Background and meaning
"Bedshaped" was composed sometime in 2001 by Tim Rice-Oxley. It was originally recorded at Les Essarts, France, and first released as a B-side on the Fierce Panda release of "Everybody's Changing" in May 2003. James Sanger is credited on this song as the fourth composer.
Rice-Oxley posted an explanation of the song on the official messageboard:
[The song] is about feeling that you've been "left behind" by an old friend or lover, and about hoping that you'll be reunited one day so that you can live out the end of your lives together the way you started them (...) a hope that they'll eventually want to get away from the bright lights and come back home. it's a sad and angry song, but also full of hope. I think I'm right in saying that in hospital when someone is ill and has to spend a lot of time in bed they can become 'bedshaped'. It sounds a bit depressing (...) but in the context of the song I wanted to suggest old age and frailty(...)
Composition
The song is written in the key of E major, with a tempo of 76bpm. After a mysterious intro, a honky tonk-reminiscent piano completes the main riff, with an Emaj chord. The vocals are introduced 59 seconds in. After the second chorus, a small piano-riff gives place to the song's instrumental bridge which featured gothic voices, ending with an instrumental chorus with guitar alike sounds, produced by Rice-Oxley's Yamaha CX7 (these are sung by Chaplin during some live performances) to fade with Chaplin singing "But what do I know?, what do I know? I know".
Music video
The video for the song is available on the enhanced CD single version, as well as the Bonus DVD edition of Hopes and Fears and on Strangers. The video is directed by Corin Hardy, and based on his animated short film "Butterfly", making use of stop-motion animation. The video shows a bedraggled, naked man amongst some refuse, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. He is lonely and sad, and crawls into a bathroom where he hides, and writes some of the song's lyrics such as 'don't laugh at me' and "don't look away" on the walls, like graffiti. A cat drags some ill-fitting clothes into the room for him, where he dresses and dares to venture outside. He exits and sees people gathered in a restaurant. He hallucinates and their faces turn into gremlin-like monsters, causing him to run back to the bathroom in fear, only for the walls to collapse and drown him in white light. The wizened man finds himself against a white background, where he witnesses animated versions of Keane's band members playing the titular song with the lyrics he wrote on the walls. Having seemingly found solace in this unusual scene, the man, along with Keane, fades into the light.
The band appear throughout as animation within the background of the main action, and as drawings towards the end of the video. To achieve this, Hardy's friend David Lupton was recruited to hand-draw 500 pictures of the band in the space of a week.
The music video was produced by Kit Hawkins and Adam Tudhope for White House Pictures.
Cover versions
Italian opera singer Vittorio Grigolo recorded an Italian-language version of "Bedshaped", renamed "Cosi", which appears on his album In the Hands of Love.British band Marillion recorded a cover on their live album Friends.
Bedshaped
Keane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rainy roads of our old town
Many the lives we lived in each day
And buried altogether
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
And on your own
Bed shaped
In legs of stone
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
I know you think I'm holding you down
And I've fallen by the wayside now
And I don't understand the same things as you
But I do
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back with the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bed shaped
In legs of stone
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
The lyrics of Keane's "Bedshaped" can be interpreted in many ways, but at its core, it seems to be about the unbreakable bond between two people who have faced various challenges in life together. The first verse sets the scene of the town where they grew up and the many experiences they shared. The line "and buried altogether" could suggest that they have both moved on from those times, but the memories stay with them.
The chorus begins with a plea to not be laughed at or looked away from, indicating a sense of vulnerability. The following lines paint a picture of a reunion, with the sun in their eyes and the singer's friend knocking on their door to go somewhere together. The phrase "bed shaped in legs of stone" is a bit more ambiguous, but it could be referring to the tiredness and struggle they both have endured throughout their journey.
The second verse takes on a more introspective tone, as the singer reflects on how they may have fallen behind their friend and no longer understand things in the same way. However, the final line "But I do" suggests that despite any differences or challenges they have faced, their bond remains strong and unbreakable.
Overall, "Bedshaped" seems to celebrate the endurance of true friendship and the power of shared experiences to create an unbreakable bond.
Line by Line Meaning
Many's the time I ran with you down
We've spent countless times together, running down the rainy roads of our old town
The rainy roads of our old town
The town we grew up in, where it often rained on the roads
Many the lives we lived in each day
We've lived many different experiences every day
And buried altogether
All those experiences are now in the past and buried in our memories
Don't laugh at me
Please don't ridicule me or my feelings
Don't look away
Don't turn a blind eye to me or my pain
You'll follow me back with the sun in your eyes
You'll come back to me with the bright, hopeful gleam in your eyes
And on your own Bed shaped In legs of stone
Even though you might feel weighed down and trapped like a bed that has hardened legs
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
But you'll still come to me and we'll rise up together
In white light I don't think so
We might not have a perfect, happy ending
But what do I know What do I know I know
But despite my uncertainty, I still know how I feel and what I want
I know you think I'm holding you down
I realize that you believe I'm stopping you from achieving your goals
And I've fallen by the wayside now
And now I feel like I'm left behind and not as important to you anymore
And I don't understand the same things as you
I acknowledge that we might have different perspectives and priorities
But I do
But I still care about you and our relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CTM Publishing
Written by: Timothy James Rice-Oxley, Thomas Oliver Chaplin, Richard David Hughes, James Keith Warnock Sanger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kaydash3868
Many's the time I ran with you down
The rainy roads of our old town
Many the lives we lived in each day
And buried altogether
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back
With the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bedshaped
And legs of stone
You'll knock on my door
And up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know?
What do I know?
I know!
I know you think I'm holding you down
And I've fallen by the wayside now
And I don't understand the same things as you
But I do
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back
With the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bedshaped
And legs of stone
You'll knock on my door
And up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know?
What do I know?
I know!
And up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know?
What do I know?
I know!
@kirkkaelbersales185
Lyrics
Many's the time I ran with you down
The rainy roads of our old town
Many the lives we lived in each day
And buried altogether
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back with the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bed shaped
In legs of stone
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
I know you think I'm holding you down
And I've fallen by the wayside now
And I don't understand the same things as you
But I do
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back with the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bed shaped
In legs of stone
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
@dra.danielachan4603
Lyrics ❤
Many's the time I ran with you down
The rainy roads of our old town
Many the lives we lived in each day
And buried altogether
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back with the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bed shaped
In legs of stone
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
I know you think I'm holding you down
And I've fallen by the wayside now
And I don't understand the same things as you
But I do
Don't laugh at me
Don't look away
You'll follow me back with the sun in your eyes
And on your own
Bed shaped
In legs of stone
You'll knock on my door and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
and up we'll go
In white light
I don't think so
But what do I know
What do I know
I know
@FVBmovies
10 years! 10 years it took me to find this song! I was 14 when it was on music tv chanel. Couple of days later on radio. And then, nothing.. Didn't know much of an english, but now, today, I heard it again on radio. Hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I do! :))
@violetavanesa3515
Faust Von Barley EXCELLENT!! GOOD!!
@lohiaz
Bro i feel for you iv been in that scenario but thankfully iv been in love with this song for that last 10 years!!
@prateekjassal9194
Faust Von Barley I know that feeling. Won't happen any more thanks to Shazam and Soundhound
@amirhamzahhusni6724
u still alive, dude?
@FRTD-xr3ov
it took me 10 years too to find it, found it today
@michaelscott9314
I’m an ex drug addict, I have been clean for 12 years now.
I got this album for Christmas 2004 and I totally related to this song. It brings back so many dark memories. I’m glad I changed my life.
@bh3662
Michael Scott Goes to show how strong you are. Total respect for you x
@michaelscott9314
Esi Henry, thank you.
@MrTougher
Legend man ❤️❤️👌👌