Coming Down
David Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tears falling slow.
From the bridge into the river below.
In your eyes I start to see.
A starry veil and the oceans of infinity.

Moon and stars above me.
Mingle with the blood inside my veins.
Empty arms that should be
Holding me close through nights of winter rain.
And I'm trying to spell what only the wind can explain.
It's colder than ever
Coming down

Now I'm drowning in shallows
'Cause I'm in so deep
There's neon melting in the rain
I took too much powder to sleep
When I hold you naked
When I hear your laugh
I got a sword to stem the rivers
And cut the moon in half.

Frozen stars above me
Mingle with the blood inside my veins
Empty arms that should be
Holding you close through nights of winter rain
And I'm trying to spell what only the wind can explain
It's colder than ever
Coming down
Coming down
Coming down
Coming down

We danced wild
Kicked off our shoes
Not a cloud in the the sky to confuse.
Now the sky is cold and the sea is white




And there's nothing to be done except reflecting the sun
And scratching the mountain side

Overall Meaning

The song Coming Down by David Gray is a melancholic ballad that speaks about the feelings of helplessness and despair that come with addiction. The pain and loneliness that consume the addict are conveyed through the poignant lyrics and the mournful melody. The opening lines, "Tears falling slow. From the bridge into the river below," suggest a sense of despair and possibly suicidal thoughts. The image of tears falling into the river below resonates with the idea of letting go and surrendering to the inevitability of fate. The use of water imagery, such as the starry veil in the eyes and the oceans of infinity, serves to underline the fluidity of the emotions that the singer is experiencing.


The imagery of moon and stars above me mingling with the blood inside my veins, speaks to the emotional turbulence of the singer's state of mind. The use of the word empty in the line, "Empty arms that should be holding me close through nights of winter rain," adds to the sense of loss and the need for comfort. The line, "And I'm trying to spell what only the wind can explain," suggests the difficulty of expressing the inexpressible feelings that the singer is grappling with. The use of the phrase "it's colder than ever coming down" serves to emphasize the hopelessness that the singer feels.


In the second verse, the singer continues to describe the depths of the addiction, referencing taking too much powder to sleep and the desperation of drowning in shallows. The image of cutting the moon in half with a sword serves to emphasize the sense of hopelessness and the impossibility of finding a way out of the addiction. The final lines, "And scratching the mountain side," convey a sense of futility and a feeling that one is powerless to change the course of one's life.


Line by Line Meaning

Tears falling slow.
Crying silently, tears are flowing down slowly from the eyes.


From the bridge into the river below.
Standing on a bridge, tears are falling down into the river flowing beneath.


In your eyes I start to see.
Looking into someone's eyes, starting to understand their emotions and feelings.


A starry veil and the oceans of infinity.
The person's eyes have a mystical and infinite quality, similar to a starry night sky and an endless ocean.


Moon and stars above me.
Looking up at the night sky, seeing the moon and the stars shining above.


Mingle with the blood inside my veins.
Feeling a deep connection with the universe, as if the stars and planets are a part of one's own blood.


Empty arms that should be holding me close through nights of winter rain.
Feeling alone and missing the comfort of someone's embrace on cold, rainy nights.


And I'm trying to spell what only the wind can explain.
Trying to express deep feelings that cannot be put into words, which only the wind can convey symbolically.


It's colder than ever Coming down
Feeling emotionally cold and disconnected, as if everything around is falling apart.


Now I'm drowning in shallows
Feeling overwhelmed by trivial things that would normally be easy to handle.


'Cause I'm in so deep
Feeling trapped and powerless, having too much emotional investment in something that is causing pain.


There's neon melting in the rain
Visualizing the vibrant colors of neon lights being dissipated by the rain.


I took too much powder to sleep
Taking excessive medication to fall asleep and escape from the reality of the situation.


When I hold you naked
Feeling vulnerable and open with someone, without any barriers.


When I hear your laugh
Feeling uplifted by the sound of someone's laughter, which brings joy to a troubled mind.


I got a sword to stem the rivers
Feeling prepared to take on any obstacle and fight through it with determination.


And cut the moon in half.
Feeling so powerful that splitting the moon in half is a trivial task.


Frozen stars above me
Looking up at the night sky, seeing the stars as if they are frozen and motionless.


Empty arms that should be
Feeling alone and unloved, missing someone who should be holding the person in their arms.


Holding you close through nights of winter rain
Wishing for someone to provide comfort and warmth during long, lonely nights.


Coming down Coming down Coming down Coming down
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope, with everything crashing down like a series of waves.


We danced wild
Recalling memories of wild and carefree dancing.


Kicked off our shoes
Being unencumbered by shoes, able to move freely and be spontaneous.


Not a cloud in the the sky to confuse.
Feeling clear-headed and unburdened by anything distracting or confusing in the environment.


Now the sky is cold and the sea is white
Feeling as if the world is harsh and unforgiving, with a cold sky and turbulent waves crashing against the shore.


And there's nothing to be done except reflecting the sun
Feeling powerless to change the circumstances, but finding some solace in simply reflecting the warmth and light of the sun.


And scratching the mountain side
Trying to achieve something that seems impossible, like trying to scratch a mountain, but refusing to give up.




Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID GRAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Tiffani Patterson

Still enjoying Anthony David in 2020.... he has beautiful music and he is easy to look at! :)

Jraub Icekold

He's so underrated. He needs more views. He has so much talent that people don't realize it. I support!

Charli Harrison

I agree with you πŸ’―!

Charli Harrison

Jraub lcekold l agree with you πŸ’―!!!!

Marilyn King

I so agree..he is such a talent..unfortunately the music biz is a dirty game

Shan Taylor

I just said this

Sandy West

Ten years later Keisha and Carl are together and baby Keisha is a doing her thing😎

David Oliver

Β  Β  I don't know what's wrong with music, today. Β This dude should be a mega star. Β He consistently releases good music. Β He should be as big as Beyonce.

Regina Cee

I love this song He has a very soulful tone.

misscstarr1988

I have been jamming to this song ever since I had the opportunity to attend Anthony David's "Love Out Loud" album release concert in November. I love the meaningful lyrics and his husky, yet velvety voice. Very smooth crooner. Amazing artist. One of my many favorites off of the album! Continue making phenomenal music, Anthony David!

More Comments

More Versions