Nothing wakes you up like wakin' up alone
And all that's left of us is a cupboard full of clothes
The day you walked away and took the higher ground
Was the day that I became the man that I am now
[Chorus]
But these high walls, they came up short
Now I stand taller than them all
These high walls never broke my soul
And I, I watched them all come fallin' down
I watched them all come fallin' down for you, for you
[Verse 2]
Nothing makes you hurt like hurtin' who you love (Hurtin' who you love)
And no amount of words will ever be enough (Will ever be enough)
I looked you in the eyes, saw that I was lost (Saw that I was lost)
For every question why, you were my because (You were my because)
[Chorus]
But these high walls, they came up short
Now I stand taller than them all
These high walls never broke my soul
And I, I watched them all come fallin' down
I watched them all come fallin' down for you
Fallin' down for you
So this one is a thank you for what you did to me
Why is it that "thank you"s are so often bittersweet?
I just hope I see you one day, and you say to me, "Oh, oh"
[Chorus]
But these high walls, they came up short
Now I stand taller than them all
These high walls never broke my soul
And I, I watched them all come fallin' down
I watched them all come fallin' down for you
Fallin' down for you
[Outro]
Nothing wakes you up like wakin' up alone
About
“Walls” is the title track and final promotional single released on Louis Tomlinson’s debut album, Walls. Lyrically, the track talks about the challenges of life and relationships, and how they make you stronger in the long run.
Similarly to the previous singles, it features a heavy guitar influence, this time accompanied by light drums and an orchestra in the background.
The opening and closing line was revealed by Louis in an interview on November 6, 2019. The following month, a snippet of the track was played at the end of the music video for “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart,” the previously released single. The release date was revealed by Louis on social media on January 15, 2020, with a video of an orchestra playing the track.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
We had an amazing moment for this song in London. I went down to record some live strings for ‘Walls’—that was a real f**king breakout moment for me, because there’s been times on this album where I’ve been pretty frustrated and it’s been hard to keep with the get-up-and-go because the creative process can get frustrating. But I had this moment, in this massive, amazing studio in London called Angel Studios, watching—I don’t know how many people were there, but let’s speculate 15, 18 people there for my song. I feel like the live strings on it really give it an extra edge of credibility.
— Louis for Apple Music
It’s about coming home having been on tour, soon after the band had split. I found some of my girlfriend’s clothes in the cupboard and it hit me what I’d done. I love the indie sound of the song and its circular nature – it opens and closes with the same lyric.
– Louis Tomlinson via Pressparty
- 1.Kill My Mind
- 3.Two of Us
- 4.We Made It
- 5.Too Young
- 6.Walls
- 7.Habit
- 8.Always You
- 9.Fearless
- 10.Perfect Now
- 11.Defenceless
- 12.Only the Brave
- 13.Just Hold On
- 14.Miss You
