After extensive touring and a bit of schooling, the band got back together with Chris Zane (Les Savy Fav, The Walkmen, Passion Pit, White Rabbits) to record their first full-length album, TECHNICOLOR HEALTH, which arrives March 24 from Gigantic Music. The members of Harlem Shakes have been obsessed with pop music their whole lives, and they have great faith in its power to make people feel a little better about things, and to say something vital and, inshallah, maybe even enduring.
- Band's Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/harlemshakes)
2009
Niagara Falls
Harlem Shakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't even know if you're still new
But I can find you in Poughkeepsie
Drive all night til the names ring new
Niagara Falls, your beauty calls
You taught me all I need to know
Always awake, you break and break
I don't even know what I'm in the game for
I don't even get your T-shirt's pun
Let's chast a night there ain't no name for
We can drive all night til beneath new sun
Niagara Falls, your beauty calls
You taught me all I need to know
Always awake, you break and break
And crash and crash, and flow and flow
(Da da ...)
The song "Niagara Falls" by Harlem Shakes is a nostalgic and introspective piece that speaks to the haunting beauty and enduring power of memories. The lyrics explore the way in which memories can linger and shape our lives, even when we are unsure of their accuracy or relevance. The singer admits that they do not even know if the person they are addressing is still with them, or if they are still "new." However, despite this uncertainty, the singer feels a strong pull towards their past and towards the memories that they associate with the person they are addressing.
The central metaphor of the song is the famous waterfall, Niagara Falls. The singer compares the beauty of the waterfall to the allure of their memories, noting that the falls have "taught [them] all [they] need to know." The falls are also characterized as always being "awake," continually "breaking" and "crashing," and "flowing" endlessly. This is a reflection of the enduring nature of memories, which can feel like an unceasing force in our lives.
Throughout the song, the singer suggests that they want to revisit the past, to recapture the feelings and experiences that they associate with their memories. They talk about driving all night until the "names ring new," and "beneath new sun." This suggests a desire to escape the present and to find some kind of newness or freshness in the past. The song ends on a series of wordless "da da's," which further emphasize this sense of nostalgia and longing for something that may no longer be accessible.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't even know if you're still with me
I'm not sure if you're still present in my life or if you've left
I don't even know if you're still new
I'm not even sure if I still know you, or if you've changed since we last saw each other
But I can find you in Poughkeepsie
Despite not knowing if you're still with me, I can still locate you in this particular place
Drive all night til the names ring new
I'm willing to drive all night until I arrive in a place where everything feels new, including my former memories of you
Niagara Falls, your beauty calls
The stunning natural beauty of Niagara Falls is irresistible to me
You taught me all I need to know
Being in the presence of Niagara Falls has taught me everything I need to know about myself and the world around me
Always awake, you break and break
Niagara Falls is always active and never sleeps, constantly breaking the flow of water
And crash and crash, and flow and flow
The water crashes against the rocks and flows downstream, creating a continuous cycle of water movement
I don't even know what I'm in the game for
I'm unclear about what my goals are in life or what I'm working towards
I don't even get your T-shirt's pun
I don't understand the humor or irony behind the message on your T-shirt
Let's chast a night there ain't no name for
Let's spend a night doing something spontaneous and out of the ordinary
We can drive all night til beneath new sun
We can continue driving until we reach a destination where the sun is just beginning to rise, creating a fresh start to a new day
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
frenzymania11
i felt the same way when i realized 5 months ago that the band broke up two years earlier. They will be missed.
frenzymania11
long live the best band EVER. Completely and absolutely crushed that they broke up
Tom Brashear
Yes, but you would be supprised at how many people in the pop, rock and alternative music cultures have no idea who AF is. The same is true for HS, regardless of the reason for their disbanding. The reason why few know who they are is because they don't get heard on car radios which, believe it or not, is where most of the pop, rock and country (and some alternative) listeners pick up their tunes. They are not syndicated so the local FM broadcast stations rarely, if ever play, them.
Whatever
Damn, I love this song!
Tom Brashear
Indie groups are often like that. Sometimes you don't even hear about them until after the fact. That's because the licensing sindicates, such as ASCAP and BMI, have had a monopoly on the broadcast industry ever since the stone age. Consequently, indie groups like Harlem Shakes and Arcade Fire don't get the air time they deserve and don't get promoted.
Laundry Detergent
Arcade Fire? I don't deny that they are Indie but they have had no trouble finding a record company. Some of their songs have millions of views.
Julia McKinnis
me too bro,me too
Debbie Figueroa
🥺💗✨