Spectrum
Florence The Machine and Calvin Harris Lyrics


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When we first came here
We were cold and we were clear
With no colors on our skin
We were light and paper-thin

And when we first came here
We were cold and we were clear
With no colors on our skin
'Till you let the spectrum in

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

And when we come for you
We dressed up all in blue
With the ocean in our arms
Kissing eyes and kissing palms

When it's time to pray
We dressed up all in gray
With metal on our tongues
And silver in our lungs

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

And when we come back we'll be dressed in black
And you'll scream our names aloud
And we won't eat and we won't sleep
We'll drag bodies from their graves

So say my name
And every color illuminates
And we are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again

Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Say my name
We are shining
Say my name




Say my name
And we will never be afraid again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Florence & the Machine's "Spectrum" are open to interpretation, but one possible explanation is that they are about discovering love and the courage it can give people. The first two stanzas talk about the state of being "cold and clear" before "the spectrum," or the range of colors, has been let in. This could symbolize being emotionally closed off before falling in love. Then, the singer declares that saying their name causes "every color [to] illuminate" and that they are now "shining" and unafraid. This could represent the transformative power of love and how it can make people feel more confident and alive.


The rest of the song alternates between images of dressing up and "praying" in different colors, ending with the promise of returning "dressed in black" and causing chaos. This could be interpreted as a subversion of societal norms and power structures, with the lovers being set apart from those who conform to expectations. The repetition of "say my name" emphasizes the importance of recognizing and honoring each other's identity and agency.


Overall, "Spectrum" can be seen as a celebration of love's ability to break down barriers and unleash a powerful, transformative energy in people.


Line by Line Meaning

When we first came here
At the beginning when we arrived here


We were cold and we were clear
We had no emotions or intentions and were like a blank canvas


With no colors on our skin
Without passion or character on the outside


We were light and paper-thin
Unsubstantial and powerless


And when we first came here
At the beginning when we arrived here


We were cold and we were clear
We had no emotions or intentions and were like a blank canvas


With no colors on our skin
Without passion or character on the outside


'Till you let the spectrum in
Until you showed us a full range of emotions and experiences


Say my name
Addressing the person to mention her name


And every color illuminates
Every emotion and experience becomes vibrant and visible


We are shining
We are glowing with energy and purpose


And we will never be afraid again
We feel empowered and confident


And when we come for you
When we reach out to you for help or support


We dressed up all in blue
We show our vulnerability and sadness


With the ocean in our arms
Bringing the vastness and depth of emotions with us


Kissing eyes and kissing palms
Showing affection and care


When it's time to pray
During times of hardships or reflection


We dressed up all in gray
We express our uncertainty, anxiety and somberness


With metal on our tongues
We speak harshly or hide our feelings with lies


And silver in our lungs
We breathe in doubts and fears


And when we come back we'll be dressed in black
We will come back when we overcome hardship, but with a sense of sophistication and mystery


And you'll scream our names aloud
People will recognize and admire our achievements


And we won't eat and we won't sleep
We will focus all our energy and time on success


We'll drag bodies from their graves
We will challenge the norms and push boundaries


We are shining
We are glowing with energy and purpose


Say my name
Addressing the person to mention her name


We are shining
We are glowing with energy and purpose


And we'll never be afraid again
We feel empowered and confident


Say my name
Addressing the person to mention her name


And every color illuminates
Every emotion and experience becomes vibrant and visible


We are shining
We are glowing with energy and purpose


And we will never be afraid again
We feel empowered and confident


Say my name
Addressing the person to mention her name


We are shining
We are glowing with energy and purpose


Say my name
Addressing the person to mention her name


And we will never be afraid again
We feel empowered and confident




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL EPWORTH, FLORENCE WELCH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@FracturedPixels

A friend of mine heard this song on the radio about when it came out and didn't know the name and could barely even remember what it sounded like. We must've spent the better part of 3 years looking for it. Then just minutes ago, him, myself and several other friends were all on teamspeak together, and it started playing on someone's radio in the background, he went crazy, screaming "OH MY GOD WHAT IS THE NAME OF THAT SONG!" and when they said the name I looked it up and played it through my server's music bot and I'm nearly crying right now listening to a song that has been stuck in my head for 3 years.

@ZachaKidd

+FracturedPixels That's the best feeling EVER! :D Happy for you haha

@Soy234

+FracturedPixels I've heard this song about last year, and I moved on with other songs. When I heard it on Spotify (radio) I was all like, this is good! I think I heard this before! Adds to dance playlist Don't make any mean comments about your opinions please.

@Soy234

+FracturedPixels I was listening to Calvin Harris or searching up some Calvin Harris stuff, yes I'm a fan of Calvin Harris.

@murraystenhouse2811

+FracturedPixels I remembered it just a few minutes ago and instantly remembered it, but I know how it feels...

@BeastMK

+FracturedPixels you could`ve try better if you typed the lyrics of the song on google..i do like it and got 90% of songs i wanted and heard for 1th time :)

152 More Replies...

@yaboi912

Calvin + Florence = Perfection

@tylerrock7219

Yes, that formula is entirely accurate.

@zzwar_legends2047

defiantly got an A* in math

@ricausdomber1

Ryan Thurston ok ok

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