You Don't See Me
Keane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Radiant people, in splintering light
All moving at the speed of life
Reflecting in each others' eyes
But you're moving so fast
Through this beautiful scene
You don't see me
You don't see me
Oh truly we are, a fortunate few
Who turn on your axis, revolve around you
All spinning outwards from your sun
Passing your reflection on
In your hurry to grasp
Everything you see
You don't see me [Repeat: x3]
No, you don't see me
Such a beautiful view
I guess you've seen it all
But you
You see nothing at all
Such a beautiful view
Shining so bright
Shining so bright
So bright
All moving at the speed of life
Reflecting in each others' eyes
But you're moving with such irresistible speed
You don't see me [Repeat: x3]
No, you don't see me
No, you don't see me
In Keane's song You Don't See Me, the lyrics speak to the feeling of being invisible to someone amidst the fast-paced and beautiful chaos of life. The opening lines compare the radiance and speed of life's movement to beautiful dawns and radiant people, but the singer laments that the person they address, in their rush to capture everything they see, do not see them. The chorus underscores this feeling of being overlooked, and the bridge emphasizes the distance between the singer and the person who doesn't see them, with the lines "Such a beautiful view, I guess you've seen it all / But you, you see nothing at all."
This theme of being invisible is a common one in Keane's music, and lead singer Tom Chaplin has spoken about how his struggles with addiction and mental health issues made him feel detached and unseen by those around him. The song's instrumentation reflects this sense of isolation, with a simple repeated piano melody that creates a feeling of space and emptiness.
Overall, You Don't See Me is a poignant reflection on the feeling of being overlooked and forgotten in a world that moves too fast to stop and take notice of those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Like beautiful dawns, all made up and bright
You are surrounded by radiant people, shining like beautiful sunrises.
Radiant people, in splintering light
You are surrounded by dazzling people, sparkling like sunlight on broken glass.
All moving at the speed of life
Everyone around you is moving quickly, caught up in the momentum of life.
Reflecting in each others' eyes
Everyone around you is connected, reflecting each other's experiences in their eyes.
But you're moving so fast
You're moving too quickly to notice the world around you.
Through this beautiful scene
Even though you're surrounded by beauty and wonder.
You don't see me
You don't notice me, even though I'm right here with you.
Oh truly we are, a fortunate few
Those of us who are close to you are lucky to be in your orbit.
Who turn on your axis, revolve around you
We all revolve around you and your needs, like planets around the sun.
All spinning outwards from your sun
Your influence radiates outwards, affecting everyone around you.
Passing your reflection on
As we move away from you, we still carry a piece of you with us.
In your hurry to grasp
You're in a hurry to experience everything life has to offer.
Everything you see
You're trying to take in as much as possible, but missing important details.
You don't see me [Repeat: x3]
Despite being so close to you, you continue to overlook my presence.
No, you don't see me
I'm invisible to you, even though I'm right next to you.
Such a beautiful view
The world around you is breathtakingly gorgeous.
I guess you've seen it all
You've experienced so much already, it seems like there's nothing left to discover.
But you
You still have so much to see, if you could only slow down and take it in.
You see nothing at all
Your focus is too narrow, so you're missing out on the richness of life.
Shining so bright
The world around you is brilliant and full of promise.
All moving at the speed of life
Everyone is living life to the fullest, moving as fast as they can.
Reflecting in each others' eyes
We all share in the beauty around us, mirroring it in each other's eyes.
But you're moving with such irresistible speed
You're caught up in the excitement and momentum of life, unable to slow down.
You don't see me [Repeat: x3]
Despite my best efforts, you continue to overlook me and my presence.
No, you don't see me
I'm invisible to you, overshadowed by the brilliance of everything else around us.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DAVID HUGHES, TIMOTHY JAMES RICE-OXLEY, TOM CHAPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandi
on I Need Your Love
Leanest