Her debut EP Lights was released in July 2008 and achieved commercial success which enabled the release of her first full-length album, The Listening, on September 22, 2009. Her second album, Siberia, was released on October 4, 2011. Both albums have been certified gold in Canada. Lights released her third studio album, Little Machines, on September 19, 2014, which debuted on the Canadian Albums Chart at number five. Her fourth album, Skin&Earth, which featured "Giants", was released in September 2017, accompanied by a graphic novel of the same name. Her albums won the Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year in 2015 and 2018.
Lights has collaborated with artists including Bring Me the Horizon, Silverstein, Deadmau5, Felix Cartal, i_o, Owl City and Sleepy Tom. Lights signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2019 and released Skin&Earth Acoustic, which included three new songs.
Banner
Lights Lyrics
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I don't want anything to shake that shape away
No one told us which way to come, nobody mapped oblivion
So I go growing roses in disarray
Just like most, falling head in
'Til my ghost fills the bed in
So lift it up like a banner
Hold it up over me
If this war is never ending
I'll take this love down with me
Like a banner
I don't need fate to give it time, it doesn't toke pain to change your
Mind no weapon con sever the soul from me not the sorceress, not the money
All my cleverness, all my cunning so lift up like a banner
Hold it up over me if this war is never ending
I'll take this love down with me
Like a banner
It's around me in my surroundings
It counts me when it starts the counting
In the chaos there is a standard
I'm carrying it like a banner
So lift it up like a banner
Hold it up over me
If this war is never ending
I'll take this love down with me
The song "Banner" by Lights is a powerful anthem about perseverance and the strength of love. The title of the song is a metaphor for holding onto one's beliefs and ideals, even in difficult times.
The first verse sets the tone for the song, with Lights singing about trying to maintain an important shape or structure. She compares this shape to bricks and mortar, something solid and unchanging. She sings about growing roses in disarray, which could represent trying to find beauty in the chaos of life. The second verse is about standing strong against any adversity. Lights sings about not needing a lot of time to change her mind and that her soul cannot be severed by any weapon. She also sings about carrying a banner, which could represent a symbol of strength or defiance.
The chorus is somewhat ambiguous in meaning, but it seems to be a declaration of the strength of love. Lights sings about holding the banner up over herself and taking love down with her if the war is never-ending. She may be saying that love is the one thing that will remain when everything else falls apart. The repetition of the phrase "like a banner" reinforces this idea of a symbol of perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe it's bricks and mortar now, whether or not they run it down
Even if everything falls apart, the foundation of love still stands strong
No one told us which way to come, nobody mapped oblivion
There is no guide to love, and there is no known end of it
So I go growing roses in disarray
Love is often unpredictable and chaotic, but still beautiful in its own way
Just like most, falling head in
Everyone falls in love
Til my ghost fills the bed in
Love stays with you even after it's gone
So lift it up like a banner
Love should be celebrated and proud
Hold it up over me
Love is bigger than any one person
I don't need fate to give it time, it doesn't toke pain to change your Mind
Love does not depend on fate, nor does it require pain to change one's mind about it
No weapon can sever the soul from me not the sorceress, not the money All my cleverness, all my cunning
Love cannot be bought or influenced by others, it belongs solely to the individual
It's around me in my surroundings
Love is everywhere, in everything around us
It counts me when it starts the counting
Love is an important part of one's life, and cannot be ignored
In the chaos there is a standard
Even in times of turbulence and disarray, love is a constant
I'm carrying it like a banner
Love is worth holding onto and fighting for
If this war is never ending, I'll take this love down with me like a banner
Even if the struggles of life never cease, love is worth living and dying for
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS SALTER, VALERIE POXLEITNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind