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Distance Lyrics

The sun is filling up the room,
And I can hear you dreaming.
Do you feel the way I do, right now?

I wish we would just give up,
'Cause the best part is falling.
Call it anything but love.

And I will make sure to keep my distance,
Say I love you when you're not listening,
How long, can we keep this up, up, up?

Please don't stand so close to me
I'm having trouble breathing.
I'm afraid of what you'll see, right now.

I'll give you everything I am,
All my broken heartbeats.
Until I know you'll understand.

And I will make sure to keep my distance,
Say I love you when you're not listening,
How long, can we keep this up, up, up?

And I keep waiting
For you to take me
And you keep waiting
To save what we had

So I'll make sure to keep my distance,
Say I love you when you're not listening,
How long, can we keep this up, up, up?

Make sure to keep my distance,
Say I love you when you're not listening,
How long, 'til we call this love, love, love?
Song Info
Submitted by
kwisc On May 11, 2011
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24 Meanings

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Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

In Christina Perri's words, "'Distance' is a song about loving someone at the wrong time in your life. Maybe it's too soon, maybe it's too late, but nevertheless, it's about being around that one whom your heart longs for without being able to show your true feelings, without being able to tell them. It's very hard to keep love a secret, and I wrote this song about the one time I had to."

Song Meaning
Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

I took this song to be about being in love with your best friend but being afraid to say anything because you don't want to ruin the friendship.

I keep waiting For you to take me You keep waiting To save what we have

They are getting closer and closer and it's really obvious that they are more than friends but both are afraid to call it love.

This is my situation right now. I listened to this song and hoped that I wasn't just wishfully hearing this interpretation. I'm so glad that you hear it to.

I feel as though the way she sings it does not imply an ending relationship but rather the fear of starting a new one.

Not Valid

Thank you for making me laugh. That's so full of sh*t I am rolling off my chair and about to wet my pants. As for the singer, I adore her. She has the sweetest, most innocent voice. So happy she was discovered.

Not Valid
Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

When I discovered this song on Spotify, I fell in love. These lyrics spoke to me. It exactly described the relationship I was in with someone who I was deeply in love with.

We were "dating" and not "official"-- we couldn't be because of our circumstances. I fell in love head over heels, and I was never sure if he felt the same. So just like in the song, I didn't want to ruin what we had, or scare him off, By saying "I love you" to him.

When I was going through some traumatic things, that depressed me, I didn't want him to see me the way that I was. But I had no one else to go to, and I wanted him to be the one to support me emotionally.

Every time we were together, I held back my tongue. I was always waiting for him to take me, But he was waiting for me to try to be friends.

SIGH... this song totally relates to that relationship... =\

I totally know what you mean. This song reminds me of my relationship with my best friend. We had a bit of an interesting past when we were little, and became very close again in high school.

He has a girlfriend that hes been with since they were in seventh grade, (He's sixteen)but somehow I learned that my interpretation of what happened when were little is very different from his, due to a bit of a sickness I had had at the time. I had also forgotten a promise he had made me when we were little, but he hadn't....

Not Valid

this song reflected my circumtances rightnow. [We were "dating" and not "official"-- we couldn't be because of our circumstances.] that ezactly could be found in this song!

I have a new friend lately, we talked each other about our circumstances, he let me know everything, and so i did the same.

Everything is OK until suddenly he hug me and say "i luv u", and i cant resist it >o<

Now, i feel so strange we "dating" but NOT "officialy". Dunno what to do until now.. Hear this song make me feel...

Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

My best friend. I loved him. He loved me. But he didnt want to lose me as a friend.

It sucked.

"Please dont stand so close to me, I'm having trouble breathing." It was so unfair. He would spend so much time around me and knew what it was doing to me.

"And I keep waiting for you to take me. And you keep waiting to save what we had."

It never happened. And I still regret the whole thing. He led me on for so long and I wasted so many tears on his behalf.

@abravar2 this comment was 10 years ago-damn, any tips tho? im dealing with this same thing rn

Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

I think this song is about loving someone who does not love you back and staying together even if that`s the case. These verses really show that:

And I will make sure to keep my distance Say I love you when you're not listening And how long can we keep this up up up and I wish we would just give up Cause the best part is falling Call it anything but love

Its like shes just waiting for the official end of their relationship but she knows that theyre already done and they dont love each other anymore.

I can relate to this. It`s kind of how my relationship with my ex was.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

I took this song to mean as maybe it's the beginning of a new relationship but she's guarded because she really likes him and isn't sure how long it's going to last. I think she's also hoping that he'll break down her defenses and admit how he feels for her first so she can be open about her feelings and they can finally call it love.

I think you're right; that's what I thought, too, especially since the song says:

"How long, 'til we call this love?"

Not Valid
Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

I think this song is about how she knows the relationship is done but still stays because she still loves him. She wants to keep her distance to avoid getting hurt even worse. She is waiting for the relationship to either end or intensify. In the end of the song, she reveals that she favors the relationships intensifying rather than its diminishing. I love this song. I feel like I can really relate to it. :)

Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

I think this song is about loving someone while being with someone else. That's why she has to keep her distance, and say i love you to this person when her boyfriend is not listening. She wondering how long she can keep sneaking around with this guy. She can't call it love because she can't give herself to him fully.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

I just broke up with my girlfriend and somehow this has been the song I held on to. I still love her but love alone is not making the relationship work anymore.

I will make sure to keep my distance - so as not to make it any harder for the both of us to move on

Say I love you when you're not listening - yes, I still have love for her but I don't want to say it because it might get misinterpreted

Please don't stand so close to me I'm having trouble breathing. I'm afraid of what you'll see, right now

It pains me to see her hurting even just being in the same room together. But I can't even show that I worry about her and still care about her coz it might give her the wrong idea.

I'll give you everything I am, All my broken heartbeats. Until I know you'll understand.

I want her to understand that it's for the best.

My Interpretation

Gotta run, but the user name is a sweet touch. Ah, using your superpowers for evil once again, I see. Just makes you cuter ;)

Not Valid

interpretationdechanson -- i'm sorry, what?

Not Valid
Cover art for Distance lyrics by Christina Perri

From the behind the scenes video on youtube: "Basically the song is about falling for someone you can't, and you can't tell them. So it's keeping that secret and building that tension and kind of swimming in those feelings that come about when love is brand new but you can't call it love yet." I love this song- it's absolutely beautiful lyrically and musically.

Song Meaning

Richelle Passio-

I love this song i know it is about love and all but it reminds me about my life and how i take to it. It was a reminder of me and my feelings for someone and how they do not listen to me.