Islands
Barry Hudson-Taylor Lyrics
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Looking for you but you're right here
If I can't relate to you anymore
Then who am I related to?
And if this is the long haul
How'd we get here so soon?
Did I close my fist around something delicate?
Did I shatter you?
And I'm sitting on a bench in Coney Island wondering where did my baby go?
The fast times, the bright lights, the merry go
Sorry for not making you my centerfold
Over and over
Lost again with no surprises
Disappointments, close your eyes
And it gets colder and colder
When the sun goes down
The question pounds my head
"What's a lifetime of achievement?"
If I pushed you to the edge
But you were too polite to leave me
And do you miss the rogue
Who coaxed you into paradise and left you there?
Will you forgive my soul
When you're too wise to trust me and too old to care?
'Cause we were like the mall before the Internet
It was the one place to be
The mischief, the gift wrapped suburban dreams
Sorry for not winning you an arcade ring
Over and over
Lost again with no surprises
Disappointments, close your eyes
And it gets colder and colder
When the sun goes down
Were you waiting at our old spot
In the tree line by the gold clock
Did I leave you hanging every single day?
Were you standing in the hallway
With a big cake, happy birthday
Did I paint your bluest skies the darkest gray?
A universe away
And when I got into the accident
The sight that flashed before me was your face
But when I walked up to the podium
I think that I forgot to say your name
I'm on a bench in Coney Island wondering where did my baby go?
The fast times, the bright lights, the merry go
Sorry for not making you my centerfold
Over and over
Lost again with no surprises
Disappointments, close your eyes
And it gets colder and colder
When the sun goes down
When the sun goes down
The sight that flashed before me was your face
When the sun goes down
But I think that I forgot to say your name
Over and over
Sorry for not making you my
Making you my
Making you my centerfold
The song "Islands" by Barry Hudson-Taylor is a reflection on a past relationship that has ended and the feelings that come with it. The opening lyrics "Break my soul in two, looking for you but you're right here" convey a sense of confusion and feeling lost despite the presence of the former partner. The following lines raise questions about the relationship’s viability and suggest a fear of disconnection as a loss of identity. The chorus and its imagery of Coney Island provides a powerful line of imagery throughout the song, its flashiness contrasting with the sadness and regret in the lyrics.
The middle section of the song delves deeper into the regrets and disappointments of the singer. The repetition of "Over and over, lost again with no surprises" communicates feelings of stagnation and resignation. This is followed by phrases such as "disappointments, close your eyes" suggesting an attempt to move forward through denial. The section concludes with "when the sun goes down," a metaphorical representation of sadness and hopelessness.
The final section of the song is the singer questioning their actions towards the former partner, apologizing and raising unanswerable hypothetical questions of what could have been. The last lines "Sorry for not making you my centerfold" suggest a desire to prioritize the former partner and regret for their past neglect.
Line by Line Meaning
Break my soul in two
I feel torn apart inside
Looking for you but you're right here
Despite being physically present, I feel disconnected from you
If I can't relate to you anymore
If I can't connect with you anymore
Then who am I related to?
If our relationship is broken, what is left of me?
And if this is the long haul
If this is a long-term relationship
How'd we get here so soon?
How did our relationship deteriorate so quickly?
Did I close my fist around something delicate?
Did I unintentionally damage something fragile in our relationship?
Did I shatter you?
Did I break your heart or damage our relationship irreparably?
And I'm sitting on a bench in Coney Island wondering where did my baby go?
I feel lost and confused, wondering where our relationship went wrong
The fast times, the bright lights, the merry go
The excitement and distractions of life
Sorry for not making you my centerfold
I regret not prioritizing you and making you the center of my attention
Lost again with no surprises
I feel lost and alone, with no new developments or changes
Disappointments, close your eyes
I want to forget the disappointments in our relationship
And it gets colder and colder
My feelings and our relationship are becoming more distant and cold
When the sun goes down
During difficult times or at night
The question pounds my head
I can't stop thinking about this question
"What's a lifetime of achievement?"
I question the value of accomplishments without meaningful relationships
If I pushed you to the edge
If I put a strain on our relationship
But you were too polite to leave me
You stayed even though our relationship was strained
And do you miss the rogue
Do you miss the person I used to be before our relationship changed?
Who coaxed you into paradise and left you there?
Do you miss the person I used to be even if I can't be that person anymore?
Will you forgive my soul
Can you forgive me for any wrongs I've done
When you're too wise to trust me and too old to care?
Even if you're unwilling or unable to forgive me now
'Cause we were like the mall before the Internet
Our relationship was once central, like a mall before online shopping
It was the one place to be
Our relationship was where we found comfort and belonging
The mischief, the gift wrapped suburban dreams
The excitement and aspirations of our relationship
Sorry for not winning you an arcade ring
I regret not getting you a special gift or token of my love
Were you waiting at our old spot
Did you wait for me where we used to meet?
In the tree line by the gold clock
The specific spot where we used to meet
Did I leave you hanging every single day?
Did I fail to show up or keep our plans in our relationship?
Were you standing in the hallway
Did you wait for me at home?
With a big cake, happy birthday
On your birthday, did I neglect you or take you for granted in our relationship?
Did I paint your bluest skies the darkest gray?
Did I bring you down or make you sad despite my best intentions?
A universe away
Our relationship feels impossibly distant now
And when I got into the accident
A traumatic experience or turning point in my life
The sight that flashed before me was your face
I realized what's truly important in my life
But when I walked up to the podium
When I had an opportunity to make my feelings known publicly
I think that I forgot to say your name
I failed to acknowledge your importance in my life
When the sun goes down
During difficult times or at night
But I think that I forgot to say your name
I regret not acknowledging your importance in my life
Sorry for not making you my
I regret not prioritizing you in our relationship
Making you my
Making you the center of my attention in our relationship
Making you my centerfold
Making you the most important thing in my life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aaron Brooking Dessner, Bryce David Dessner, Taylor A. Swift, William Bowery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind