It’s no secret that the landscape of Birds of Tokyo’s home of Western Australia; a desert-like state so vast and unforgiving that to provide it with a soundtrack requires a higher level of grandeur and majesty one would ever dare associate with the ‘pop’ music tag.
But, down to its bones, pop music is what Birds of Tokyo write… they just layer those bones in muscle, and give the beast a heart.
Beautifully expressive in its texture, yet thick and rich in its deceptive simplicity; Birds Of Tokyo’s music is universal and incredibly humanistic. In what could be described as the blink of an eye, the band have struck a nerve in their homeland, giving way to an unprecedented rise to popularity, but it is in their blossoming international recognition can be seen the band’s true strength and ability to connect with people.
Lanterns
Birds of Tokyo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I start to think aloud
There's a longing in the sound
There is more I could be
In darkness I leave
For a place I've never seen
It's been calling out to me
That is where I should be
We never carried days on our own
But now it's up to us to know
The weight of being so much more
We will find ourselves on the road
On we march
With a midnight song
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
On we march
Till we meet the dawn
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
As we walk out
Without question without doubt
In the light that we have found
It is finally clear
Our day has come
And we'll stand for who we are
We are ready we are young
We have nothing to fear
We never carried days on our own
But now it's up to us to know
The weight of being so much more
We will find ourselves on the road
On we march
With a midnight song
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
On we march
Till we meet the dawn
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
We held the light
To our faces
And realised
We were chasing
Shadows behind
Not worth saving
So burn it bright
Forever illuminating
On we march
With a midnight song
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
On we march
Till we meet the dawn
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
On we march
With a midnight song
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
On we march
Till we meet the dawn
We will light our way
With our lanterns on
Our day has come
And we'll stand for who we are
We are ready we are young
We have nothing to fear
The lyrics of Birds of Tokyo's song "Lanterns" convey a message of following one's inner voice and finding the courage to be oneself. The singer of the song reflects on moments when they have felt a sense of longing and recognizes that there is more they could be. They acknowledge the darkness and uncertainty they feel, but are drawn towards a place they have never been, recognizing that it is where they should be. The second verse suggests that it is no longer possible to rely on others, and that it is up to the individual to find their way. The singer expresses confidence in their abilities and readiness to face whatever challenges come their way.
The chorus repeats the phrase "on we march" to convey a sense of moving forward and not giving up. The metaphor of lanterns is used to represent the inner light and guidance that helps the singer on their journey. The "midnight song" refers to the music of the night that accompanies them, and the dawn represents a new beginning. The final part of the chorus emphasizes the singer's resilience and determination to overcome any obstacles, using the phrase "we have nothing to fear" to express their courage.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately I've found
Recently, I have discovered
When I start to think aloud
When I express my thoughts out loud
There's a longing in the sound
There is a desire in my tone
There is more I could be
I have greater potential
In darkness I leave
I depart into the unknown
For a place I've never seen
For a destination unknown to me
It's been calling out to me
It has been beckoning me
That is where I should be
That is where I truly belong
We never carried days on our own
We never faced life's challenges alone
But now it's up to us to know
It is now our responsibility to understand
The weight of being so much more
The consequence of being capable of so much
We will find ourselves on the road
We will encounter obstacles on our journey
On we march
We continue forward
With a midnight song
With a melody in the darkness
We will light our way
We will find our path
With our lanterns on
With a light to guide us
Till we meet the dawn
Until we face the daylight again
As we walk out
As we proceed forward
Without question without doubt
Without hesitation or uncertainty
In the light that we have found
In the discovery of a guiding light
It is finally clear
It is now apparent
Our day has come
Our opportunity has arrived
And we'll stand for who we are
And we will remain true to ourselves
We are ready we are young
We are prepared and youthful
We have nothing to fear
We have no reason to be afraid
We held the light
We grasped onto the light
To our faces
To illuminate our lives
And realised
And came to understand
We were chasing
We were pursuing
Shadows behind
Meaningless ideals of the past
Not worth saving
Insignificant enough to let go of
So burn it bright
So let it be a light for us
Forever illuminating
Guiding us eternally
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ADAM JOHN SPARK, ADAM PETER WESTON, GLENN MICHAEL SARANGAPANY, IAN LEWIS KENNY, IAN PATRICK BERNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jinbaii
The courage to follow ones heart.
To step into the unknown,
Even against the doubting voices, within and without.
To seek the Light of day
And not get lost in the Shadow that seems to be all around.
We are Warriors,
We are Healers,
We are Loving,
And We are Strong.
@cass6628
I thought Birds of Tokyo had millions of subs, but they only have thirty thousand? These guys need more hype!
@bryanchin856
They got taken over by Coldplay.
@strikerbowls791
@@bryanchin856 no?
@indobassgear2087
30k subs but 4,1M views thats not normal
@L4SER
@@indobassgear2087 ikr but fishy on me and tiko is just WAY ato questionable
@Hyphoon
Ikr
@kelvinnganga2280
Lived in Australia in 2019 and I’m happy I found this song. Love from Kenya 🇰🇪.
@CJ-xk7vs
Love to Kenya from Australia :)
@kat444lyf
This song was played at my boyfriends funeral when he lost his battle with depression at 18..I hear this in the shops, on the radio, it kills me but I treasure it
@girgirl8672
Kat aww :(