Lay Down
Melanie & The Edwin Hawkins Singers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown

We were so close, there was no room
We bled inside each others wounds
We all had caught the same disease
And we all sang the songs of peace

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown

So raise the candles high
'Cause if you don't we could stay black against the night
Oh, raise them higher again
And if you do we could stay dry against the rain

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown

We were so close there was no room
We bled inside each others wounds
We all had caught the same disease
And we all sang the songs of peace
Some came to sing, some came to pray
Some came to keep the dark away

So raise the candles high
'Cause if you don't we could stay black against the sky
Oh, oh, raise them higher again
And if you do we could stay dry against the rain

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
You gotta lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
You gotta lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
You gotta lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Oh lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Let it all down, let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds oh oh oh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh
Uh uh uh uh

Uh uh uh uh lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown




Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the ones

Overall Meaning

This song, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" by Melanie & The Edwin Hawkins Singers, is a call for peace and a plea for humanity to come together as one. The song encourages listeners to lay down their worries, their differences, and their fears and to let go of their pride in order to see the beauty in others. The use of birds as a metaphor for peace and unity highlights the importance of tolerance and the need for individuals to rise above their own negativity and prejudices.


The lyrics also evoke powerful images of unity through the act of raising candles high. The repeated chorus, "Lay down, lay down, let it all down," is a reminder to let go of one's preconceptions and biases and to embrace the light that surrounds us all. This message is especially poignant today, as the world has become increasingly divided along political, social, and economic lines.


Overall, the song speaks to the need for compassion, understanding, and love in our lives. By encouraging us to lay down our fears and let our "white birds" smile up at those who stand and frown, the song encourages us to embrace the beauty in others and to rise above our differences in order to create a better world.


Line by Line Meaning

Lay down, lay down, let it all down
Relax, take a break and release all your worries and burdens


Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
Let your positive energy and outlook lift up those who are negative and unhappy


We were so close, there was no room
We were intimately connected with each other


We bled inside each others wounds
We shared each other's pain and suffering


We all had caught the same disease
We all experienced the same hardships and challenges


And we all sang the songs of peace
We tried to spread harmony and tranquility through our music


So raise the candles high
Let's light candles to show our hope and optimism


'Cause if you don't we could stay black against the night
Without any light, we would remain in a state of darkness and despair


Oh, raise them higher again
Let's continue to uplift each other and radiate positive energy


And if you do we could stay dry against the rain
If we keep our spirits high, we can get through difficult times without being overcome by sadness


Some came to sing, some came to pray
We all have different ways of expressing our hopes and beliefs


Some came to keep the dark away
Some of us come together to ward off negativity and sadness


You gotta lay down, lay down, let it all down
It's important to let go and relax, especially during hard times


Uh uh uh uh
Vocals with no clear meaning behind them


Let it all down, let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown
By letting go of your negative energy, you can radiate positivity and uplift those who may be feeling down


Uh uh uh uh
Vocals with no clear meaning behind them


Uh uh uh uh
Vocals with no clear meaning behind them




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MELANIE SAFKA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Morganasnotarobot0

Ur A Blessing! 💜♀️♂️
🔅 🌔🌕🌖🔆


Keep On Rockkn! Beautiful!....


Abrazós! 🎤 🎸 ☄
💚💖💚💖
Beautiful Blessings!
To U Bonita! 🕊️🌼🌼🌼🕊️
Amo!🕊️🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹.x.x..
May U All have All the beautiful love in the world!
Paź Amo Respect
🌾 🌬️⭐FoREVer⭐🌬️🌾⭐stay blessed⭐🥀....



@Disneylandonacid1982

First grade. My absolute first crush.

When I visited my uncle in Costa Rica in the 70's we sometimes spent evenings at the houses of friends of his in the Costa Rican countryside. I can attest that to many Central Americans, conversation can be a form of art in itself. A really, really long form of art. LOL. Sometimes lasting eight hours or more on those nights.

Because I didn't speak Spanish and loved music, I immediately and desperately scoured their LP collections to find something to do and listen to. These collections never had rock or pop. Jazz, big band, classical (my uncle was then conductor of Costa Rica's orchestra). It was always a needle in a haystack. I had to find something. Then, bingo. These collections strangely almost always had one of two artists I adored then and now.

Cat Stevens and Melanie. I was home.

This one stings. I still remember the pain I felt gazing at her face on one of her album covers. This feeling was new and a little alarming. I hadn't felt that way before. Rest in peace.



All comments from YouTube:

@MelaniesafkaTheRealMelanie

"One Night in the Netherlands: Melanie Safka, 1970, and a Performance of a Lifetime" (Jeff Suwak, September 24): https://medium.com/yawp/one-night-in-the-netherlands-melanie-safka-1970-and-a-performance-of-a-lifetime-b4d2632f9cc1

@donaldsmith3926

Thanks so much for the link; I'm still following bread crumbs from that article. He has great taste in music.

@kinaleybas1761

Never forget this song, love her voice

@Morganasnotarobot0

Ur A Blessing! 💜♀️♂️
🔅 🌔🌕🌖🔆


Keep On Rockkn! Beautiful!....


Abrazós! 🎤 🎸 ☄
💚💖💚💖
Beautiful Blessings!
To U Bonita! 🕊️🌼🌼🌼🕊️
Amo!🕊️🌹🥀🌹🥀🌹.x.x..
May U All have All the beautiful love in the world!
Paź Amo Respect
🌾 🌬️⭐FoREVer⭐🌬️🌾⭐stay blessed⭐🥀....

@bobnan9815

Powerful and beautiful voice. Thank you Melanie for the memories.

@veronamartin5285

Wow! Amazing! Love & Peace. 💖 Love this song! Your voice is incredible.

124 More Replies...

@nancydemello2974

I'm listening in 2024! RIP Melanie! Thank you for this beautiful song to remember you by!!😢

@A1exS

hello from Russia ^-)

@nancydemello2974

Hello Russia! Is it Das ver Donna! Sorry for the misspelling! Im so happy that you love Melanie's music! So profounding! What a sad day for us here in America!

@nancydemello2974

Donha, again, sorry for this misspelling!

More Comments

More Versions