So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of it's own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs
In prayers and proclamations, in the grand deeds
Of great men and the smallest of gestures
In short shallow gasps
But with all my education
I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping
And coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry
If I only knew how, I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
And it talks to me in tiptoes
And sings to me inside
It cries out in the darkest night
And breaks in the morning light
But with all my education
I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping
And coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry
If I only knew how I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
No words, poor language
It doesn't deserve such treatment
And all my stumbling phrases
Never amounted to anything worth this feeling
All this heaven never could describe
Such a feeling as I'm hearing
Words were never so useful
So I was screaming out a language
That I never knew existed before
It has a language of it's own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs
In prayers and proclamations, in the grand deeds
Of great men and the smallest of gestures
In short shallow gasps
But with all my education
I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping
And coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry
If I only knew how, I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
And it talks to me in tiptoes
And sings to me inside
It cries out in the darkest night
And breaks in the morning light
But with all my education
I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping
And coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry
If I only knew how I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
No words, poor language
It doesn't deserve such treatment
And all my stumbling phrases
Never amounted to anything worth this feeling
All this heaven never could describe
Such a feeling as I'm hearing
Words were never so useful
So I was screaming out a language
That I never knew existed before
Lyrics submitted by ValH1618, edited by Mellow_Harsher
All This and Heaven Too Lyrics as written by Isabella Janet Florentina Summers Florence Leontine Mary Welch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Battle Royale
Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Okay, so love is really confusing. She can't understand it, no matter how much education she's had or poetry she's written. She's been scrawling songs about it forever, but that doesn't mean she really gets it. She wishes she could comprehend it, if just for a moment. The last line is BRILLIANT. "Words were never so useful, so I'm screaming out a language that I never knew existed before." She knows she can't describe love with words, so this made up language will have to do.
Nice to know that it's not just us mortals who find love confusing.
@llscience "Nice to know that it's not just us morals"<br /> I laughed for a long time.
I remember hearing Florence say before she say this song live that this song was about her home and family. To me, this is her wanted to figure out just what this feeling means; this unconditional, wholesome feeling of comfort and love you experience in life. Love is just a words and as she says: "Words are a language, it doesn't deserve such treatment." This feeling it seems to her can only be put into words but she wants more than that. Love can mean a lot of things, romantically, friendly and between family, however, it is just a word we say. It possesses us, makes us do crazy things, its an indescribable feeling. It means so much more than we even know. She would give it all just to get the answer: Why is this feeling described with one word? What does love actually mean?
Firstly it's worth knowing that 'All this, and heaven too" is a 1940 film with Bette Davies playing a French woman who flees tragedy to a new life in America. I don't believe there is any connection apart from the fact it's a nice phrase to use in a song.
The lyric itself seems to refer to the inadequacy of language to express heartfelt emotions. It's a beautiful song, one of their best.
I really dont like the sound of ceremonials, but this song is so beautiful.
I interpreted this to be an extremely spiritual song. It sounds like she is in a state of confusion and she's hearing something she has never heard before something that is beyond this world, but she can't make out the meaning. I do not think this song is about a romantic kind of love.
'All This And Heaven Too' is one of my favourites. I love Flo's lyrics and music; I can connect to a lot of her songs. This beautiful song, as I believe, is about feeling an emotion that is new to you. Flo is singing about an emotion that she couldn't recognise and she could only describe how her heart feels.
This is a magnificent song. She doesn't understand the language of love, and wants to give everything to understand it, even just a little of it for a moment. The mystery of love. Great chorus and very catchy. Katy Perry would never sing this, don't dare compare Florence to Avril Lavigne. This isn't as tribal and funky but beautiful. I hate it when "fans" kill songs for others with poor critiques. <3
This song to me is about understanding life. Not just love, but everything, about finding the meaning of life, about finding one's place in the world. It's about trying to find a word to describe one's condition as a human being, and the willingness of some to do whatever it takes to know that word.
I missed a few of the trickier lines. If you think you know the actual lyrics, please let me know and I'll change it!
This song speaks to me deeply. I feel as if she's trying to describe a feeling, but she doesn't know the right words, a feeling I've felt very often.
Nice job, I think I hear these differently:<br /> <br /> "And the heart is hard to translate"<br /> "In the grand days of great men<br /> In short shallow gasps"<br /> "And with all my education, I can't seem to command it"
Now i think it might be "grand deeds of grand men" ?
I always hear "In the great disagreement(s)"
I don't think this song is about love, although that's what just about everyone will jump to. I think the reference here is more divine and special than love. The line "It talks in tongues" is very Biblical, as in "speaking in tongues".
Heavy. Like you trend of thought.