Again and Again
Keane Lyrics


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Was it all in real time
Or was it just in my mind
Or was I just a ghost passing through you?
Clinging to the wreckage
Until I got the message
Hanging at the edge of the room

Give me something to dream
Give me half of your bitterest pill
Something from under the surface
You actually feel

We say these words again and again
But they still sound the same
It was in your eyes, in your eyes
They were just easy lies

The lightest words are heavy
And promises are easy
And no one's ever happy or sad for very long
But just because I said it
It doesn't mean I meant it
I guess that was the way all along

I'm just shaping the sound
I'm just turning the syllables round
Dipping my toe in the water
And watching you drown

We say these words again and again
But they still sound the same
It was in your eyes, in your eyes
They were just easy lies

And it's been a long time waiting
And it's been a lifetime in the making

We said when you are alone and afraid
I will come to your aid
Was it just a dream, just a dream
Or was it real to me

We say these words again and again
But they still sound the same to me




Say these words again and again
And again and again

Overall Meaning

In Keane's song "Again and Again," the singer grapples with the dissonance between reality and perception in a relationship that has gone awry. The opening lines pose a fundamental question: "Was it all in real time / Or was it just in my mind / Or was I just a ghost passing through you?" Here, the singer is unsure of whether the moments they shared with their partner were genuine or illusory, suggesting that the relationship may have been built on shaky ground from the start.


The chorus reinforces this idea, as the singer acknowledges that they have been having the same conversations and using the same language with their partner, but the words "still sound the same." The phrase "It was in your eyes, in your eyes / They were just easy lies" further underscores the disconnect between verbal expression and genuine emotion.


Ultimately, the song grapples with the limitations of language and the human ability to truly understand one another. The refrain "We say these words again and again" suggests a repetitive, fruitless cycle of communication that ultimately fails to bridge the gap between two people.


Line by Line Meaning

Was it all in real time
Did our experiences happen in the present moment?


Or was it just in my mind
Or did I imagine them?


Or was I just a ghost passing through you?
Or was I so insignificant that I barely existed in your life?


Clinging to the wreckage
Holding on to the broken remains of our relationship


Until I got the message
Until I finally understood that it was over


Hanging at the edge of the room
Feeling like an outsider, on the verge of falling apart


Give me something to dream
Provide me with aspirations and hopes


Give me half of your bitterest pill
Give me a portion of your pain to share the burden


Something from under the surface
Something that exists beyond the superficial


You actually feel
That is genuine and not feigned


We say these words again and again
We repeat the same sentences over and over


But they still sound the same
But they haven't changed in their meaning or impact


It was in your eyes, in your eyes
I could see the insincerity in your eyes


They were just easy lies
They were falsehoods that came too easily for you to utter


The lightest words are heavy
Slight comments have a heavy emotional burden


And promises are easy
Making promises is effortless


And no one's ever happy or sad for very long
Emotions are fleeting and constantly shifting


But just because I said it
Just because I spoke certain words


It doesn't mean I meant it
Doesn't necessarily signify that I was sincere about it


I guess that was the way all along
Perhaps, that always has been the reality of the situation


I'm just shaping the sound
I'm just forming words with no real substance


I'm just turning the syllables round
I'm just playing with words without any genuine thought


Dipping my toe in the water
Testing the waters without committing entirely


And watching you drown
While you struggle and suffer without any help from me


And it's been a long time waiting
It has taken a considerable amount of time


And it's been a lifetime in the making
It's taken a lifetime for me to come to realization


We said when you are alone and afraid
We promised that in your loneliness and fear


I will come to your aid
I will be there to assist you


Was it just a dream, just a dream
Was it only a fantasy, nothing more


Or was it real to me
Or did I truly believe it and make it part of my reality


Say these words again and again
Keep repeating empty promises


And again and again
Without any intention of following through




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DAVID HUGHES, TIMOTHY JAMES RICE-OXLEY, TOM CHAPLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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