Forgiven
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm just one of many
Gave a love in vain
Sold it out for pennies
Saved up all my reign (rain)
What do you want from me
The ocean or the sea
The salt inside the rising tide
Tears you got from me
Got from me
Got from me, yeah
One day I'll be ready
To take what could be mine
Everything I'd buried
I lay out on the line
What d'you want to see
The truth or mystery
A blinding light, a blackest night
They're both inside of me
Inside me
Inside me, yeah
I'm just one of many
Took a love in vain
Sold it out for pennies
Saved up all my reign (rain)
What d'you want from me
The truth or mystery
The salt inside the rising tide
Tears you got from me
Got from me
Got from me, yeah
I don't want to be forgiven
All I want is to be free




I know I'll never be forgiven
I know I'll never be free

Overall Meaning

The song "Forgiven" by Echo & the Bunnymen tells a story of a person who has given love in vain, as they feel that they have sold it out for pennies. The person knows that they have made a mistake and that they have been too cautious with their love, which has created a barrier between them and the person they love. The lyrics are written in a melancholic tone, and the person singing is introspective, trying to figure out what they want and what they need from their relationship.


The lyrics in "Forgiven" are ambiguous, leaving the listener to make their own interpretation of what the ocean, the sea, and the salt inside the rising tide might represent. The line "tears you got from me" is symbolic of the hurt and pain the person has experienced due to their guardedness with their emotions. The song concludes with the person acknowledging that they know they can't be forgiven, but all they want is to be free. They have come to terms with their past mistakes and want to move forward.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm just one of many
I am not unique


Gave a love in vain
I loved someone who didn't love me back


Sold it out for pennies
I settled for less than what I deserved


Saved up all my reign (rain)
I held onto my emotions and didn't express them


What do you want from me
What is it that you desire from me?


The ocean or the sea
Do you want something vast or something familiar?


The salt inside the rising tide
The pain experienced with strong emotions


Tears you got from me
The sorrow I shared with you


Got from me
Taken from me


One day I'll be ready
I am not ready yet


To take what could be mine
To claim what I deserve


Everything I'd buried
All of the emotions I've repressed


I lay out on the line
I am being vulnerable


What d'you want to see
What is it that you wish to witness?


The truth or mystery
Do you want to know the facts or the unknown?


A blinding light, a blackest night
Extreme emotions, whether positive or negative


They're both inside of me
I have experienced both of these things


Inside me
Part of me


I'm just one of many
I am not unique


Took a love in vain
I loved someone who didn't love me back


Sold it out for pennies
I settled for less than what I deserved


Saved up all my reign (rain)
I held onto my emotions and didn't express them


What d'you want from me


The truth or mystery
Do you want to know the facts or the unknown?


The salt inside the rising tide
The pain experienced with strong emotions


Tears you got from me
The sorrow I shared with you


Got from me
Taken from me


I don't want to be forgiven
I don't need someone else's absolution


All I want is to be free
I want to escape my emotional burdens


I know I'll never be forgiven
I don't need someone else's absolution


I know I'll never be free
I am not able to escape my emotional burdens




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARLIN JAMES, CLAV, HANNAH THERESA WILDES, MARLA A. ALTSCHULER

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:

the cat 96

My fav "Evergreen" song. So beautiful 💜

Gerardo Chávez

I'm just one of many
Gave a love in vain
Sold it out for pennies
Saved up all my reign (rain)
What do you want from me
The ocean or the sea
The salt inside the rising tide
Tears you got from me
Got from me
Got from me, yeah
One day I'll be ready
To take what could be mine
Everything I'd buried
I lay out on the line
What d'you want to see
The truth or mystery
A blinding light, a blackest night
They're both inside of me
Inside me
Inside me, yeah
I'm just one of many
Took a love in vain
Sold it out for pennies
Saved up all my reign (rain)
What d'you want from me
The truth or mystery
The salt inside the rising tide
Tears you got from me
Got from me
Got from me, yeah
I don't want to be forgiven
All I want is to be free
I know I'll never be forgiven
I know I'll never be free

Juan Ramírez

I love Echo & the Bunnymen, but this is a blatant plagiarism of R.E.M.'s Find the River.

Hugh Manne

similar, but different. both good. blatant plagiarism? nah. no judge would convict. cheers.