All This and Heaven Too
Florence + the Machine Lyrics
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It has a language of it's own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs
In prayers and proclamations, in the grand deeds
Of great men and the smallest of gestures
In short shallow gasps
But with all my education
And the words are all escaping
And coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry
If I only knew how, I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
And it talks to me in tiptoes
And sings to me inside
It cries out in the darkest night
And breaks in the morning light
But with all my education
I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping
And coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry
If I only knew how I can't seem to understand it
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand
The meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
But it never makes sense to me at all
No words, poor language
It doesn't deserve such treatment
And all my stumbling phrases
Never amounted to anything worth this feeling
All this heaven never could describe
Such a feeling as I'm hearing
Words were never so useful
So I was screaming out a language
That I never knew existed before
"All This and Heaven Too" by Florence + the Machine is an introspective song about the complexity of the heart and our inability to fully understand it. The first verse acknowledges that the heart is difficult to translate as it speaks a unique and varied language, ranging from grand gestures to quiet sighs. The singer then proceeds to use the second verse to express her frustration with her inability to articulate her emotions and thoughts accurately. Despite her education, she recognizes her inability to communicate the feelings and emotions that her heart is experiencing. She laments her inability to express her feelings appropriately, even though she is well-versed in poetry and literary devices. She wants to comprehend the meaning of the word that embodies her, but despite her best efforts, it continues to elude her.
The chorus conveys the singer's emphasis on understanding the meaning of this word, which holds great significance for her. She expresses her willingness to give all of her possessions, even heaven itself, to comprehend the essence of the word. She believes that if she can only understand this elusive concept, it would provide her with a moment of insight and clarity which she desperately seeks.
The final verse reveals how the singer has lost control of the language she once thought she knew. She had been trying to articulate this feeling for a long time through the use of 'poor language' and 'stumbling phrases.' However, she understands that there are no words that can capture the height and depth of her emotion adequately. It is the feeling itself that transcends language; it is ineffable and full of nuance. So as a result, she screams a language she didn't even know existed before.
Line by Line Meaning
And the heart is hard to translate
The heart is difficult to comprehend or put into words
It has a language of it's own
The heart has its own unique way of communicating
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs
The heart communicates through a variety of expressions, including subtleties
In prayers and proclamations, in the grand deeds
The heart expresses itself through various means, including grand gestures
Of great men and the smallest of gestures
The heart communicates through both huge and small actions
In short shallow gasps
The heart can communicate through brief, shallow moments
But with all my education
Despite having knowledge and education
I can't seem to command it
The artist cannot control or fully comprehend their heart's expressions
And the words are all escaping
The artist can't seem to find the correct words to express their heart
And coming back all damaged
The words that come out are not conveying the true meaning
And I would put them back in poetry
The singer wishes they could express themselves through poetry
If I only knew how, I can't seem to understand it
Despite their education, the artist cannot comprehend the language of their heart
And I would give all this and heaven too
The singer would give all they have for the ability to understand
I would give it all if only for a moment
Even just a fleeting moment of understanding is worth everything
That I could just understand
The singer longs to comprehend their heart's language
The meaning of the word you see
The specific meaning behind what they are feeling
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever
The artist has been trying to express themselves for a long time
But it never makes sense to me at all
Despite all their efforts, they still cannot make sense of their feelings
And it talks to me in tiptoes
The heart speaks softly and delicately
And sings to me inside
The heart sings to the artist internally
It cries out in the darkest night
The heart can convey pain and suffering
And breaks in the morning light
The heart can also be fragile and breakable
No words, poor language
Words are not adequate enough to express the singer's heart
It doesn't deserve such treatment
The artist's heart deserves better than their poor attempts at expression
And all my stumbling phrases
The singer's words are disjointed and not conveying their full meaning
Never amounted to anything worth this feeling
The singer's words cannot capture the full depth of what they are feeling
All this heaven never could describe
Even something as otherworldly as heaven cannot capture the singer's emotions
Such a feeling as I'm hearing
The artist is overwhelmed by the feelings they are experiencing
Words were never so useful
In this moment, words are not enough to fully convey the artist's emotions
So I was screaming out a language
The singer resorts to screaming to express themselves
That I never knew existed before
This is a new form of expression for the singer that they didn't know they had in them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Florence Leontine Mary Welch, Isabella Janet Florentina Summers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind