Harry Styles: Lights Up Meaning

Song Released: 2019

Lights Up Lyrics

What do you mean, I'm sorry by the way. Never coming back down. Can't you see, I could but wouldn't stay. Wouldn't put it like that. What do you mean, I'm sorry by the way. Never coming around. Be so sweet if things just stayed the same.

All...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Apr 28th 2020 !⃝

   Lights up talks on fame, and how Harry feels reemerging into society (Harry is renowned for disappearing from all social medias for months on end). Throughout the song, Harry expresses feeling of nostalgia as well has fear. "Cant you see? I could but wouldn't stay..." is referring to his period of fame after releasing his self titled album, explaining how despite all the support and love he felt lost and out of touch with himself. "Lights up and they know who you are..." talks on how once Harry has come back into relevance, his audience is expecting a version of him, and feel they know who he is. The rest of the line follows "...know who you are, do you know who you are?" as he is questioning if he even knows he is anymore.
   
   In the prechorus, "All the lights couldn't put out the dark runnin' through my heart." This line talks on how despite all the endless love and support he receives (light) he still felt lost.
   
   In the chorus, a choir (importance on multiple singers, a metaphor for his audiences and followings) sing "SHINE" almost demanding. Harry then sings a response symbolising his feeling of debt and responsibility to return to those who care about him (us).
   
   In the Lights Up music video, scenes feature Harry looking into a mirror with a questioning gaze, correlating to the lyric "Do you know who you are?"
   As well as this, Harry goes from being solo in scenes to surrounded by people looking much happier. This is a metaphor for his relevance in society, as once Lights Up and the rest of the album was released, he was surrounded by others (figuratively).
   
   Considering this song was the first song to announce his return, this all seems fitting.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Apr 15th 2020 !⃝

   This song is about fame and the way that having all this new experience and platform. He mentions the ups and downs through the verses and through ‘be so sweet if things just stayed the same’ he demonstrates that he could go back to the life before being a celebrity. ‘Shine’ is a term often used to talk about fame which I think Harry is using to show that no amount of fame, money and attention could be enough to mask the lows of life, “all the lights couldn’t put out the dark.” I think Harry loves the fame however still longs for the simple life of the teenager who works in a bakery which is why he uses this song to twist the two lives and compare the ups and down of this ‘shine’.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Nov 21st 2019 !⃝

   It is about "Accepting" "Respecting" people for who they are
4. anonymous

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   Jul 19th 2021 !⃝

   The Satanists that have been doing horrid things for decades in Hollywood and the Music Industry are not unknown to most celebrities. Mel Gibson tried to out these criminals a long time ago but only got burned. Anyone as popular as Harry Styles has become has already been shown the Dark Side. Perhaps even the Music Industry Dark Side has already required Harry’s participation in some way. This is what, “ all the lights couldn’t put out the dark, “ means. In my opinion, many of Harry’s songs are related to his journey with the corrupt Music Industry and how dealing with and knowing about the evil and corruption has influenced him as a person. Harry cannot describe this experience in a blunt way. Harry has to be nebulous. By now, year 2021, we should all know something about where great evil lives and what it can do.
5. DebHurrell

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   May 3rd 2021 !⃝

   I think this song symbolises Harrys emergence into the music industry on his own terms. Previously, he was made to go in a certain direction (no pun intended), by the Management, but since stepping away from that and going it alone, he’s stepped out from under their shadow, into the light. Now, he gets to do what he wants, when he wants, with who he wants. The dark running through his heart is about the emotions and feelings he had to hide and suppress, but stepping in to the light, as his own man, shows people the real person he is and he’s never going back to being controlled again.
6. anonymous

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   Nov 29th 2019 !⃝

   my interpretation of lights up is that harry and louie are kissing. the lights symbolise the fireworks in their mouths when they kiss.
   
7. anonymous

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   Nov 13th 2019 !⃝

   I think that this song is about Harry having a secret girlfriend and someone finds out who she was and it could also be about sex to.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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