Howie Day: Collide Meaning
Song Released: 2004
Collide Lyrics
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah
I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even...
-
If I may … I’d like to share my own, very personal interpretation of the song. I fell in love … and this song has been the interwoven thread of this love. It is deeply personal to me.
And, I have always heard it as a duet:
Him:
The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah
It's morning … and he has her next to him. Intertwined. And he’s appreciative of the fact that they have this morning together.
Him:
I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again
He knows how he feels and he’s open about it. Naked. Ready to follow this feeling, regardless of the potential impact or circumstances. She’s closed, less willing to risk … her heart, her morals, her sense of what’s right.
They are so synchronous that they both know neither would take the other anywhere that they both wouldn’t want to go. There is an unspoken bond of trust …where I follow, you’ll go … signaling all decisions, all conversations, all actions, all experiences… just (almost magically) seem to be made by the two of them jointly. One would not go where the other would not be comfortable following.
And if discomfort arises from one wanting to go where the other doesn’t there’s a fear that it will be because this love is hurting one more than the other … and will need to cease … and dim the lit face.
Him: Even the best fall down sometimes
Even you … the good Catholic girl … the moral one, can fall … for the right wrong reasons
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Even when we argue, we find a common ground. Even when we speak about the hurtful topics, we find a way to get through them.
Her: Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I collide
Despite the insurmountable odds, the self-doubt, all of it … she realizes she can’t fight the fact that this is happening. Quite simply, she realizes that he does exist.
Him:
I'm quiet, you know
You make a first impression
Her:
I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind
… she is scared of his intensity. Not afraid of the depth of his love, but afraid of his certainty. He is pulling her in … and she’s fighting it.
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find, you and I collide
Him: Don't stop here
“Break.†Fall with me. Be in love with me.
Her: I've lost my place
I am .. and I’m terrified
Him: I'm close behind
Don’t be afraid to fall. I’m with you. I’m close behind
Him:
Even the best fall down sometimes
Her: Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
She’s realizing the connection between the two of them is impossible to deny. She knows he’s right.
Him: Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide
Even though all the parameters of this relationship are wrong, even though they are not free to belong to each other, their souls are already way ahead of their minds and hearts.
You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide
This, to me, is about a forbidden love. A love that is as incredibly right as it is remarkably wrong. A collision of hearts… and minds…and souls. A love that is so undeniable that it’s hard to know where one person ends and the other begins.
It’s about two individuals who, before ever meeting, always knew…or at the very least, hoped …that the other existed. Then the find each other – and their belief is confirmed.
It is about a man … who fell in love with a woman … who fell in love right back.
Regardless of their current life situations … we’ll always find “You and I Collideâ€. -
My wife and I have been married 20 plus years and have raised two fine daughters, both me and my wife working hard to better ourselves during all those years. We "collided" when I was 16 and she was 19. We just knew we were meant for each other. Soulmates. Love that will cut through anything in the long run.
I considered myself a strong person, but due to bad business and job decisions I went from feeling proud and confident to feeling like a failure and let her take the lead out of my sense of failure.
I lost my place. But, I'm close behind. I'm down, but not beaten yet.
The dawn is breaking. The light shines through. You're barely waking, and I'm tangled up in you is a perfect metaphore. It is the physical reality of waking up with your partner and the metaphorical expression of new hope and souls that are intertwined beyond their control.
All I can say is this. To me, "Collide" refers to two souls that were always meant to come back together no matter what circumstances might tear them apart. Gravity. -
Well, I'm not sure if anyone would agree with my interpretation of this amazing song. To me, it's definitely a song abt love, and perhaps "forbidden"/impossible love ("Wrong words seems to rhyme" ... Stars refuse to shine"). A guy & girl are platonic friends and they never thought abt each other on romantic terms. However, one day, one of them (i'll use the girl) finds out that the feelings towards the her guy friend has changed and love is there. Confusion sets in because both never thought abt it but nwo the girl is thinking abt him everyday when she wakes ("A light is shining through, I'm tangled up in you")The girl is more open to develop something but senses the guy is not responding because I guess he may not be aware. Worse still, she doesn't tell him her true feelings... But as friends, they still hang out because they love each other's company ("Where I follow, you'll go") This is such a good line as opposed to the usual "Where I go you will follow" ... It does show that whenever she is found with him, it's simply becos he's always there before her and he KNOWS she'll always follow him wherever he goes... The Chorus is "Even the best fall down sometimes" simply refers to the best of friends, in the best of situations, who will succumb to this force called Love. And the girl knows that even tho this may not work out and everything seems impossible, when Love is in the equation, the "wrong" seems so right and therefore "rhymes" each time she is with him. She obviously has doubts because like any regular r'ship, their friendship suffers personality clashes every now and then. She's the quieter type but inwardly she looks up to him, and thinks the world of him. She's scared that he thinks of her becos should that be true, the possiblities are endless! The daily hangouts continue and slowly, he is responding so that by the end of the last 2 Choruses, he realises both of them have smthg in common = Love. Now both realise their true feelings but somehow, they know they just can't be together becos of too many differences they've understood from being together as friends, hence they "collide" in Love, but they just can't start anything...
This is more like a twist at the end, but sometimes, don't you agree that "forbidden" love is somehow so much more intensed?? :) -
The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah
It is morning again you wake up and there are so many things to do. You are the first thing on my mind...
I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again
I'm out going and you are shy. You are trying to take the path I am showing you. I am forcing my path on you --- hoping in the end it will make sense. Now that you are gone I am afraid I won't remember your your smiling face
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I collide
Even the best of us make mistakes. In the darkness of our past there is beauty. All of the questions of how and why you left.... I somehow find we will meet again
I'm quiet, you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind
You were always the observer.... while I talked tooooo much. Now you are scared that I will alway think of you and wonder what else I could have done
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find, you and I collide
Don't stop here
I've lost my place
I'm close behind
Don't wait for me I'll see you soon--- when I leave this worldly plane..... I'm close behind
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide
Ther you will find we will be together again--- we will come together -
Everyone says its obviously about a guy and a girl. What if he's gay?
-
“Collide” – Howie Day
A song about soulmates finally colliding.
"The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah"
An epiphany had happened for a man. He realizes now that he does love a girl from his past. As for the girl, she’s slowly (and just barely) allowing him to pursue her once again.
"I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again"
He wants to try again, but she is still not sure. He plans to not let her go again. However, he’s afraid that she will refuse, and that he’ll never see her ever again. (He knows that only he can make her “light up.”)
Refrain:
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I collide"
Anybody can make a mistake. Nobody is perfect. He realizes that he was wrong about not loving her, and he sees that they were really meant to be.
"I'm quiet, you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind"
They’re opposites. I agree with a previous entry: "He sees himself weak in some way, while the woman is a source of strength. He's been observing, admiring, and putting the woman on a pedestal; he sees her as a confident leader who knows where she's going." This is probably why they broke up in the first place. And now, he has just learned that he has been on her mind all along, and it scares him to know that someone so great can actually love him back. What also scares him is that now that he knows that a relationship can exist again, he’s worried about the future. The epiphany came so quickly---can they really give it another try and succeed?
(refrain)
"Don't stop here
I've lost my place
I'm close behind"
Destiny put the two on a path to each other, and he admits that he had made a mistake in the past---he wandered off destiny’s path. He has come to a realization and now, he’s back on track, close to where he had once been on the path. As for the girl, he doesn’t want the girl to stop allowing him to pursue her. He doesn’t want her to stop her journey to him as well.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide"
Now the girl realizes that they were meant to be. She made the mistake of hesitating and having doubt about a second chance at love. She does love him and does accept his proposal for a second try.
"You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide"
Yes, "A collision can be defined as a brief dynamic event of the close approach of two or more particles(persons) resulting in an abrupt change of momentum or exchange of energy"---a stronger, deeper love. As individuals, they each can love, but once collided as one, their love is the greatest possible. -
I struggle with the contents and its similarities to my current inner struggle. I too recognize the true love between the two souls in the song. Not too long ago, I used it as motivation and confirmation in my need to not give up on a undeniable love that has proven to be challenging. Positive in its meaning, I excitedly returned to my love. Now its sadly clear, we "Collide".
Even the definition of the word "collide" leaves room for some interpretation, but its connotation is negative. Collide: To come together with violent, direct impact. Basicly, you crash typically resulting in tragic, life altering results.
A collision among two lovers. Is it disagreements? A collision of ideas? A collision of each others ideas is due to a collision with reality. They have collided with the reality that experience, inward and outward, clashes with the veiw of a shared future, where arises disorder, confusion, pain, and illusion.
This relationship between meaning and reality deepened into order and disorder, satisfaction and disatisfaction, pressuppose desire, interest, aim. Apart from the defined direction of action, order and confussion have no meaning. By the time this is admitted, you have to start wandering whether the harmony and confussion of their life isn't something more than mere arbitrary signs of truth and error.
Disorder, confusion and pain is produced by rejecting our meanings of reality. This new reality will show us how a collision like this takes place and why it should be painfully confusing. Confusion and pain are implied in the ordinary connotation of "collide" but collision in the ordinary sense means more than the collision of a mere idea with reality beyond.
Thus verse by verse:
The dawn is representative of the definative direction to seperate.
The light shining through is the releif and positive hopes felt by this new direction
By being tangled up in you is proof of the love and difficulty in chosing a new path
I'm open you're closed, means I have confronted the limbo
Where I follow you'll go, we have been leading each other in circles
I won't see your face light up again, I am tired of living a lie when I know you arent happy
Chorus:
Don't feel bad. We tried hard. Sometimes what we accept what isn't neccessarly for the best.
