By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas. Their next, the critically-acclaimed Heaven Up Here, reached the Top Ten in 1981, as did 1983's Porcupine and '84's Ocean Rain. Singles like "The Killing Moon" (later used in the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, a film whose imagery owed much to the artwork of the band's early records.), "Silver," "Bring on the Dancing Horses," and "The Cutter" helped keep the group in the public eye as they took a brief hiatus in the late 1980s. Their 1987 self-titled LP was a small American hit, their only LP to have significant sales there.
McCulloch quit the band in 1988. De Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident one year later. The others decided to continue, recruiting Noel Burke to replace McCulloch on vocals in Reverberation (1990), which did not generate much excitement among fans or critics. Burke, Sargeant and Pattinson split after that, but the surviving three fourths of the original band reformed in 1997 and released Evergreen (1997), What are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001) , Siberia (2005), and the latest addition, The Fountain (2009). The group's old audience liked the return to their classic sound, and they also managed to gain a number of new, younger listeners.
Echo and the Bunnymen were managed early on by Bill Drummond, who went on to be a founder member of The KLF.
Don't_Let_It_Get_You_Down
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made me forget myself
My lights came on
When i got to you
You were almost through
You're almost gone
Don't let it get you down
Don't let it get you down
Don't let it get you down
An angel walked amongst us
Tried but couldn't love us
Somethings wrong
Since you've gone you know
There's nothing and no one
To hang love on
So tell me how it feels
Tell me how it feels
To touch the flame
Tell me who i am
Tell me who i really am
What's my name
Don't let it get you down
(when you're alone)
Don't let it get you down
(when you're alone)
The moon and the stars goes crashing round
(when you're alone)
Don't let it get you down
Don't let it get you down
(when you're alone)
Don't let it get you down
(when you're alone)
The moon and the stars goes crashing round
(when you're alone)
Don't let it get you down
Don't let it get you down
(when you're alone)
Don't let it get you down
(when you're alone)
The moon and the stars goes crashing round
(when you're alone)
Don't let it get you down
God's above us and jesus loves us
If god's above us and jesus loves us
If god's above us
(if you want it, you can get it)
And jesus loves us
(if you want it, you can get it)
If god's above us
(if you want it, come on get it)
And jesus loves us
(right now)
If god's above us
(if you want it, you can get it)
And jesus loves us
(if you want it, you can get it)
If god's above us
(if you want it, come on get it)
And jesus loves us
The lyrics of "Don't Let It Get You Down" by Echo & the Bunnymen appear to be about seeking refuge in someone else during a hard time. The phrase "Don't let it get you down" could be interpreted as an encouragement to keep going despite their struggles, with the moon and stars representing the chaos of life. The lines "You're really something else/Made me forget myself" suggest that the singer has found someone special who helps them to escape their own problems briefly.
As the song progresses, there's a hint of sadness and regret as the singer acknowledges that the person they're with isn't able to love them as they want to be loved. They also question their own identity and self-worth, but the repeating refrain encourages them to keep pushing through the darkness. The inclusion of religious references toward the end of the song--"God's above us and Jesus loves us"-- could be interpreted as an attempt to find hope and comfort in their faith.
Overall, "Don't Let It Get You Down" seems to be a song about searching for solace and finding it briefly, but ultimately realizing that they cannot rely solely on another person or belief system to solve their problems.
Line by Line Meaning
You're really something else
You are extraordinary and unique
Made me forget myself
You caused me to lose track of who I am
My lights came on
I became enlightened thanks to you
When i got to you
When I met you
You were almost through
You were almost finished or at the end of something
You're almost gone
You are nearly absent or departed
Don't let it get you down
Do not let it make you feel sad or discouraged
The moon and the stars goes crashing round
The world can be chaotic and unpredictable
An angel walked amongst us
A benevolent and graceful being lived among us
Tried but couldn't love us
They attempted to care for us, but were unable to do so
Somethings wrong
Something is not right or out of place
Since you've gone you know
Since you left or disappeared, you are aware
There's nothing and no one
There is neither anything nor anyone present
To hang love on
To place affection or emotional attachment onto
So tell me how it feels
Describe to me the sensation or emotion
To touch the flame
To feel the intensity or passion
Tell me who i am
Inform me of my true identity
Tell me who i really am
Reveal my authentic self
What's my name
What is the title given to me
Don't let it get you down
Do not let it make you feel sad or discouraged
(when you're alone)
During times of solitude
The moon and the stars goes crashing round
The world can be chaotic and unpredictable
Don't let it get you down
Do not let it make you feel sad or discouraged
God's above us and jesus loves us
There is a divine entity that oversees us and an affectionate deity that cares for us
If god's above us and jesus loves us
Assuming a higher power exists and we are beloved to a religious figure
If god's above us
If a supreme being is above and beyond us
(if you want it, you can get it)
If you desire something, you are capable of obtaining it
And jesus loves us
And a messianic figure cherishes us
(right now)
Currently or immediately
If god's above us
If a supreme being is above and beyond us
And jesus loves us
And a messianic figure cherishes us
(if you want it, come on get it)
If you wish to attain something, go ahead and acquire it
Don't let it get you down
Do not let it make you feel sad or discouraged
(when you're alone)
During times of solitude
The moon and the stars goes crashing round
The world can be chaotic and unpredictable
Don't let it get you down
Do not let it make you feel sad or discouraged
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, WILLIAM ALFRED SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind