Zimbo
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics


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Flying
And you know I'm not coming down
You're trying
But you know you must soon go down
All my colours
Turn to clouds
All my colours
Turn to cloud

Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo

What d'you say
When your heart's in pieces
How to play
Those cards in sequence
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
That box you gave me
Burned nicely

Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo

Flying down
Flying down

All my colours
Turn to clouds
All my colours
Turn to cloud

Hey I'm flowing
Hey I'm flowing
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
Hey I've flown away




Hey I've flown away
All my colours

Overall Meaning

The song "Zimbo" by Echo & the Bunnymen is a hypnotic and dream-like exploration of the fleeting nature of life and the search for meaning in the face of mortality. The lyrics describe a sense of floating, of being lifted out of the everyday world and into a state of elevated awareness. The singer is flying, but he knows that he must come back to earth eventually, that all things are impermanent and subject to change.


The repetition of the word "Zimbo" creates a kind of mantra, emphasizing the cyclical nature of existence and the inevitability of death. The singer is grappling with complex emotions, trying to make sense of his feelings even as they slip away from him. The box that he was given has burned, representing the loss of something precious and irreplaceable. But even as he mourns what he has lost, the singer is also experiencing a sense of freedom and release, as he lets go of his old self and embraces the unknown.


Overall, "Zimbo" is a haunting and poetic meditation on the transience of life and the search for meaning in an uncertain world. The lyrics, with their dreamy symbolism and evocative imagery, capture the sense of disorientation and wonder that comes with experiencing the sublime.


Line by Line Meaning

Flying
I am soaring high without any intention of coming down


And you know I'm not coming down
My flight is going to be uninterrupted and prolonged


You're trying
You are attempting to keep up with me


But you know you must soon go down
But you can't keep up forever, unlike me


All my colours
All of the things that characterize me


Turn to clouds
Are beginning to dissolve and disappear


Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
A chant that is expressing an inner turmoil of sorts


What d'you say
What is your response


When your heart's in pieces
When your emotions are scattered and unmanageable


How to play
What strategy to employ


Those cards in sequence
How to organize the elements in a logical progression


That box you gave me
A symbolic object that has significance


Burned nicely
Ended up being destroyed in a satisfactory way


Hey I'm flowing
I am still moving without restraint


Hey I've flown away
I have escaped and am no longer bound


Flying down
Coming back to the earth below


All my colours turn to cloud
Everything that I had previously identified with is now dissipated and gone




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN STEPHEN MCCULLOCH, LESLIE THOMAS PATTINSON, PETE DE FREITAS, WILLIAM ALFRED SERGEANT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Helen Wong

Flying
And you know I'm not coming down
You're trying
But you know you must soon go down
All my colours
Turn to clouds
All my colours
Turn to cloud
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
What d'you say
When your heart's in pieces
How to play
Those cards in sequence
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo…



All comments from YouTube:

Canal do Berga

27 years, the life really isn't fair sometimes. God bless him.

Beelzebubbbbles

A tribute to the late Pete De Freitas, RIP. An awesome drummer, and very nice person to boot.

Paul john pinky Bennett

Such a haunting song, fittingly. My best band of my youthful days, the best days of my life. What memories all their albums gave me is phenomenal. Ever lasting impression. Flying down 👇.

dizzypuppy

Loved this comment. Exactly how I've felt all along listening to the Bunnymen.

Brandt C.

What an amazing version of an incredibly deep and beautiful song. RIP Pete.

Peter Shields

The Bunnymen were simply incomparable. They will live forever because of their music - long after some of the hyped so called superbands are but a distant memory. I saw them many times in the early 80's and they moved me like no other band before or since. Pete*

Nicky D

This is truly amazing clip - thanks for posting. I too listen to them EVERYDAY and never get bored. They are a great band. No one sounds like the Bunnymen!

Miles Oakley

Ethereal; elegiac; pure Echo.😢 Seems an eternity ago that this song was released; but is timeless and will echo down the ages.

peterpuck365

Probably one of the best songs ever.

Helen Wong

Flying
And you know I'm not coming down
You're trying
But you know you must soon go down
All my colours
Turn to clouds
All my colours
Turn to cloud
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
What d'you say
When your heart's in pieces
How to play
Those cards in sequence
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
That box you gave me
Burned nicely
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo zimbo
Zimbo zimbo…

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