Something in the Air
David Bowie Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Your coat and hat are gone
I really can't look at your little empty shelf
A ragged teddy bear
It feels like we never had a chance
Don't look me in the eye

We lay in each other's arms
But the room is just an empty space
I guess we lived it out
Something in the air
We smile too fast
Then can't think of a thing to say

Lived with the best times
Left with the worst
I've danced with you too long
Nothing left to save

Let's take what we can
I know you'll hold your head up high
We've raged for the last time
A place of no return

And there's something in the air
Something in my eye
I've danced with you too long
Yeah
Something in the air
Something in my eye

Abracadoo, I lose you
We can't avoid the clash, the big mistake
Now we're going to pay and pay
The sentence of our lives
Can't believe I'm asking you to go

We used what we could
To get the things we want
But we lost each other on the way
I guess you know I never wanted anyone more than you

Lived all our best times
Left with the worst
I've danced with you too long
Say what you will
There's something in the air

Raged for the last time
But I know you'll hold your head up high
There's nothing we have to say
There's nothing in our eyes

But there's something in the air
Something in my eye
I danced with you too long
There's something I have to say
There's something in the air
Something in my eye

I've danced with you too long
Danced with you too long (doo, doo)
Danced with you too long




And there's something in the air
Something in the air (doo doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo doo)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to David Bowie's song Something In The Air seem to be about the end of a relationship. The first stanza sets the scene of the departure of a loved one, as the singer observes the absence of their coat and hat, their little empty shelf, and a ragged teddy bear that feels like a symbol of lost memories. The second stanza is about the last moments the couple shared together, when they lay in each other's arms in a room that, despite their intimacy, feels like an empty space. The third stanza is the recognition that, despite their best efforts to salvage what they had, it's now time to accept that it's over. The phrase "Something in the air" indicates the inevitability of their split, a feeling that they both knew was coming.


The fourth stanza begins with the abrupt and seemingly out of place phrase "Abracadoo, I lose you." It is likely that this phrase is included as a way of conveying the sense of confusion and disorientation that often accompanies the breaking up of a relationship. The singer acknowledges that this was a clash and a big mistake, and that they will pay for it. The fifth stanza reflects on the things they had used and the things they had wanted, but they had ultimately lost each other along the way. The sixth stanza is about accepting the end and acknowledging that the best times are behind them, but holding their heads up high as they move on. The phrase "There's nothing in our eyes" is a powerful way of demonstrating that they are both exhausted and emotionally drained.


The song ends with repeated phrases of "Danced with you too long" and "Something in the air". It seems that the singer is still grappling with their feelings of pain and loss, struggling to come to terms with the end of their relationship. As a whole, the song is a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and its eventual loss.


Line by Line Meaning

Your coat and hat are gone
You've left and taken your things with you


I really can't look at your little empty shelf
Seeing your empty shelf reminds me that you're gone


A ragged teddy bear
An old teddy bear that's been through a lot


It feels like we never had a chance
Our relationship was doomed from the start


Don't look me in the eye
We can't face the truth of what's happened


We lay in each other's arms
Once we were close and intimate


But the room is just an empty space
Without you here, the room is hollow


I guess we lived it out
Our relationship has run its course


Something in the air
There's an intangible sense of change and loss


We smile too fast
We're trying too hard to pretend everything is okay


Then can't think of a thing to say
Our conversation is strained and forced


Lived with the best times
We had some great moments together


Left with the worst
But ultimately things fell apart


Danced with you too long
We held onto our relationship for longer than we should have


Nothing left to save
There's no hope left for us


Let's take what we can
We should salvage what's left of our connection


I know you'll hold your head up high
You'll move on from this and be okay


We've raged for the last time
We've had our final fight and it's over


A place of no return
We've reached a point where there's no going back


And there's something in the air
The atmosphere is tense and emotional


Something in my eye
I'm holding back tears


Abracadoo, I lose you
I'm using a silly phrase to try to make light of the situation


We can't avoid the clash, the big mistake
We knew this would end badly and it did


Now we're going to pay and pay
We'll suffer the consequences of our failed relationship


The sentence of our lives
Our fate has been sealed


Can't believe I'm asking you to go
I hate that it's come to this, but we need to part ways


We used what we could
We did everything we could to make it work


To get the things we want
But we lost sight of what was truly important


But I know you'll hold your head up high
You have the strength to move on and find happiness


Say what you will
We can try to blame each other, but it won't change the outcome


There's something in the air
We can feel the tension between us


Raged for the last time
We've had our final argument


There's nothing we have to say
We've exhausted all the words between us


There's nothing in our eyes
We've lost the spark we used to have


I've danced with you too long
We've held onto our relationship for too much time


There's something I have to say
I need to get something off my chest before we part ways




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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