Slow It Down
LUMINEERS (THE) Lyrics
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Wash off my hands 'til it’s gone
The walls they’re closing in
With velvet curtains
Some love was made for the lights
Some kiss your cheek and goodnight
Lift up a red high heel
They’re makin' noise in my street
My blinds are drawn I can’t see
Smashed in my car window
Didn’t touch the stereo
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Act like you’ve been here before
Smile less and dress up some more
Tie up your scarf real tight
These boys are out for blood tonight
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
And when she stood, she stood tall
She’ll make a fool of you all
Don’t ask for cigarettes
She ain’t got nothin' left for you
I never, she never, we never looked back
That wasn’t what we were good at
And when it came to love
We were not good enough uh huh
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Don’t you frown when you’re feelin' like that
Only love can dig you out of this
In the song Slow It Down, Lumineers drummer Jeremiah Fraites sings the lead, which is unusual since Wesley Schultz, the lead singer is usually the one who sings lead. The opening lyrics set a somber mood to the song, as the singer is haunted by the "filth" of his memories of a past love. The chorus "Slow it down, Angie come back to bed, rest your arms, and rest your legs" is a plea to his estranged partner to come back to the present and let go of the past. The second verse highlights the singer's paranoia about his surroundings, with the walls of his room closing in on him and the noise outside leading him to fear for his safety. The line "smashed in my car window, didn't touch the stereo" suggests that this sense of danger is real and not just imagined by the singer.
The bridge, "And when she stood, she stood tall, she'll make a fool of you all," reveals that the object of the singer's affections was a strong, confident woman who perhaps wasn't one for vulnerability or emotional intimacy in the way that the singer is. The final chorus suggests that the only way to move on from the pain of the past is through love, and with the repetition of "slow it down," the singer wants to remind himself and his partner to live in the present and not be tormented by past regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel her filth in my bones
I am affected by the negative energy of someone else permeating my being
Wash off my hands 'til it’s gone
I need to cleanse myself of this negative influence
The walls they’re closing in/With velvet curtains
I feel trapped and suffocated, with the walls closing in like curtains in a theater
Some love was made for the lights
Some love is meant to be in the spotlight, to be shown off
Some kiss your cheek and goodnight
Some love is simple and sweet, like a goodnight kiss
Lift up a red high heel
Be bold, confident, and sexy
Lock up your doors with steel
Protect yourself from the negative influences of others
They’re makin' noise in my street
There is chaos and disruption happening around me
My blinds are drawn I can’t see
I am blinded and unable to see the truth of the situation
Smashed in my car window
I am a victim of a violent crime
Didn’t touch the stereo
The perpetrator showed restraint in not taking what they could have
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Take a moment to slow down and focus on yourself and your relationship
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Relax and let go of the stress and tension in your body
Act like you’ve been here before
Confidently navigate the situation as if you have experience with it
Smile less and dress up some more
Focus less on external appearances and more on inner confidence and strength
Tie up your scarf real tight
Be prepared to protect yourself and handle any challenges that come your way
These boys are out for blood tonight
The opposition is fierce and aggressive
And when she stood, she stood tall
She held herself with confidence and grace
She’ll make a fool of you all
Don’t underestimate her, she has the strength to triumph over any challenge
Don’t ask for cigarettes
Don’t rely on external sources for comfort or stress relief
She ain’t got nothin' left for you
She has exhausted all her resources and can’t keep giving to others
I never, she never, we never looked back
We didn’t dwell on the past or regret our decisions
That wasn’t what we were good at
We were good at moving forward and making the most of what we had
And when it came to love
When it came to relationships and connections with others
We were not good enough uh huh
We struggled and didn’t always get it right
Don’t you frown when you’re feelin' like that
Don’t let negative emotions consume you
Only love can dig you out of this
Love and positivity are the only things that can help you out of a dark place
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeremy Fraites, Wesley Schultz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amritpal Singh 469
I feel her filth in my bones
Wash off my hands 'til it's gone
The walls they're closing in
With velvet curtains
Some love was made for the lights
Some kiss your cheek and goodnight
Lift up a red high heel
Lock up your doors with steel
They're makin' noise in my street
My blinds are drawn I can't see
Smashed in my car window
Didn't touch the stereo
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Act like you've been here before
Smile less and dress up some more
Tie up your scarf real tight
These boys are out for blood tonight
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
And when she stood, she stood tall
She'll make a fool of you all
Don't ask for cigarettes
She ain't got nothin' left for you
I never, she never, we never looked back
That wasn't what we were good at
And when it came to love
We were not good enough uh huh
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Don't you frown when you're feelin' like that
Only love can dig you out of this
Ryan Benoit
I feel her filth in my bones
Wash off my hands 'til it’s gone
The walls they’re closing in
With velvet curtainsSome love was made for the lights
Some kiss your cheek and goodnight
Lift up a red high heel
Lock up your doors with steelThey’re makin' noise in my street
My blinds are drawn I can’t see
Smashed in my car window
Didn’t touch the stereoSlow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legsAct like you’ve been here before
Smile less and dress up some more
Tie up your scarf real tight
These boys are out for blood tonightSlow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legsAnd when she stood, she stood tall
She’ll make a fool of you all
Don’t ask for cigarettes
She ain’t got nothin' left for youI never, she never, we never looked back
That wasn’t what we were good at
And when it came to love
We were not good enough uh huhSlow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Don’t you frown when you’re feelin' like that
Only love can dig you out of this
Anaira Lopez
Some of my favorite lines:
I feel a filth in my bones
Don't ask for cigarettes. She ain't got nothing left for you
Smashed in my car window- didn't touch the stereo
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms and rest your legs
Tie up your scarf real tight, these boys are out for blood tonight
And when she stood she stood tall, she'll make a fool of you all
I swear I cannot stop listening to this album :)
Eabrock
Bought this cd in 2012, loved every song on the album but always skipped this one. I never listened to it until several years later the beginning cords matched my mood on the drive that night and now it ended up being the only one I listen to when I get in a lumineers mood. Funny how that is, never judge a song by it’s first cords. It may be the best one❤️
Sean Paul
Sameee yo that’s weird i act disliked this song then gave it a chance years later n loved it most. That’s funny.
Wesley Johnson
The way his voice breaks when he says “slow it down” gets me every time. What a song.
s0lace
Did you know they recorded this song in one take in wes's apartment? If you listen super close, you can hear birds through the window
Shuou
@s0lace that’s so nice
Amritpal Singh 469
I feel her filth in my bones
Wash off my hands 'til it's gone
The walls they're closing in
With velvet curtains
Some love was made for the lights
Some kiss your cheek and goodnight
Lift up a red high heel
Lock up your doors with steel
They're makin' noise in my street
My blinds are drawn I can't see
Smashed in my car window
Didn't touch the stereo
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Act like you've been here before
Smile less and dress up some more
Tie up your scarf real tight
These boys are out for blood tonight
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
And when she stood, she stood tall
She'll make a fool of you all
Don't ask for cigarettes
She ain't got nothin' left for you
I never, she never, we never looked back
That wasn't what we were good at
And when it came to love
We were not good enough uh huh
Slow it down, Angie come back to bed
Rest your arms, and rest your legs
Don't you frown when you're feelin' like that
Only love can dig you out of this
Chill - Copyright Free Music
I feel a filth in my bones not her filth i thunk 😂❤
Isabelle A
This song is so underrated. Even though it's a bit of a simple song, they put so much emotion in it. It always comforts me
MouseTrapNRH
Isabelle A one of the best songs ever babe
Ronnie T
i had a girlfriend, she passed away a few weeks ago, her family moved out the city and the only thing i have left of her is this song, her favorite song, now this song has become my anthem, i hope there's a radio or something in heaven so that she can listen to this song there.