Fireflies
Lee DeWyze Lyrics

You would not believe your eyes
The sight of ten million fireflies lighting up the world is incredible and hard to believe

If ten million fireflies
Referring to the sheer number of fireflies

Lit up the world as I fell asleep
The imagined scenario of millions of fireflies illuminating the world as the singer falls asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air
The fireflies would be everywhere in the air

And leave teardrops everywhere
The fireflies' light might be so bright it could resemble tears

You'd think me rude
The singer acknowledging that others might find their staring at the fireflies impolite

But I would just stand and stare
The singer would be transfixed by the beauty of the fireflies

I'd like to make myself believe
The artist imagines a different reality

That planet Earth turns slowly
The artist imagines a calmer and slower-paced world

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
The artist is unsure about which state they prefer

Awake when I'm asleep
The singer enjoys the fireflies but is also willing to let go and sleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems
Everything isn't always what it appears to be

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
The singer personifies the fireflies, imagining them hugging them

From ten thousand lightning bugs
The sheer number of fireflies in this scenario

As they tried to teach me how to dance
The fireflies' movements resemble dancing, suggesting that they're teaching the singer to dance

A fox trot above my head
The imagined dance style of the fireflies

A sock hop beneath my bed
Another style of firefly dancing

A disco ball that's just hanging by a thread
The fireflies' silent disco, as they resemble a disco ball hanging by a thread

When I fall asleep
A transition to the dream state

Leave my door open just a crack
A request to leave the door open a bit for the fireflies to come in

(Please take me away from here)
A desire for a different reality, to escape the present

'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
The artist can't sleep, either from excitement or anxiety

Why do I tire of counting sheep
The common advice of counting sheep to fall asleep is not helping

When I'm far too tired to fall asleep
The artist is exhausted, but can't fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
Addressing the fireflies again

I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
The singer finds goodbyes hard, which they think is unusual

I got misty eyes as they said farewell
The fireflies leaving makes the singer feel emotional

But I'll know where several are
The artist has saved some fireflies in a jar for future reference

If my dreams get real bizarre
If the artist's dreams become particularly strange, the fireflies in the jar may come in handy

When I fall asleep
Returning to the theme of the singer's sleep state

I'd like to make myself believe
Reiterating the singer's desire to imagine a different reality

That planet Earth turns slowly
Another reminder of the artist's imagined world

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Repeating the artist's uncertainty

Awake when I'm asleep
Final repetition of the conflict between enjoying the fireflies and the need to sleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems
Final repetition of the theme of uncertainty and the idea of a different reality