Song Lyrics Interpretation: Vanilla Twilight by Owl
City
Some of the good ways to improve fluency in English are to speak to people using English, watch
talk shows, reality shows, and sitcoms in English (In my opinion, watching
talks shows, reality shows, and sitcoms are better for fluency practice than
watching movies because people talk more naturally here than in movies which
are heavily scripted.), watching English movies (This helps if learners can
distinguish which words or expressions are used in everyday life and which
words aren’t.), and my personal favourite: Breaking down and analyzing lyrics
of songs that I like to listen to.
Often times, we listen to a particular song and think
“I wonder what this song is all about…” “Do the lyrics mean something else than
the words the artist used?” etc. etc.
Well, you’re in luck because I will share my love of
doing this with all of you; and hopefully this will help you get to know the
English language more. Together, let us try and interpret what song lyrics really
mean –or what they mean to us because the interpretations may vary from one
person to another.
The underlined words in blue in this article are all
relevant links to the meaning of the words. You can click on them to help you
understand the words better. I suggest that you listen to the song first (or a
few times if you want to!) so you can get a feel of what the song is like
before reading the article while the song is playing on the background so that
you can really feel the emotions of the songwriter.
Here is a link
to the official music video of the song:
The title of the song we are doing for this article is
Vanilla Twilight by Owl City. Owl City is the pseudonym of an American
Electronica singer-songwriter Adam Young. The song Vanilla Twilight was
released in January 2010. I personally like this song because the melody is
really soothing and the lyrics are not literally what they are in words so it
is a very good song to interpret and to try to understand the deeper meaning of
the lyrics.
But first, let us talk about the title of the song:
Vanilla Twilight.
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| Photo Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_Twilight#/media/File:Vanilla_twilight.jpg
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The word vanilla literally means a type of sweet flavour
or scent that comes from vanilla pods. Vanilla is usually used as flavouring
for ice cream or coffee and scent for perfume or candles. Vanilla can also be
used as an adjective to mean something that is ordinary or regular but still
pleasant.
Twilight means the short time when we can see the soft glowing light from the
sky when the sun is about to set –when it is not very dark yet but also not
very bright and light anymore. (see photo) In this case, twilight represents
uncertainty --about not being sure of something or of something existing only
for a short fleeting moment then disappearing. So if we put vanilla and
twilight together, the title probably refers to a period of time that is
ordinary but pleasant and something that happened during this period only
lasted for a short time but it is special even if it didn’t last long. (Click
the words in blue to see the definition in Cambridge Online Dictionary)
LYRICS
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EXPLANATION
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The stars lean down to kiss you
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Stars –In general, when the word star is used in
poetry, it symbolizes something that is higher than us or something we adore.
So this line means that the stars are bending
down to kiss someone (“you”) that is special to the songwriter. It also means
that this “someone special” is not with the songwriter now because he/ she is
already with the “stars”. This can mean that this person has already passed away.
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And I lie awake and miss you
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And while the stars are kissing this someone
special, the songwriter cannot sleep because the songwriter is missing this
“someone special” very much.
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The songwriter is begging to be taken back to reality because he is missing someone special
that is not around anymore so much that he cannot sleep and he cannot function
properly.
The songwriter wants to have a huge amount of
realness slapped into his face; thus the phrase “heavy dose of atmosphere”.
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'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly
But I'll miss your arms around me
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Doze off means sleep. Safe and sound means in
not in danger and really well.
The songwriter is saying that, in time, he will
still manage to be able to sleep well even without this “someone special” but
that he will miss sleeping beside, on the same bed, and being hugged by this
“someone special” who has already passed away.
“Arms around me” means being hugged by someone.
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I'd send a postcard to you, dear
'Cause I wish you were here
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Before we had smart phones and the internet
where we can just upload or send photos of our vacation to our loved ones in
real time, we used to send postcards to people we love when we travel.
Sending someone a postcard means that you were thinking about them and you
wish they were with you at that place and time.
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I'll watch the night turn light blue
But it's not the same without you
Because it takes two to whisper quietly
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Watching the night turn light blue means that
the songwriter is ready to face a new day ahead but this new day will not be
the same without his “someone special” because it always takes the two of
them together to do things.
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The silence isn't so bad
'Til I look at my hands and feel sad
'Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly
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| Photo Source:
https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/389279961512391608/
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Now, the songwriter is slowly getting used to
the fact that he is now all alone in life. He is saying in this part that
being alone (silence) is quite alright. But when he looks at his hands, he
still feels kind of lonely because he can see spaces between his fingers and
those spaces are specially made for his “someone special’s” hands. The
songwriter is expressing that they are like two puzzle pieces: they fit
perfectly together.
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The songwriter says that he will try to find
different ways to relax, be calm, and cope with his new situation but then he
still hasn’t been able to sleep in two days because memories keep haunting
him. He keeps remembering the old times they had together and it hurts him
real bad and deep (to the bone).
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But drenched in vanilla twilight
I'll sit on the front porch all night
Waist deep in thought because when
I think of you I don't feel so alone
I don't feel so alone
I don't feel so alone
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| Photo Source:
http://www.wideopencountry.com/15-things-need-perfect-southern-front-porch/
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The songwriter is very conflicted because he is
feeling both sad and happy. Sad because the one he loves is no longer around.
Happy because he knows that his “someone special” will always be in his heart
and his mind.
He sings about “sitting on the front porch all
night”, meaning he will always wait and sit and just think about all the good
times they had together because when he thinks about this person, he doesn’t
feel so alone anymore.
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As many times as I blink
I'll think of you tonight
I'll think of you tonight
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According to studies, on average, people blink
once every 4 seconds. This part is where the songwriter is suggesting that he
thinks about his “someone special” an awful lot.
The phrase “as many as” means a lot. For example: He can eat as many as 7 slices of pizza
in one sitting.
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When violet eyes get brighter
And heavy wings grow lighter
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again
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Violet means purple and this color represents
sadness. Here, when the songwriter says that when his sad eyes are no longer
so sad and when he is able to lift the weight off his shoulders and fly
again, he will be capable of living a normal life once more.
If we look deeper, it means that in time, when
he gets better, he will be able to continue on and live his life like he once
used to without being weighed down by the thought of losing someone he loved
and still loves so dearly.
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And I'll forget the world that I knew
But I swear I won't forget you
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But even if he lost this “someone special”, life
still has to go on at some point. We cannot live our lives being stuck in the
past because that will do us no good. In this part, the songwriter is
somewhat letting go of his “someone special”. He is saying that he will feel
like he is living in a different world now but he will always remember and
never forget this special person.
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Oh, if my voice could reach back through the
past
I'd whisper in your ear,
"Oh, darling, I wish you were here."
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And so life goes on… but from time to time, the
songwriter still wishes he could talks to his “someone special” and that he
wishes that this person was still here with him.
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In conclusion, this is really a bittersweet song about
lost and life, about letting go and moving on.
I like this song a lot because it
reminds me of my father who passed away 4 years ago; just in time for western
father’s day which is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June every
year which happens to be 17 June 2018 this year. This is different from
Taiwan’s local father’s day celebration which is August 8th.
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End of Song Lyrics Interpretation: Vanilla Twilight by Owl City }
Author (作者): EET
Teri (English Lecturer, Enrich English Tuition/睿騏英語講師
Teri )
Publication Date (發表日期): June, 2018
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