When I Fall
Barenaked Ladies Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I look straight in the window, try not to look below
Pretend I'm not up here, I try counting sheep
The sheep seem to shower off this office tower
It's 9.8 straight down I can't stop my knees

I wish I could fly
From this building
From this wall
And if I should try
Would you catch me if I fall?

My hands clench the squeegee, my secular rosary
Hang on to your wallet, hang on to your rings
I can't look below me, or something might throw me
I curse at the windstorms that October brings

I look straight in the boardroom, a modern pharaoh's tomb
I'd gladly swap places, if they care to dive
They're lined up at the window, peer down into limbo
They're frightened of jumping, in case they survive

I wish I could step from this scaffold
Onto soft green pastures, shopping malls, or bed
With my family and my pastor and my grandfather who's dead

I look straight in the mirror, I watch it come clearer
I look like a painter, behind all the grease
But paintings creating, and I'm just erasing
A crystal-clear canvas is my masterpiece

I wish I could fly
From this building
From this wall
And if I should try
Would you catch me if I fall?

I wish I could fly
From this building
From this wall
And if I should try
Would you catch me if I fall?
When I fall
When I fall




When I fall
When I fall, hmm

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Barenaked Ladies' song "When I Fall" display a vivid description of a window washer's experience on a skyscraper. The song's protagonist is on a scaffold, 9.8 stories up, looking straight ahead to avoid feeling dizzy. He tries to keep himself calm by engaging in various activities like counting sheep, cursing at windstorms, and clinging to the squeegee like his secular rosary. Through his experience, he can see other people staring outside the window, all afraid of the consequences of taking a suicidal jump from the height.


The song seems to talk about how we all have things that scare us, that we somehow manage to live with them, and how we need someone to hold our back. The line, 'if I should try, would you catch me if I fall,' indicates the singer's desperate need for support and reassurance. It's a feeling that many individuals can relate to, which makes the lyrics of the song so poignant and moving.


Furthermore, "When I Fall" is Barenaked Ladies' first single that gained international recognition outside their home country, Canada. The song was released in May 1996, and it appeared on their album Born on a Pirate Ship. The song's music video was filmed at Toronto's famous CN Tower, and it features the band playing on the edge of the tower, creating an ingenious representation of the song's subject matter.


Line by Line Meaning

I look straight in the window, try not to look below
The singer is peering out of a high-rise window and trying not to look down, possibly due to fear or anxiety.


Pretend I'm not up here, I try counting sheep
To distract themselves, the singer pretends they are not in a high place by counting sheep in their mind.


The sheep seem to shower off this office tower
The singer's imagination of sheep jumping off the building creates a mental image of a shower of sheep, which helps them to escape their sense of danger.


It's 9.8 straight down I can't stop my knees
The artist is trembling with fear at the thought of how far they would fall if they lost their balance and fell off the high-rise building.


I wish I could fly From this building From this wall And if I should try Would you catch me if I fall?
The artist expresses a desire to escape their current situation by flying away and asks if someone would catch them if they were to fall from the building.


My hands clench the squeegee, my secular rosary Hang on to your wallet, hang on to your rings I can't look below me, or something might throw me I curse at the windstorms that October brings
The singer is a window washer and uses their squeegee as a way of relieving anxiety. They remind themselves to hold on to their valuables and avoid looking down, fearing that they may be overcome by vertigo. The reference to windstorms in October further emphasizes their fear.


I look straight in the boardroom, a modern pharaoh's tomb I'd gladly swap places, if they care to dive They're lined up at the window, peer down into limbo They're frightened of jumping, in case they survive
The singer looks into a boardroom and sees wealthy people who seem to be entombed in their wealth. The singer expresses a willingness to switch places with them if they were brave enough to jump. The people in the boardroom look down in fear, afraid that they may survive the fall and be left with terrible injuries.


I wish I could step from this scaffold Onto soft green pastures, shopping malls, or bed With my family and my pastor and my grandfather who's dead
The artist wishes for a different, more peaceful life. They want to be with their loved ones in places like green pastures or a comfortable bed, remembering the advice of a deceased grandfather which could bring them solace.


I look straight in the mirror, I watch it come clearer I look like a painter, behind all the grease But paintings creating, and I'm just erasing A crystal-clear canvas is my masterpiece
The artist sees their reflection in a window and notes their appearance as an artist covered in dirt and grime. They then realize that, as a painter, they are creating art, though it consists of wiping clean a dirty surface to reveal a clean canvas that would be their masterpiece.


When I fall When I fall When I fall When I fall, hmm
The repetition of the final lines serves as a refrain, emphasizing the artist's fear and dread of falling and grounding the song in its central theme.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ed Robertson, Steven Page

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Reggie Gabriel

I look straight in the window, try not to look below
Pretend I'm not up here, I try counting sheep
The sheep seem to shower off this office tower
Its Nine-point-eight straight down I can't stop my knees

I wish I could fly
From this building
From this wall
And if I should try
Would you catch me if I fall?

My hands clench the squeegee, my secular rosary
Hang on to your wallet, hang on to your rings
I can't look below me, or something might throw me
I curse at the windstorms that October brings

I look in the boardroom; a modern pharaoh's tomb
I'd gladly swap places, if they care to dive
They're lined up at the window, peer down into limbo
They're frightened of jumping, in case they survive

I wish I could step from this scaffold
Onto soft green pastures, shopping malls, or bed
With my family and my pastor and my grandfather who's dead


Look straight in the mirror, watch it come clearer
I look like a painter, behind all the grease
But paintings creating, and I'm just erasing
A crystal-clear canvas is my masterpiece



Dave E

Look straight in the window, trying not to look below.
Pretend I'm not up here, I try counting sheep.
The sheep seem to shower, off this office tower.
It's 9.8 straight down, can't stop my knees.

I wish I could fly,
From this building,
From this wall.

And if I should try,
Would you catch me,
If I fall.



All comments from YouTube:

Zozie Bee

I've listened to this song so many times and loved it. This is the first time I've realised it was about a window cleaner.
Amazing.

Zozie Bee

Haha, listen to the lyrics:
He's up high, and can look into a window so from the outside, then the words "My hands clench the squeegee" and "I look straight in the mirror, I watch it come clearer
I look like a painter, behind all the grease
But paintings creating, and I'm just erasing
A crystal-clear canvas is my masterpiece"

IKR

Zozie Bee

It's what I love about BNL, that they can take something so ordinary and make it haunting

Edward Giroux

I happened to realize that the first time I heard it at 16. lol. spelled out pretty clearly in the lyrics if you listen.

CyRxJustin

They said they wanted to write a song about a window cleaner who's afraid of heights

David Hoag

Wow. You're right.

4 More Replies...

chrislongisland

One of my absolute favorite songs

Reggie Gabriel

I look straight in the window, try not to look below
Pretend I'm not up here, I try counting sheep
The sheep seem to shower off this office tower
Its Nine-point-eight straight down I can't stop my knees

I wish I could fly
From this building
From this wall
And if I should try
Would you catch me if I fall?

My hands clench the squeegee, my secular rosary
Hang on to your wallet, hang on to your rings
I can't look below me, or something might throw me
I curse at the windstorms that October brings

I look in the boardroom; a modern pharaoh's tomb
I'd gladly swap places, if they care to dive
They're lined up at the window, peer down into limbo
They're frightened of jumping, in case they survive

I wish I could step from this scaffold
Onto soft green pastures, shopping malls, or bed
With my family and my pastor and my grandfather who's dead


Look straight in the mirror, watch it come clearer
I look like a painter, behind all the grease
But paintings creating, and I'm just erasing
A crystal-clear canvas is my masterpiece

William Meyers

Thanks

Cap’n Cringe

Thank you 🙏🏻 😭

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