Florence and the Machine – Only If for a Night

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  My Interpretation:I know this song is about Florence's grandma, but the reason I love this song is because for me, personally, I think this song is not just about the dead. This song is about anyone you have ever loved and missed, and the longing to be with them once more, only if for night. I mean that's basically the gist of the song anyways, but everyone knows it's written for Florence's grandma.
  
  Love this song so much <3

  Flag sappire999on February 12, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:love this song, i keep replaying....

  Flag lalis199on January 08, 2013   Link

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  My Interpretation:This song for me is about the loss of childhood innocence. Listening to this, I realized just how far I had come from my days of glitter and cartwheels and handstands. Now, I am restricted to the services in the graveyards, only getting to hold my little "cerimonials" in the dark of night or all alone. The ghost in the song is my memories of the times of running aruond in the school yard. "And the only solution was to stand and fight" is about the fights I had with my friends that began the transition from kid to young adult. "But you came over me, like some holy right, and although I was burning you're the only light" refers to how I lost all those fights and most of my friends because they had the backing of the rest of the group, while I stood alone, refusing to give in. An exceptionally personal interpretation, but it's what I think.

  Flagged AbbyPaigeon January 05, 2013   Link

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  Memory:I actually had a similar dream that florence had where I saw my dead grandmother. In my dream the background was all white and all I saw was her face and she talked to me giving me advice and saying that she loved me and that she is always looking down on me. Once I knew what this song was about, it instantly hit home to me and it makes me tear up every time I listen to it, because I miss my grandma so so so much.

  Flag TwilightAngel84on December 07, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Florence stated in in interview that she wrote this about a dream she had where her dead grandmother visited her near her old school and gave her some career advise. she said that she thought it strange that sometthing spiritual could be so practical. She also said it was partly inspired by joan of arc and about dreams and visions

  Flag scoobydogon November 12, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:After listening to this song for the hundredth time, I think I have formed my opinion on what this song is about. It's obvious from Flo's other songs that she has battled depression. Her grandmother committed suicide. Perhaps Flo was going through a particularly dark time, contemplating suicide, self harming ("My body was bruised and was set alight). In this dark time, her grandmother came to her, in a dream or in her imagination, to help her through it, convincing her not to hurt herself (And you told me I should concentrate), to fight through her depression (And the only solution was to stand and fight).
  
  This is an absolutely beautiful song that carries so much meaning for different people. My interpretation may or may not be right but that's how I see it.

  Flag Musicats78on August 21, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:The song was written about a dream Florence once had where her dead grandmother was back from the grave.

  Flag SummLifeeon August 16, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:To me, the song is about remembering loved ones warmly but also not dwelling in the past.
  
  It switches from 'her' to 'you', so to me the 'her' is her grandmother and the 'you' is the voice in her head telling her she has to be strong and not get lost in sorrow and memories. Her dreams are filled with memories of her grandmother, of her as a child, but then the 'ghost' (i.e. voice of reason, perhaps a more mature Florence in her own dreams) tells her to concentrate, then it leads into a verse about standing and fighting no matter how hurt she might be.
  
  That's what it means to me, anyway.

  Flag starcrossedvoyager170on March 07, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:such a powerful song. "And you told me I should concentrate. It was all so strange and so sureal that a ghost should be so practical..." or "Tell me what all the sighings about..." just a reminder we always have people looking out for us and we are stronger than we think.

  Flag ucs806on January 29, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:This song is quite dark and beautiful. Ghost of a loved one coming to you in a dream...telling you not to give up...i love it.

  Flag JackSylverwindon January 19, 2012   Link

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