To Be Free
Emilíana Torrini Lyrics


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Once in a house on a hill
A boy got angry
He broke into my heart
For a day and a night
I stayed beside him
Until I had no hope

So I came down the hill
Of course I was hurt
But then I started to think

[Chorus]
It shouldn't hurt me to be free
It's what I really need
To pull myself together
But if it's so good being free
Would you mind telling me
Why I don't know what to do with myself

There's a bar by the dock
Where I found myself
Drinking with this man
He offered me a cigarette
And I accepted
'Cause it's been a very long time

As it burned 'till the end
I thought of the boy
No one could ever forget

[Chorus]

To pull myself together
But if it's so good being free
Would you mind telling me
Why I don't know what to do with myself

To pull myself together
But if it's so good being free




Would you mind telling me
Why I don't know what to do with myself

Overall Meaning

The song "To Be Free" by Emiliana Torrini is a story of a girl who was hurt by a boy's anger and could not get over it. The song starts with the girl narrating about how the boy got angry and broke into her heart while she was in a house on a hill. She tried everything to keep the relationship going for a day and a night until she had no hope left. She then realized that she needed to leave the situation to pull herself together and came down the hill.


The chorus of the song revolves around how the girl longs to be free from the relationship that hurt her. She says that being free should not hurt her and that it is what she really needs. However, the girl is confused and cannot find happiness in being free even though it should make her feel better. She meets a man at a bar by the dock and accepts his cigarette, thinking about the boy who hurt her as it burned until the end.


The song is a reflection of how sometimes being free from a painful relationship is necessary, but it may not always bring happiness. The confusion and the emptiness that the girl feels come through in the lyrics, making the song relatable to anyone who has struggled to let go of someone who hurt them.


Line by Line Meaning

Once in a house on a hill
Referring to a particular event, there was a time when the singer was happy and content living in a home in an elevated area.


A boy got angry
However, a boy created a ruckus, disrupting the singer's peace and happiness.


He broke into my heart
This emotional turmoil caused the singer's heart to break.


For a day and a night
The situations that ensued continued for 24 hours.


I stayed beside him
Despite the ordeal, the artist stuck by the boy's side.


Until I had no hope
However, eventually the situation became unbearable, and the singer lost all hope.


So I came down the hill
In order to escape the unbearable situation, the singer left the home she was living in.


Of course I was hurt
The decision to leave was not easy, and the artist's heart was filled with pain.


But then I started to think
However, with time, the artist started to reflect on and analyze the situation.


It shouldn't hurt me to be free
She realized that she should not feel bad about being liberated from an unhappy situation.


It's what I really need
The singer understood that freedom was what she wanted and needed the most at that point.


To pull myself together
However, the newfound freedom came with its own set of challenges, and the artist has to put herself together again.


But if it's so good being free
Despite feeling grateful for having found freedom, the singer wonders why she still feels lost and confused.


Would you mind telling me
She asks someone, presumably the person who convinced her that being free was the best option.


Why I don't know what to do with myself
The singer expresses her confusion and inability to fully come to terms with her newfound freedom.


There's a bar by the dock
In an attempt to understand herself and find her way, the artist finds herself in a bar by the harbor.


Where I found myself
Referring to the earlier line, the artist takes control of her situation and finds herself in the bar.


Drinking with this man
While there, she meets a man and drinks with him.


He offered me a cigarette
The man offers her a cigarette and she agrees to take it.


'Cause it's been a very long time
She hadn't smoked in a long time and was willing to try it again.


As it burned 'till the end
As the cigarette burned, the artist thinks back to the boy and how he made her feel.


I thought of the boy
The boy has left a significant impact on her and she thinks of him despite her attempt to move on.


No one could ever forget
The boy was unforgettable and had made a lasting impact on her life.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DAVE SEARS, IAN ASHLEY ESKELIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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