Hospital Beds
Florence & The Machine Lyrics
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So just lie and complain
In bed at the hospital
Coming and going
Asleep and awake
In bed at the hospital
I've got one friend
I did not choose him
He did not choose me
We have no chance
Of recovering
Laying in hospitals
Joy and misery
Joy and misery
Joy and misery
Put out the fire boys
Don't stop, don't stop
Put out the fire on us
Put out the fire boys
Don't stop, don't stop
Put out the fire on us
Bring your buckets by the dozen
Bring your nieces and your cousins
Oh, put out the fire on us
Bring your buckets by the dozen
Bring your nieces and your cousins
Oh, put out the fire on us
I've got one friend
Laying across from me
I did not choose him
He did not choose me
We have no chance
Of recovering
Laying in hospitals
Joy and misery
Joy and misery
And joy and joy and joy and joy and joy and joy and misery.
The song "Hospital Beds" by Florence + the Machine is a powerful portrayal of the experience of being in a hospital. The opening lines "There's nothing to do here / So just lie and complain / In bed at the hospital" immediately set the tone for the song's theme of helplessness and boredom in a confined space. The repetition of "in bed at the hospital" drives home the sense of entrapment.
The next lines introduce the idea of companionship in the hospital, with Florence singing "I've got one friend / Laying across from me / I did not choose him / He did not choose me." This speaks to the randomness of hospital room assignments and the idea of being trapped with a stranger in a vulnerable state. The final lines of the first verse, "We have no chance / Of recovering / Laying in hospitals / Joy and misery," further emphasize the helplessness and uncertainty of the hospital experience.
The chorus of the song, "Joy and misery / Joy and misery / Joy and misery," highlights the conflicting emotions that come with being in a hospital. The line "Put out the fire on us" seems to be a plea for release from the pain and suffering of the hospital experience. The repetition of "bring your buckets by the dozen / bring your nieces and your cousins / oh, put out the fire on us" suggests that the singer feels overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions and needs help to escape.
Overall, "Hospital Beds" offers a moving look at the experience of being in a hospital, with all its pain, isolation, and uncertainty. The repetition of the phrase "in bed at the hospital" reinforces the feeling of being trapped, the chorus captures the conflicting emotions and desperation of the situation, and the plea for release in the final lines speaks to the deep desire to escape the confines of the hospital and return to a sense of normalcy.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing to do here
The singer is in a hospital bed with nothing to do
So just lie and complain
The singer suggests that all they can do in the hospital is to lie in bed and complain
In bed at the hospital
The singer emphasizes that they are in a hospital bed
Coming and going
The artist is experiencing a fluctuation between sleeping and waking
Asleep and awake
The artist is experiencing a fluctuation between sleeping and waking
In bed at the hospital
The singer emphasizes that they are in a hospital bed
I've got one friend
The singer has one companion in the hospital
Laying across from me
The artist's companion is in a bed across from them
I did not choose him
The artist did not choose their companion
He did not choose me
The artist's companion did not choose them
We have no chance
The singer and their companion have no chance of recovering
Of recovering
The artist and their companion have no chance of recovering
Laying in hospitals
The singer and their companion are in the hospital
Joy and misery
The singer experiences both joy and misery in the hospital
Joy and misery
The singer experiences both joy and misery in the hospital
Joy and misery
The artist experiences both joy and misery in the hospital
Put out the fire boys
The artist suggests that the hospital is like a fire that needs to be put out
Don't stop, don't stop
The singer encourages the boys to keep putting out the fire
Put out the fire on us
The singer wants the fire, or the suffering in the hospital, to be put out
Bring your buckets by the dozen
The artist is calling upon everyone to help put out the fire
Bring your nieces and your cousins
The artist is calling upon everyone to help put out the fire
Oh, put out the fire on us
The artist wants the fire, or the suffering in the hospital, to be put out
Bring your buckets by the dozen
The singer is calling upon everyone to help put out the fire
Bring your nieces and your cousins
The artist is calling upon everyone to help put out the fire
Oh, put out the fire on us
The singer wants the fire, or the suffering in the hospital, to be put out
I've got one friend
The singer has one companion in the hospital
Laying across from me
The singer's companion is in a bed across from them
I did not choose him
The artist did not choose their companion
He did not choose me
The artist's companion did not choose them
We have no chance
The singer and their companion have no chance of recovering
Of recovering
The singer and their companion have no chance of recovering
Laying in hospitals
The artist and their companion are in the hospital
Joy and misery
The artist experiences both joy and misery in the hospital
Joy and misery
The artist experiences both joy and misery in the hospital
And joy and joy and joy and joy and joy and joy and misery
The singer's experiences of joy and misery are constantly repeating
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Jonathan Bo Russell, Matthew Cole Aveiro, Matthew Scott Maust, Nathan Andrew Willett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind