Lead singer Florence Welch elaborated on the concept of the song on the band's official website: "This is about when there's that electricity between you, and a boy, and it's completely unspoken. When they're standing in front of you and you can't breathe, can't think, can't do anything properly. I'm really geeky - if I like someone, I just become incapable. I remember with my first boyfriend, walking past the window of a pub, seeing he was in there and literally throwing myself on the ground and crawling on the floor because I was so scared! I feel things quite intensely, which is probably why the music is quite intense. If I really like someone, I like someone; if I'm sad, I'm sad. I was listening to a lot of hip hop and I wanted to make something that had that kind of beat to it. To me it's the most forward-thinking music around. No one else is moving forward at such pace! Again, it's really Gothic imagery - fairy tales and Edgar Allan Poe stories. I'd read a lot of Gothic horror when I was a kid."
Drumming Song
Florence %2B the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
There's a drumming noise inside my head
That throws me to the ground
I swear that you should hear it
Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell
I ran to the tower
When the church bells chime
I hope that they
Would clear my mind
They left a ringing
In my ear
That drum's still beating
Loud and clear
Louder than sirens (louder than sirens)
Louder than bells (louder than bells)
Sweeter than heaven (sweeter than heaven)
And hotter than hell (hotter than hell)
Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell
Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell
As I move my feet
Towards your body
I can hear this beat
It fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
I go into the river
And I dive straight in
I pray that the water
Will drown out the din
But as the water fills my mouth
It couldn't wash the echoes out
But as the water fills my mouth
It couldn't wash the echoes out
It swallows the sound and swallows me whole
Until there's nothing left inside my soul
I'm empty as that beating drum
But the sound has just begun
As I move my feet
Towards your body
I can hear this beat
It fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
There's a drumming noise inside my head
It starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
There's a drumming noise inside my head
It starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell
Louder than sirens
Louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven
And hotter than hell
As I move my feet
Towards your body
I can hear this beat
It fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
The song ‘Drumming Song’ by Florence + The Machine describes the throbbing feeling inside the singer’s head when they’re around someone they’re attracted to. The whole song is a metaphor where the beat of the drums is compared to the beat of the singer’s heart, representing the attraction and desire towards the object of their affection. It’s a powerful and intense feeling that cannot be escaped from, and the singer cannot resist the pull towards the person.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a drumming noise inside my head
My mind is consumed by a rhythmic beat
It starts when you're around
This beat is triggered by your presence
I swear that you could hear it
The sound is so intense, I believe others can hear it too
It makes such an almighty sound
This beat is overwhelmingly powerful
That throws me to the ground
This beat can physically overpower me
Louder than sirens
The beat drowns out even the loudest alarms
Louder than bells
The beat is even more powerful than church bells
Sweeter than heaven
Despite its intensity, the beat is irresistible and even pleasurable
And hotter than hell
The beat is so intense, it could rival the fiery underworld
I ran to the tower
Seeking refuge or escape, I fled to a high place
When the church bells chime
The chiming of the bells provides a momentary distraction from the beat
I hope that they
I had wished and dreamed that this respite would be lasting
Would clear my mind
I wanted desperately to be free of this beat that torments me
They left a ringing
The bells left a residual sound in my ears
In my ear
The sound was so strong, it lingered even after the bells stopped
That drum's still beating
Despite my efforts, the beat in my head persists
Loud and clear
It remains as intense as ever
As I move my feet
As I approach you
Towards your body
Your physical presence heightens the beat in my head
It fills my head up
The beat consumes my entire being
And gets louder and louder
It intensifies with each passing moment
I go into the river
I attempt to submerge myself to escape the sound
And I dive straight in
I make a desperate effort to immerse myself in the water
I pray that the water
I hope that the water will relieve me of this torment
Will drown out the din
That it will muffle or silence this incessant noise
But as the water fills my mouth
Despite my efforts, the water enters my lungs
It couldn't wash the echoes out
The beat in my head persists even underwater
It swallows the sound and swallows me whole
The water engulfs me and the beat, but neither is easily extinguished
Until there's nothing left inside my soul
The beat consumes me to the point of emptiness, even drowning isn't enough to escape it
I'm empty as that beating drum
The beat is all-consuming, leaving me feeling hollow
But the sound has just begun
Despite my exhaustion and despair, the beat continues unabated
Contributed by Aiden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.