To date, Olsen has released six studio albums: Half Way Home (2012), Burn Your Fire for No Witness (2014), My Woman (2016), All Mirrors (2019), Whole New Mess (2020) and Big Time (2022).
SUMMER
Angel Olsen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I could show you the hell I'd been to
Kept climbing 'til one day I looked back
Was so high, I couldn't think to land
And then one moment I was blown away
And there was nothing left that I could say or do
If I could show you the hell I'd been to
Lost the light, but there the sun was shining
Couldn't hide it and I wasn't trying
And all those people I thought knew me well
After all that time, they couldn't tell
I lost my soul, was just a shell
There was nothing left that I could lose
Took a while, but I made it through
If I could show you the hell I'd been to
Lost the light, but there the sun was shining
Couldn't hide it and I wasn't trying
Was I becoming what I had to be?
Was that the truth I was supposed to see?
I may have never found my way to you
And all those summer days were like a dream
Woke me from a restless sleep
Made me quake, had me weak
And all the weight of all the world came rushing through
The lyrics of Angel Olsen's song "Summer" tell a story of overcoming adversity and finding light after going through a difficult period. In the first verse, the singer reflects on the struggles she faced and the effort it took to come out of the darkness. She talks about climbing higher and higher until she was so high she couldn't even think to come back down. The second verse reflects on the aftermath of this journey. Although the singer lost herself and felt like a shell, she realized that the sun was still shining and she couldn't hide it. She reflects on how the people around her couldn't tell that she had changed, but inside she felt like a different person.
The chorus reflects on the journey as a whole, acknowledging the difficult path to get to where she is now, but still persevering. The final verse is a reflective look at the past and how everything that happened led to her current situation. The singer wonders if what she went through was necessary to become who she is today and if finding love and happiness was the truth she was meant to see. The song ends on a powerful note, with the singer reflecting on how the weight of the world came crashing down on her, but ultimately she was stronger for it.
Line by Line Meaning
Took a while, but I made it through
I struggled for a long time, but I managed to overcome my difficulties
If I could show you the hell I'd been to
If only you could see the painful experiences I had to endure
Kept climbing 'til one day I looked back
I persisted in working hard towards my goals until I reached a point of reflection
Was so high, I couldn't think to land
I was so focused on my goals that I stopped thinking about what would happen when I achieved them
And then one moment I was blown away
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by what I had achieved
And there was nothing left that I could say or do
I had reached my ultimate goal, and was speechless with the feeling of accomplishment
Lost the light, but there the sun was shining
Although everything seemed dark and bleak, there was still hope and brightness in the world
Couldn't hide it and I wasn't trying
I was feeling content and happy, and didn't feel the need to conceal my emotions
And all those people I thought knew me well
Those who I thought understood me best
After all that time, they couldn't tell
Even with all the time they spent with me, they couldn't understand what I had gone through and how I had changed
I lost my soul, was just a shell
I had been through so much that I didn't feel like myself anymore
There was nothing left that I could lose
After everything I had gone through, I had reached a point of having nothing left to lose
Was I becoming what I had to be?
Had I transformed into the person I needed to be to get through my struggles?
Was that the truth I was supposed to see?
Is this the reality I was meant to discover?
I may have never found my way to you
Without going through the difficult experiences I had, I might not have ended up where I am now
And all those summer days were like a dream
All the joyful memories of summer felt like they had come and gone so quickly, like a fleeting dream
Woke me from a restless sleep
The happy memories woke me up from my previous state of unease
Made me quake, had me weak
The experiences I had made me feel vulnerable and emotional
And all the weight of all the world came rushing through
All the struggles of the world seemed to bear down on me at once, overwhelming me with emotion
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Angel L. Olsen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind