Florence + the Machine: Never Let Me Go Meaning
Song Released: 2011
Never Let Me Go Lyrics
Fractured moonlight on the sea
Reflections still look the same to me,
As before I went under.
And it's peaceful in the deep,
Cathedral where you cannot breathe,
No need to pray, no need to speak
Now I am...
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For me personally, the song is about the emotions (toward the person) so strong that it is impossible to fight, doesn't matter it hey are wrong or right. So the ocean is that person, who is so important and all consuming to her, that she compares him with Ocean. She may understand that being with him is wrong, that's why its equal to drowning but she's giving in, because she cant do otherwise.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT LOVE AND THE CONFLICTING FEELINGS OF BEING IN LOVE
Looking out from underneath,(LOOKING OVER THE LOVE)
Fractured moonlight on the sea(CRACKS IN THE LOVE)
Reflections still look the same to me,
As before I went under. (THE UNDERLYING LOVE IS STILL THE SAME WHEN THEY FIRST FELL IN LOVE,EVEN WITH CRACKS)
And it's peaceful in the deep, (PEACEFUL BEING IN LOVE)
Cathedral where you cannot breathe, (TAKES HER BREATH AWAY)
No need to pray, no need to speak
Now I am under.(SO IN LOVE, NO NEED TO SPEAK OR PRAY AS SHE IS CONSUMED BY LOVE. IT IS ALL SHE NEEDS)
And it's breaking over me, (THE LOVE IS TAKING CONTROL OF HER)
A thousand miles onto the sea bed, (SHE FEELS 1000 MILES AWAY FROM REALITY)
Found the place to rest my head.(SHE FEELS AT EASE WITH HIM. SO IN LOVE)
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.(DOESNT WANT HIM TO LEAVE HER)
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me,(HER LOVE FOR HIM IS LIFTING HER UP AND IS AS POWERFUL AS THE OCEAN CURRENT)
And all this devotion was rushing out of me, (LOVE IS POURING FROM HER IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES AND SHE IS DEVOTED TO HIM)
And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me, (THE LOVE IS LIKE HEAVEN, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS DONE BAD THINGS. COULD BE RELATED TO THE 'CRACKS' AT THE BEGGINNING)
The arms of the ocean deliver me.(THE POWER OF THE LOVE MAKES HER HER TRUE SELF)
Though the pressure's hard to take, (OF LOVE AND THE COMMITTMENT)
It's the only way I can escape, (SHE CAN ESCAPE HERSELF AND FEEL AMAZING WITH THE OTHER PERSON AND LET HERSELF GO)
It seems a heavy choice to make,
Now I am under.(ITS TOUGH BEING IN LOVE AS SHE IS UNDER HIS SPELL AND NOT IN CONTROLL)
And it's breaking over me, (TAKING CONTROL OF HER)
A thousand miles onto the sea bed, (SHE FEELS 1000 MILES AWAY FROM REALITY)
Found the place to rest my head.(FOUND HER LOVE TO REST WITH)
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.(DOESNT WANT HIM TO LEAVE HER)
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me,(HER HUGE LOVE FOR HIM ARE LIFTING HER UP AND ARE AS POWERFUL AS THE OCEAN CURRENT)
And all this devotion was rushing out of me, (LOVE IS POURING FROM HER IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES AND SHE IS DEVOTED TO HIM)
And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me, (THE LOVE IS LIKE HEAVEN, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS DONE BAD THINGS. COULD BE RELATED TO THE 'CRACKS' AT THE BEGGINNING)
The arms of the ocean deliver me.(THE POWER OF LOVE MAKES HER WHO SHE IS)
And it's over, (HER CONTROL)
And I'm going under, (UNDER HIS SPELL)
But I'm not giving up! (NOT GIVING UP ON HIS LOVE/SPELL)
I'm just giving in.(SHE IS GIVING INTO HIM AND GIVING HERSELF TO HIM)
Oh, slipping underneath.(UNDERNEATH HIS SPELL)
Oh, so cold, but so sweet.(IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST THING FOR HER BUT IT SHE LIKES IT)
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me,(HER HUGE LOVE FOR HIM ARE LIFTING HER UP AND ARE AS POWERFUL AS THE OCEAN CURRENT)
And all this devotion was rushing out of me, (LOVE IS POURING FROM HER IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES AND SHE IS DEVOTED TO HIM)
And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me, (THE LOVE IS LIKE HEAVEN, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS DONE BAD THINGS. COULD BE RELATED TO THE 'CRACKS' AT THE BEGGINNING)
The arms of the ocean deliver me.(THE POWER OF LOVE MAKES HER WHO SHE IS)
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.(DOESNT WANT HIM TO LEAVE HER)
Deliver me.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.(DOESNT WANT HIM TO LEAVE HER)
Deliver me.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.(DOESNT WANT HIM TO LEAVE HER)
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.(DOESNT WANT HIM TO LEAVE HER)
And it's over, (HER CONTROL)
And I'm going under, (UNDER HIS SPELL)
But I'm not giving up! (NOT GIVING UP ON HIS LOVE/SPELL)
I'm just giving in.(SHE IS GIVING INTO HIM AND GIVING HERSELF TO HIM)
Oh, slipping underneath.(UNDERNEATH HIS SPELL)
Oh, so cold, but so sweet.(IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST THING FOR HER BUT IT SHE LIKES IT) -
I think a boy she loved drowned and she was heartbroken and commited suicide(thats why she thinks shes a sinner) by drowning herself (thats why shes wet in the video) and then the video is them finding eachother again (they're looking around for something at the start) and when she dies then they find eachother, and they'll never let go again, they'll always be together.
