Bigger Than Love
Benjamin Gibbard (feat. Ben Gibbard) Lyrics
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Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
I live with my memories,
The bustle and fervor of New York
Where on 59th street
'Cause you were just drinking
Drinking'til you could hardly see
Oh how much I loved you
But I couldn't bring myself to leave
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Our summers in Paris,
The Seine overflowing with champagne
And I knew you stepped out
But you knew that I had done the same
And we had a child there
But we couldn't raise her on our own
So our house got crowded
And I'd never felt so all alone
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Stranded in Asheville
Failing to fix a broken head
You're in California
Doing the work of lesser men
Oh what of our daughter
Oh what of the love that we once shared?
It's living inside us
Battered but not beyond repair
Our fate decreed,
A singularity
A solemn tune
I play at night and dance around the room,
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
The song "Bigger Than Love" by Benjamin Gibbard is a wistful melody about a love that is larger than life. The singer talks about a love that has transcended space and time and is still burning bright within his heart and mind. The lyrics describe the memories of his love in various situations and cities, such as New York and Paris, where they experienced both good and bad times. The love was so strong that even when they went through challenges like infidelity and having a child they couldn't raise together, they couldn't bring themselves to leave each other.
The chorus "It's bigger than love, brighter than all the stars combined, it's dwarfing the sun, burning within my heart and mind" is a beautiful way of describing how the love felt all-consuming, overshadowing everything else in their lives. The song is poignant and touches on themes like love, loss, and the complexity of relationships. The line "Oh what of our daughter, Oh what of the love that we once shared? It's living inside us, battered but not beyond repair" shows that even though the relationship has gone through tough times, and the love at times may have been wounded and battered, it's not beyond repair.
Line by Line Meaning
It's bigger than love
The feeling or emotion between the two individuals involved is much larger than just love.
Brighter than all the stars combined
The feeling or emotion is so intense that it shines brighter than trillions of stars put together.
It's dwarfing the sun
The feeling or emotion is so large that it makes the sun look small in comparison.
Burning within my heart and mind
The emotion is intense and consumes the person's thoughts and feelings.
I live with my memories,
The artist is haunted by memories of the past.
The bustle and fervor of New York
The energy and excitement of New York City reminds the singer of their past.
Where on 59th street
The specific location of 59th street is significant to the singer's past experiences.
We quarreled and broke the bathroom door
The artist and their partner had a physical altercation in the past.
'Cause you were just drinking
The partner's excessive drinking caused the altercation.
Drinking'til you could hardly see
The partner drank so much that they could barely function.
Oh how much I loved you
The singer had strong feelings of love for their partner.
But I couldn't bring myself to leave
The artist was unable to end their relationship even though it was unhealthy.
Our summers in Paris,
The singer and their partner spent time in Paris together.
The Seine overflowing with champagne
The singer and their partner enjoyed the luxury and extravagance of Parisian life.
And I knew you stepped out
The partner cheated on the singer during their time in Paris.
But you knew that I had done the same
The artist is acknowledging that they too had been unfaithful.
And we had a child there
The artist and their partner had a child together while in Paris.
But we couldn't raise her on our own
The singer and their partner were unable to provide for their child without outside help.
So our house got crowded
The addition of a child made the living situation more cramped.
And I'd never felt so all alone
Despite having a partner and child, the artist felt very lonely.
Stranded in Asheville
The artist is currently feeling stuck and unsure of their situation in Asheville.
Failing to fix a broken head
The artist is struggling to cope with their own emotional distress and cannot fix it alone.
You're in California
The singer's partner is in California, indicating a distance between them.
Doing the work of lesser men
The partner is doing a job that the artist doesn't view as worthy or important.
Oh what of our daughter
The singer is asking about the welfare of their child.
Oh what of the love that we once shared?
The singer is questioning whether the love they had in the past still exists.
It's living inside us
The love between the two individuals is still present, even if not on the surface.
Battered but not beyond repair
The relationship has faced hardships but can still be fixed.
Our fate decreed,
The artist feels as though their future has been predetermined.
A singularity
The relationship between the two individuals is unique and cannot be replicated.
A solemn tune
The singer feels a sense of sadness and seriousness regarding the situation.
