The Living Daylights
A-ha (www.DESCARGASMIX.com) Lyrics
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I swear my nerves are showing
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they blame
I've been waiting long for one of us to say
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Ah, ah, the living daylights
All right, hold on tight now
It's down, down to the wire
Set your hopes way too high
The living's in the way we die
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand changes, everything's the same
I've been waiting long for one of us to say
Save the darkness, let it never fade away
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they frame
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Ah, ah, the living daylights
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die
The lyrics to A-ha's song "The Living Daylights" reflect on the sense of uncertainty and fear that overwhelms someone when they don't know what their future holds. The opening line, "Hey driver, where we're going?", is directed towards whoever is leading the way, and the singer's nerves are showing as they fear they are setting their hopes up too high. They believe that the way we live our lives is inextricably linked to the way we ultimately die. The phrase "the living's in the way we die" suggests that the way we choose to live our lives shapes the legacy we leave behind, leading to either a fulfilling or unfulfilling life.
The second verse sees the singer yearning for change but that change is resisting them. They feel as though they are being held responsible for the actions of so many others, evident in the line "Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they blame." The singer is waiting for someone to come forward and advocate for maintaining the darkness, the mystery of life, for fear of it being lost forever. They plead for someone to "save the darkness, let it never fade away." The song seems to argue that the only way to truly feel alive is to embrace the unknown of the future and cherish the mystery of the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey driver, where we're going?
The singer is feeling anxious about their destination and is questioning the driver to find out where they are headed.
I swear my nerves are showing
The singer is expressing how nervous they are about something and their anxiety is clearly visible to others.
Set your hopes up way too high
The singer is cautioning someone else about hoping for too much and getting disappointed.
The living's in the way we die
The artist is suggesting that the way people live their lives might actually be leading to their inevitable demise.
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
The artist is describing a moment when the darkness fades into daylight and everything becomes more visible.
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they blame
The singer is feeling singled out and blamed amongst a multitude of people.
I've been waiting long for one of us to say
The singer is waiting for someone to speak up about something important to them.
Save the darkness, let it never fade away
The artist is urging someone to preserve a sense of mystery and the unknown despite the pressures of society to do otherwise.
Ah, ah, the living daylights
This represents the vibrancy and energy present in life.
All right, hold on tight now
The artist is advising someone to prepare for a challenging or unpredictable situation.
It's down, down to the wire
The singer suggests that the situation has reached a make-or-break point, where a decision must be made quickly.
Hundred thousand changes, everything's the same
The artist is acknowledging that, despite many things seemingly changing, nothing actually meaningful has changed and the situation remains the same.
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they frame
The singer feels like they are being unfairly pinned with blame for something amongst many other people.
Set your hopes way too high
This line is repeated to emphasize the warning given earlier about having unrealistic expectations and the resulting disappointment.
The living's in the way we die
This line is also repeated to emphasize the idea that the way we choose to live our lives may ultimately lead to our demise.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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