Tessellate
- Ellie Goulding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bite chunks out of me
You're a shark and I'm swimming
Heart still thumps as I bleed
And all your friends come sniffing
Triangles are my favorite shape
Toe to toe, back to back, let's go, my love, it's very late
'Til morning comes, let's tessellate
Go alone, my flower
And keep my whole lovely you
Wild green stones alone, my lover
And keep us on my heart
Three guns and one goes off
One's empty, one's not quick enough
One burn, one red, one grin
Search the graves while the camera spins
Chunks of you will sink down to seals
Blubber rich in mourning
They'll nosh you up, yeah, they'll nosh the love away
But it's fair to say you will still haunt me
Triangles are my favorite shape
Three points where two lines meet
Toe to toe, back to back, let's go, my love, it's very late
'Til morning comes
Wild green stones alone, my lover
Keep us on my heart
In “Tessellate,” Ellie Goulding cleverly weaves together a range of symbols and themes to create a song that’s both haunting and beautiful. One of the key themes is the idea of being drawn to something dangerous, whether that’s a particular person or a particular situation. Through the repeated lyric, “Bite chunks out of me / You’re a shark and I’m swimming,” Goulding evokes the sensation of being both terrified and thrilled by someone’s power over you.
At the same time, “Tessellate” also examines the idea of tessellation – the mathematical concept of tiling a surface using interlocking geometric shapes. This is reflected in the lyric, “Triangles are my favorite shape / Three points where two lines meet,” which celebrates the precision and symmetry of this concept. Goulding seems to be suggesting that love can also be a kind of tessellation, with two people coming together in a precise, interlocking way.
Another theme at play in “Tessellate” is the idea of haunting. Goulding repeats the phrase, “Chunks of you will sink down to seals / Blubber rich in mourning, they’ll nosh you up / Yes, they’ll nosh the love away but it’s fair to say / You will still haunt me,” creating a sense of loss and longing that lingers long after a relationship has ended. The image of seals noshing on blubber gives the song a macabre edge, as if the singer and their lover are engaged in some kind of cosmic battle.
Overall, “Tessellate” is a song about the beauty and danger of love, the precision of mathematical concepts, and the haunting quality of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Bite chunks out of me
You are aggressive like a shark, taking bites out of me
You're a shark and I'm swimming
You are predatory and overpowering in this relationship, as I am vulnerable and out of my depth
My heart still thumps as I bleed
I am still drawn to you, even though you hurt me
And all your friends come sniffing
Your friends are curious about our relationship and want to know what's happening between us
Triangles are my favorite shape
I love the structure and stability of triangles
Three points where two lines meet
The intersection of two lines creates a stable structure
Toe to toe, back to back, let's go, my love; it's very late
Let's embrace each other closely, even though it's late at night
'Til morning comes, let's tessellate
Let's fit together like puzzle pieces until morning comes
Go alone my flower
Go and be independent, my dear
And keep my whole lovely you
Stay true to yourself and don't lose your essence
Wild green stones alone my lover
Be free and explore new things, my love
And keep us on my heart
Stay true to our love and keep it close to your heart
Three guns and one goes off
There are choices to be made, and some will have more serious consequences than others
One's empty, one's not quick enough
Some choices may not give the desired result, while others will be too slow to make a difference
One burn, one red, one grin
The results of different choices can range from pain and injury to joy and excitement
Search the graves while the camera spins
While the world goes on around us, we contemplate our choices and their outcomes
Chunks of you will sink down to seals
Parts of you will be lost and forgotten
Blubber rich in mourning, they'll nosh you up
Those who have lost you will look to fill the void with mourning and overindulgence
Yes, they'll nosh the love away but it's fair to say
Although their mourning may consume them, it's understandable given the loss
You will still haunt me
Even though you are gone, you will still be a presence in my life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Charlie Andrew, Gwilym David Dylan Sainsbury, Joe Jerome Newman, Thomas Stuart Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pinkatancharms7020
Bite chunks out of me
You're a shark and I'm swimming
My heart still thumps as I bleed
And all your friends come sniffing
Triangles are my favorite shape
Three points where two lines meet
Toe to toe, back to back, let's go, my love; it's very late
'Til morning comes, let's tessellate
Go alone my flower
And keep my whole lovely you
Wild green stones alone my lover
And keep us on my heart
Three guns and one goes off
One's empty, one's not quick enough
One burn, one red, one grin
Search the graves while the camera spins
Chunks of you will sink down to seals
Blubber rich in mourning, they'll nosh you up
Yes, they'll nosh the love away but it's fair to say
You will still haunt me
Triangles are my favorite shape
Three points where two lines meet
Toe to toe, back to back, let's go my love; it's very late
'Til morning comes, let's tessellate
@majesticcasual
Ellie Goulding - Tessellate (Alt-J Cover) Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Bite chunks out of me
You're a shark and I'm swimming
My heart still thumps as I bleed
And all your friends come sniffing
[Chorus]
Triangles are my favourite shape
Three points where two lines meet
Toe to toe, back to back, let's go
My love it's very late
'Til morning comes, let's tessellate
[Break]
Go alone my flower
And keep my whole lovely you
Wild green stones alone my lover
And keep us on my heart
[Verse 2]
Three guns and one goes off
One's empty, one's not quick enough
One burn, one red, one green
Search the graves while the camera spins
Chunks of you will sink down to seals
Blubber rich in mourning
They'll nosh you up, yes they'll nosh the love away
But it's fair to say
You will still haunt me
[Chorus]
@Balinor93
That saxophone though...has me swooning every time
@thedanphillips
Tell me about it... I'm going to figure it out on my piano when I get home. I love this song!
@FellaB1009
Maria Jose Toro who is the saxophonist?
@promoteam2953
The saxophonist is Dahi Divine. Check him out @sleepy_dah and www.dahidivine.com
@michabytynski5828
Listen to Na drugim brzegu teczy - Breakout. There is a lot of heart moving sax
@ImUnforgettable1
is it just me or are songs like these the best songs to listen to driving at night/during sunset???
@jeanrussell8627
YES
@snehashanker
Vanessajennifer Any time!
@Jennifer-wb4df
Really late but my name is Jennifer Vanessa😂 just thought it was cool
@ImUnforgettable1
Vanessa that's so cool!!! nice to meet you jennifer :-)