I play at night and dance around the room,
The artist copes with their emotions by listening to music and dancing alone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tropicwave1
Bigger Than Love
Benjamin Gibbard
Featuring Aimee Mann
Album: Former Lives
[Chorus]
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
(Zelda)
I live with my memories
The bustle and fervor of New York
We're on 59th Street
We quarreled and broke the bathroom door
Cause you were just drinking
Drinking til you could hardly see
Of how much I loved you
I couldn't bring myself to leave
[Chorus]
(Scott)
Our summers in Paris
The Seine overflowing with champagne
And I knew you stepped out
But you knew that I had done the same
We had a child there
We couldn't raise her on our own
So our house got crowded
I never felt so all alone
[Chorus x2]
(Zelda)
Stranded in Asheville
Failing to fix a broken head
You're in California
Doing the work of lesser men
(Scott)
But what of our daughter
What of the love we once shared?
(Zelda)
It's living inside us
Battered but not beyond repair
(Scott)
Our fate decreed
A singularity
A solemn tune
I play at night and dance around the room
[Chorus x4]
Composer: Benjamin Gibbard
â„— 2012 Benjamin Gibbard under excl. license to City Slang
tropicwave1
Bigger Than Love
Benjamin Gibbard
Featuring Aimee Mann
Album Former Lives
t's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
I live with my memories, the bustling fervor of New York
Where on 59th street we quarreled and broke the bathroom door
'Cause you were just drinking 'til you could hardly see
Oh how much I loved you but I couldn't bring myself to leave
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Our summers in Paris, the Seine overflowing with champagne
And I knew you stepped out but you knew that I had done the same
And we had a child there but we couldn't raise her on our own
So our house got crowded and I'd never felt so all alone
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Stranded in Asheville failing to fix a broken head
You're in California doing the work of lesser men
Oh what of our daughter, oh what of the love that we once shared?
It's living inside us battered but not beyond repair
Our fate decreed
A singularity
A solemn tune
I play at night and dance around the room
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Composer: Benjamin Gibbard
â„— 2012 Benjamin Gibbard under excl. license to City Slang
Sampa Farrugia
bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
I live with my memories, the bustling fervor of New York
Where on 59th street we quarreled and broke the bathroom door
'Cause you were just drinking 'til you could hardly see
Oh how much I loved you but I couldn't bring myself to leave
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Our summers in Paris, the Seine overflowing with champagne
And I knew you stepped out but you knew that I had done the same
And we had a child there but we couldn't raise her on our own
So our house got crowded and I'd never felt so all alone
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Stranded in Asheville failing to fix a broken head
You're in California doing the work of lesser men
Oh what of our daughter, oh what of the love that we once shared?
It's living inside us battered but not beyond repair
Our fate decreed
A singularity
A solemn tune
I play at night and dance around the room
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
Nolan Kelly
This guy just oozes talent
tropicwave1
Bigger Than Love
Benjamin Gibbard
Featuring Aimee Mann
Album: Former Lives
[Chorus]
It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind
(Zelda)
I live with my memories
The bustle and fervor of New York
We're on 59th Street
We quarreled and broke the bathroom door
Cause you were just drinking
Drinking til you could hardly see
Of how much I loved you
I couldn't bring myself to leave
[Chorus]
(Scott)
Our summers in Paris
The Seine overflowing with champagne
And I knew you stepped out
But you knew that I had done the same
We had a child there
We couldn't raise her on our own
So our house got crowded
I never felt so all alone
[Chorus x2]
(Zelda)
Stranded in Asheville
Failing to fix a broken head
You're in California
Doing the work of lesser men
(Scott)
But what of our daughter
What of the love we once shared?
(Zelda)
It's living inside us
Battered but not beyond repair
(Scott)
Our fate decreed
A singularity
A solemn tune
I play at night and dance around the room
[Chorus x4]
Composer: Benjamin Gibbard
â„— 2012 Benjamin Gibbard under excl. license to City Slang
Danilo Cordova
This song gives me the chills. Even though I absolutely adore this song and find nothing wrong with it, I still wonder how it would have sounded if it was a Death cab song :]
Comstock
Love it. This man is a legend.
Parad0xial
Is that his falsetto? Damn, that's a different sound than I've ever heard from Ben and I love it.
Visiting Angels Charlotte North Carolina
Love this duet...perfect combo!
lee Argus
Saw on Colbert... love the mixture of both male/ female vocals. Now one of my favs.
Angela Kaplan
Love his music.
remfanbefor Lovell
Deathcab is alive and well, but he is just too prolific to keep up with their recording. This song is so thrilling! Benjamin, your writing is exquisite, your a poet at heart! Emotional IQ abounds in all his lyrics!
Tania Pisa
Love this song! Thank you!