Owl City: Sunburn Meaning

Song Released: 2009

Sunburn Lyrics

So there we were back home from somewhere inside my head
Well bravely I fought off the monsters beneath her bed
Pillars of post-war books supported my frame of mind
While she memorized the pages that I tried to not hide behind

She took my...

1. anonymous

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   May 2nd 2017 !⃝

   people.... its about a couple where the girl liked the boy way more at first... he didnt realize how much he liked her till she was gone and moving on... she grew from it and got a tan and he was hurt by the lost connection and got a sunburn... the first part is all about her learning about him and the second part is all about him thinking about her...
2. anonymous

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   Oct 3rd 2015 !⃝

   They were young and always dreamt that they would be together forever and vowed to stay with each other. The girl only got a tan because the vows didn't mean as much to her as they did for Adam, who got a sunburn. Eventually he loved her more than she loved him and she left him.
3. Littleappleby2

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   Mar 23rd 2015 !⃝

   Tbh, I don't think there is one right interpretation for any of Adams songs. They all have a special meaning to each of us. When I heard this song I didn't think of hurt or loss at all,I just thought of love. That's my own opinion, just like everyone else.
   Each of these songs were created for a reason. A few of them lead me to find my dreams. I believe god made Adam to spread his word in the most amazing and creative way. You always find it in one of his songs, you just interpret it differently, that's the beauty of it all.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 2nd 2013 !⃝

   I think the song is about two lovers, starting out with Adam's memory of how they fell in love, but then hints that there was some kind of trouble or life event that caused them to part ways, but that he could not let her memory go. I also think that this perhaps was a repeating sequence,as in she left and came back. Every time she came back he felt that the next time would be better and held onto some hope it would work out, hence "we vowed that we'd live and we'd learn" but instead history just repeated itself until she left for good.
5. anonymous

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   Mar 22nd 2012 !⃝

   I think that it is about two lovers, who were separated by fate. "She got a tan, and I got a sunburn" means that she's doing better in life than him and he's hung up on thoughts of the past and a not-so-great life.
6. anonymous

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   Mar 7th 2012 !⃝

   I beleive that sunburn is about when a couple break up (the girl dumping him)after a long happy relationship the part where it says "she got a tan and i got a sunburn" i think it means that when they broke up she was a little sad but got over it whereas he was very sad and it imprinted itself into his life. in the "oh after glow, look out below...." part i beleive that is when they break up.
7. anonymous

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   Nov 27th 2011 !⃝

   It is obviously describing the relationship he had with his high school sweet heart and how she died in a car crash (thats why he had to say good bye) They were in love but god had other plans for her
8. anonymous

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   Jul 27th 2011 !⃝

   I believe this is a father daughter relationship song. Him telling her stories, being on the beach, her leaving for college/moving out.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. Lauraw884

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   May 30th 2011 !⃝

   I think the song is simply a tale of love and lose. But in this case the boys perspective (Adam) got off worse (maybe just in his head... she could of just been pretending to be okay)
   So she got a tan... got all the good things from the relationship.
   I got a sunburn... he was burnt or hurt by something (maybe cheating)
   The start of this song is just of a memory... the day they told each other they loved each other. And that they were content with their happiness in that moment.
   The whole story is of love and lose... also most likely hardship of the memories... but maybe he enjoys remembering these things.
10. anonymous

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    May 11th 2011 !⃝

    Okay so it's obviously about love and how things didn't quite work out.
11. BloodAndInkPaint

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    Nov 23rd 2010 !⃝

    Going off what they said i think she got a tan because it didint mean is much to he as it did for Adam who got a sun burn.
12. swiftblade535

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    Jun 6th 2010 !⃝

    This two people that really love each other but by fate they needed to separate from each other. So only their memories last.

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