The band's single "It's Time", which previously appeared on the "It's Time" and "Continued Silence" EPs in addition to appearing on "Night Visions", is the group's biggest hit, reaching #33 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.
A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.
Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.
Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.
Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.
Look How Far We've Come
Imagine Dragons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not the sun that provides us
It's not the moon that divides us
I can barely swim
And the current's coming in
And the current's coming in again
'Cus I think that we're the same
We've got the same old hands
We've made the same old plans
Bail out to the yellow raft
It's got a hole but we can last
We'll watch until it fades away
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
I've been painted gin
It's not the colour I came in
It's not the shirt that I stayin' in
Hang me on a limb
And the current's coming in
And the current's coming in again
Stand up when you hear your name
'Cus I think that we're the same
We've got the same old hands
We've made the same old plans
Bail out to the yellow raft
It's got a hole but we can last
We'll watch until it fades away
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Stop right there
I've got a hole inside my chest
And 'til it fills up
I won't be satisfied
Stop right there
I've got a hole inside my chest
And 'til it fills up
I won't be satisfied
Stop right there
I've got a hole inside my chest
And 'til it fills up
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Time is taking over
Look how far we've come
Some were never meant to come here
Some were never meant to leave the ground
It's time to take it over
Step out into the sun
It's time to take it over
And look how far we've come
We've come....
The song 'Look How Far We've Come' by Imagine Dragons talks about the passing of time and how it affects people in different ways. The opening lines "Take me on a whim, It's not the sun that provides us, It's not the moon that divides us" illustrates that their journey is not controlled by external forces but by their own free will. The lines "I can barely swim, And the current's coming in, And the current's coming in again" signify that navigating life can be tough, and the challenges keep repeating themselves.
The chorus, "Time is taking over, Look how far we've come, Some were never meant to come here, Some were never meant to leave the ground," acknowledges that time is a constant factor and it's the one that determines how far people have gone. The song talks about how some people are not meant to experience certain things, and they'll never get to achieve particular milestones.
The bridge, "Stop right there, I've got a hole inside my chest, And 'til it fills up, I won't be satisfied," highlights that despite the progress made, the singer still feels a significant void in his life that needs to be filled. This verse emphasizes that even though one can achieve a lot in life, one can still feel empty.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me on a whim
Let's do something spontaneous and unplanned
It's not the sun that provides us
Our success does not depend on external factors
It's not the moon that divides us
Our differences are not due to the phases of the moon or astrology
I can barely swim
I am not very good at swimming
And the current's coming in
The tide is coming in and making it harder to swim
Stand up when you hear your name
Take pride in your identity and respond when called
'Cus I think that we're the same
I believe we have similarities
We've got the same old hands
We are not fundamentally different from each other
We've made the same old plans
We have similar aspirations and goals
Bail out to the yellow raft
We can escape from danger on this makeshift raft
It's got a hole but we can last
The raft is not perfect, but we can survive on it for now
We'll watch until it fades away
We will observe as our temporary solution comes to an end
Time is taking over
Time is an unstoppable force that affects all of us
Look how far we've come
We should appreciate our progress and achievements
Some were never meant to come here
Some people were not meant to be a part of our journey
Some were never meant to leave the ground
Some people were not meant to succeed or reach certain heights
I've been painted gin
I have been changed or altered artificially
It's not the colour I came in
This new color is not my natural state
It's not the shirt that I stayin' in
This article of clothing is not permanent
Hang me on a limb
Put me in a precarious situation
Stop right there
Pause or halt the conversation/action
I've got a hole inside my chest
I feel incomplete or unsatisfied
And 'til it fills up
Until I am fulfilled or satisfied, nothing will change
It's time to take it over
It is time to take control
Step out into the sun
Take on new challenges with confidence and bravery
And look how far we've come
Reflect on our progress and use it as motivation for the future
We've come...
We have achieved so much and have more potential ahead
Contributed by Cameron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gabriel Alves
Olhe O Quão Longe Nós Viemos
Leve-me por um capricho
Não é o sol que nos dá
Não é a lua que nos divide
Eu mal posso nadar
E a corrente está entrando
E a corrente está vindo de novo
Levante-se quando você ouve o seu nome
Porque eu acho que nós somos os mesmos
Nós temos as mesmas mãos velhas
Fizemos os mesmos planos antigos
Resgatar a balsa amarela
Tem um buraco mas pode durar
Vamos ver até que desaparece
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
Eu tenho pintado gin
Não é a cor que eu vim
Não é a camisa que eu fiquei
Pendure-me em um galho
E a corrente está entrando
E a corrente está vindo de novo
Levante-se quando você ouve o seu nome
Porque eu acho que nós somos os mesmos
Nós temos as mesmas mãos velhas
Fizemos os mesmos planos antigos
Resgatar a balsa amarela
Tem um buraco mas pode durar
Vamos ver até que desaparece
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
Pare aí
Eu tenho um buraco no meu peito
E até se encher
Eu não vou ficar satisfeito
Pare aí
Eu tenho um buraco no meu peito
E até se encher
Eu não vou ficar satisfeito
Pare aí
Eu tenho um buraco no meu peito
E até encher
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
O tempo está tomando conta
Olhe o quão longe nós viemos
Alguns nunca foram feitos para vir ao redor
Alguns nunca foram feitos para deixar a terra
É hora de assumir o comando
Saia para o sol
É hora de assumir o comando
E veja o quão longe nós viemos
Nós viemos ....
『Soft and Wet』
Frick me, it’s been a really long time, hasn’t it? Honestly no matter how long I go off listening to other artists, I always find myself coming back to Imagine Dragons. I grew up with their music and I guess it’s become a part of me.
Samuel Jacobson
Yeah. I feel you. I think this will always be one of my favoritesz
Logan Mauricio
i realize Im kinda off topic but do anybody know of a good place to watch new series online?
Bryant Kristopher
@Logan Mauricio meh I watch on flixportal. you can find it if you google=) -bryant
Logan Mauricio
@Bryant Kristopher thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D I really appreciate it !
Bryant Kristopher
@Logan Mauricio Glad I could help =)
Matt
Funny thing is at this point Imagine Dragons thought that they had came a long way when they had no idea how much farther they would go. I love these guys
Vivian r
Matt and now... wow they really have come a long way
emily
I want them to redo this song now, now that they’re so much more popular, and see how many people think it’s new or something. I want them to redo this song because they’ve went so. Much. Farther.
9nikolai
@emily "Look how much further we've come"?