The arms of the ocean deliver me - they take her to him
It's the only way I can escape - She's tried living without him but that doesnt work, they cant be appart because it hurts too much. She has to escape the pain and the only way to do that is being with him, so she drowns herself.
But I'm not giving up!I'm just giving in. -people think suicide is giving up, but she is just giving into death because she knows it will take her to him.
Oh slipping underneath Oh so cold but so sweet - Shes dying but death doesn't matter because it means shes with him again, and she is at peace because of that.
They have found eachother again now and they'll always be together in death. They'll never let eachother go.
Its such a beautiful song and video<3 -
Personally I think while on the surface she appears to be talking about suicide and giving in to the burdens of her life above the water, for me this is all symbolic about letting go and finally finding peace by just being still, reflecting on things and giving in but not giving up.
I think she is asking for fate, this feeling, the new peace she feels to never let her go so that she doesn't need to hold on and SHE can let go and be at peace.
It is just such beautiful imagery. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was go out beyond the breakers and try to hold myself to the sand while I looked up to the sky from beneath the waves. It freaked my family out but it was so peaceful and pretty just listening to the crashing waves.
Of course it could be about suicide. I definitely think the song 'What the water gave me' is about suicide and telling the seems familiar, there are a few stories in literature and history of women taking their lives in very similar fashion that this song reminds me of.
The whole Ceremonials album feels so spiritual. I love it. -
I think its about her dying and her telling her loved ones to never let me go
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I believe it is about suicide. The never let me go I believe is her loved ones never forgetting about her.
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I thought it might be about the Titanic, but maybe I'm wrong :)
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This is one of my favourite songs of all time, its about a person who seeks an escape from the pain and pressure. Then she finds someone, and is chanting 'never let me go', obviously saying dont leave me. But in the end she gives up, or in this case 'gives in', because she cant take it any more, saying she doesnt regret killing herself becasue it is an escape from everything -her pain, problems and pressures-.
She would rather die then live the life she was living. -
This is one of my favourite songs of all time, its about a person who seeks an escape from the pain and pressure. Then she finds someone, and is chanting 'never let me go', obviously saying dont leave me. But in the end she gives up, or in this case 'gives in', because she cant take it any more, saying she doesnt regret kiling herself becasue it is an escpape from everything -her pain, problems and pressures-.
She would rather die then live the life she was living. -
"And it's breaking over me,
A thousand miles onto the sea bed,
Found the place to rest my head." she's been through so much, and she final found a way to be peaceful (suicide possibly) she rests her head.
"Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go." she wants to kill herself, but has doubts, she she desperately clings on to someone who will make her stop.
"Though the pressure's hard to take,
It's the only way I can escape,
It seems a heavy choice to make,
Now I am under." pressure is a big factor to the reason people kill themselves, and killing herself is the only way to be peaceful, yet its a really heavy choice to make, because you cant take it back once its done, yet shes already under the decision to do so.
"And it's over,
And I'm going under,
But I'm not giving up!
I'm just giving in." shes nor giving up on life, shes just giving in to the pain.
"Oh, so cold, but so sweet" its a very cold, sad decision to make, yet a very nice sweet, peaceful way to go.. -
Can def be about death but for me this song relates to more of an emotional letting go. Being at peace and allowing new love or life back to ones life. Letting go of the dark and depro space that felt safe and familiar and finally living again. Allowing oneself to fall in love again and letting go . Finding that place again that made one feel so good and at peace. To never let of the feeling that makes one feel content and whole again.
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Just touched on some bases i thought were interesting.
looking up from underneath fractured moonlight on the sea reflections still look the same to me as before i went under
( watching lives from underwater is just as it was when she was living, she doesn't regret her choice in death. basically saying that she doesn't miss life. Heaven is better.)
and its breaking over me
(she's beneath the sea looking up from underneath and she sees all that she has done and is watching as its being forgiven)
1000 miles down to the seabed found a place to rest my head.
( after drowning, she's finally found a place that brings her peace and releases her problems)
and the crashes are heaven
(her guilt breaking and parting with her, like water when it hits the rocks,it breaks free of one form and separates some of itself from the sea.)
for a sinner like me
(because she repenting and seeking forgiveness)
and the arms of the ocean deliver me
(she drowned herself and now her pain and guilt are being washed away under the waves of the ocean while her body drags out far and under deep, she has no breath left to breathe because the water is filling up her lungs and she's dying and is also in the in between of life and death, heaven almost. the ocean is essentially her passage into the afterlife, deliverance.
And its over
and I'm going under
but I'm not giving up
I'm just giving in
(my life is over and I'm dying now. But I'm not giving up because giving up implies defeat, I'm giving in which implies acceptance of fate, Iim in agreeance with the way my life has come to end and I'm okay with that.)
Oh, slipping underneath
Oh, so cold but so sweet.
(death is coming over her it hurts but the afterlife is far better) -
Well..one interpretation would be drowning..because obviously it implies it. But for me, I tend to read further into the lyrics and symbolism. The ocean..water in general is a sign of cleansing, healing. So, she's(whoever she's singing about) 'drowning' her depression, surpressed emotions, and burdens..and seeking healing, salvation, comfort from the sea/ocean. Also, there's a sea Goddess Yemaya whose all about surrendering and giving your burdens to her..so that can also be an interpretation for 'delivering her'. There can also be religious connections to it, but I won't go there.
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