I still wander if I should give up. Part of me in you and part of you in me, but deep inside I know we are hurting each other more than helping.
I am quiet,means I usually keep my thoughts to myself
You make a first impression, I always believed what you did
I'm scared ... means I worry about how you will take this
Even the best, means Dont feel be we tried are hardest.
Sometimes you can't change things even trying
Out of the back, you will realize I am right
Part of me in you and part of you in me, but deep inside I know we are hurting each other more than helping.
Dont stop here, means keep beleiving in love
I lost my place, I need to find me
Im close behind, I will always be here for you
Chorus:
Don't feel bad. We tried hard. Sometimes what we accept what isn't neccessarly for the best.
Soon you will agree this is best
Repeat You finally find you and I collide, is the peace and acceptance by both that they love each other enough to stop hurting one another
A collision can be defined as a brief dynamic event of the close approach of two or more particles(persons) resulting in an abrubt change of momentum or exchange of energy -
I think this song is about a guy realizing that he is truly in love, despite the circumstances that life brings, he is waking up with a girl that he realizes despite the odds being against things working out, means everything to him. The doubt that fills your mind, you finally find you and I collide...collide in the dictionary implies a gravitational force, a magnetism. Day's lyrics imply a sense of fate or love coming true for two people, the guy is following her close behind, he's trying to figure it all out, but each time he realizes there are signs that lead him to her.
-
When you are falling in love with someone it can feel like a gravitational force is pushing you towards the person, almost like you are colliding with them. It feels like losing control, such a magnitism. So yeah, I think it's about a guy who may already be involved in a relationship...then another woman comes into his life and he is in awe of her and can't shake her, but at the same time, he is not sure if it is worth the risk, so he remains quiet until circumstances play out, destiny steps up to the plate and they finally collide and fall head over heels....
-
Here is one I understand from the song. First off, there is no right and wrong interpretation. Your understanding will surely be based on how you're feeling, on what you ve been experiencing and so on.
Here is my interpretation:
The song involves, of course, a guy and girl. At first sight it seems that they have nothing in common. But as the time goes, the guy realises that he actually loves her " I somehow found, you and I collide" (collide, as you and I fit together). And by realising that he actually loves her,he realises that he was wrong about him not loving her (" even the best fall down sometimes, even the star refuse to shine" which means that nobody is perfect, everybody makes mistake).
Now What is interesting is that after, he says "YOU FINALLY find, you and I Collide", now the girl realises that she loves him. a new love relation can start...
Now after submitting my interpration, try to find out what I'm going through =) -
My boyfriend recently broke up with me, and tonight I saw this song on his profile and I melted when I saw it. We had been fighting alot and I think his head was asking him why he was still in it, so he broke it off. Therefore I believe this song is about the guy having doubt about himself and breaking it up, and then realizing that he is the best person he can be with the girl, (The dawn is breaking, a light shining through).
This suggests that he is waking up and realizing he doesn't need to be scared anymore. ALso, (Don't stop here, I lost my place, I'm close behind), this is him telling his girl that he knows he's wrong and to not give up for he still needs a little space but he's close to figuring himself out. I'm holding on to my love for my boyfriend (ex), because I feel we are meant to be together forever and I know he still loves me, I just feel he is confused as this song suggests and needs to find that he belongs with me by himself. -
There seem to be 2 meanings to this song:
1) The ones suggested about two seemingly different people who have absolutely nothing in common but one is in love with the other.
2) Two people already together and he's enjoying waking up with her in the morning ("tangled up in you", think physical folks!), but they fight a lot and seem so different. -
I will try to help
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find, you and I collide"
The boy and the girl are on the same path and slowly meeting. "Out of the back you fall in time" i'm not quite sure what 'out of the back' is but i would guess that the overall stanza means that she opens up to him ei. admits her weaknesses to him and they figure out how similar they actually are "I somehow find, you and I collide" despite the polar opposite impressions they initially give off.
"Don't stop here
I've lost my place
I'm close behind"
This is a bridge, after getting to know one another he is saying "Don't stop here" keep shining your light, just becuase you have opened up to me doesn't mean that you can't continue on as you did before. "I've lost my place" He's obviously gained a little more confidence and has to re-evaluate where he stads. "I'm close behind" He realizes that he is a lot more similar to her than he thought.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide"
I think she has doubt, like the boy did previously in the song, he was fine admiring her from afar and gets scared with the idea of a relationship and responsibility. Similarily she has been so used to shining her light for anyone watching and doesn't often take time to portray her weaknesses, when she finally does, it's a new experience for her and naturally uncomfortable...but that doesn't mean it can't grow into something beautiful, she just has her doubts.
What do you think?
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