're stuck with the feelings and hoping for life to happen, but it won't. The person they have a crush on moves on with their life while the narrator remains stuck.
    Flag danafr4on September 22, 2010   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:The way I see this song, it seems to be about an independent person who has fallen in love.

    They likely had a relationship- good or bad- but then it ended, and then they were forced to acknowledge the fact that some part of them still hung on to those feelings, that person, those memories. They're saying their name in an empty room, where no one else can hear the fact that they haven't completely moved on yet.

    Usually, I'd say that the person in question would project themselves as a independent, strong person that's more or less alright no matter what they go through in life, hence "something I would never do." Saying their name, admitting even to themselves that they aren't as indestructible as they might have thought and that their heart is still aching... those are things that they can only do when they're 'by themselves' in an empty room. They know their 'life is coming,' they know they'll be alright eventually, but for this moment they've allowed a weakness.
    Flagged RaiMidorion September 02, 2010   Link

Add your thoughts

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!

Back to top
explain