By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas.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.
What If We Are
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I'm not the stars
Maybe you're not the girl
What if you are?
Maybe I'm not the boy
Maybe I'm not the man
Maybe I'm not the one
Then it's love yes it's love like it could be
It's love yes it's love like it should be
Maybe a dream
Is only a wish
Not what it seems
So what if it is?
Maybe it doesn't fly
On the wings of a dove
Maybe it's just the life
What if it's love? What if it's love?
Then it's love yes it's love like it could be
It's love yes it's love like it should be
Is it love, yes it's love like it could be
It's love yes it's love like it should be
Cause I know I'm alive
I know I'm not dead
And I know I'm alive
I know I'm not dead
I know what's going down
I know what's going down
I know what's coming down
I know I'm coming down
Hey, have I hit rock bottom?
And hey, how to hit rock bottom?
Maybe I'm not the world
Maybe I'm not the stars
Maybe you're not the girl
What if you are?
Maybe I'm not the boy
Maybe I'm not the man
Maybe I'm not the one
But what if I am? What if I am?
Then it's love yes it's love like it could be
It's love yes it's love like it should be
Is it love, yes it's love like it could be
Love yes it's love like it should be
Cause I know I'm alive
I know I'm not dead
It's love yes it's love like it could be
It's love yes it's love like it should be
Is it love, yes it's love like it could be
Love yes it's love like it should be
I'm not dead
Hey have I hit rock bottom?
Have I hit rock bottom?
Tell me hey how to hit rock bottom?
How to hit rock bottom?
Tell me hey how to hit rock bottom?
How to hit rock bottom?
Hey have we hit rock bottom?
Have we hit rock bottom?
Tell me hey how to hit rock bottom?
How to hit rock bottom?
Tell me hey how to hit rock bottom?
How to hit rock bottom?
Tell me hey
These lyrics present a sense of uncertainty and questioning about oneself and a potential love interest. The singer wonders if they are really the person they think they are, and if the other person is truly the person they imagine them to be. Through questioning and reflecting on their own identity, the singer contemplates the possibility of love and what it could mean if it is real.
The recurring chorus of "Then it's love yes it's love like it could be / It's love yes it's love like it should be" suggests that despite the uncertainty and doubts, if the connection is genuine, then it is love as it should be - a powerful force that can withstand the doubts and insecurities of the singer.
The verses seem to also touch on the idea that things may not always be what they seem, and that sometimes what we believe to be a dream or wish may not be what we want or need in reality. The repetition of "Tell me hey how to hit rock bottom?" at the end of the song adds a sense of desperation and confusion, highlighting the struggle to truly understand oneself and their emotions.
Overall, the lyrics of "What If We Are?" explore the complexities of identity and love, and the difficulties in navigating those emotions with uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I'm not the world
Perhaps I'm not significant in the grand scheme of things
Maybe I'm not the stars
Perhaps I'm not shining as bright as others
Maybe you're not the girl
Maybe you're not the one I am meant to be with
What if you are?
But what if you're actually the one for me?
Maybe I'm not the boy
Maybe I'm not as confident or mature as I should be
Maybe I'm not the man
Maybe I'm not yet fully grown or established
Maybe I'm not the one
Maybe I'm not the one you need in your life
But what if I am? What if I am?
But what if I turn out to be the perfect match for you after all?
Then it's love yes it's love like it could be
If we are meant to be together, then the love we have will be everything we hoped for
It's love yes it's love like it should be
This love would be natural and effortless between us, the way love should be
Maybe a dream
Perhaps our aspirations for a life together are just that
Is only a wish
Just a fanciful desire without substance
Not what it seems
It's unlikely that our dream would actually come to fruition
So what if it is?
But does that mean we should give up before trying?
Maybe it doesn't fly
Perhaps our love won't soar as high as our hopes and dreams
On the wings of a dove
Like a peaceful, soaring symbol of love
Maybe it's just the life
Maybe the only thing that will keep us together is simply life itself
What if it's love? What if it's love?
But what if it's actually real love that ties us together?
I know what's going down
I'm aware of what's happening and what we're experiencing
I know what's coming down
I understand what's to come, both good and bad
Hey, have I hit rock bottom?
Am I at the lowest point possible in our relationship?
And hey, how to hit rock bottom?
What can I do to ensure that we don't reach the lowest point in our love?
Cause I know I'm alive
I feel alive and present in this relationship
I know I'm not dead
I have hope for the future of our love
Hey have we hit rock bottom?
Are we at the lowest point yet in our relationship?
Tell me hey how to hit rock bottom?
What can we do to avoid reaching the lowest point in our love?
It's love yes it's love like it could be
If we work hard at it, this love could be everything we hoped for
It's love yes it's love like it should be
This love would be natural and fulfilling between us, the way love should be
Tell me hey
Asking for guidance or advice on how to navigate our love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, WILLIAM SERGEANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind