The prettiest thing
Norah Jones & The Handsome Band Lyrics

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The prettiest thing
I ever did see
Was lightning from the top of a cloud
Moving through the dark a million miles an hour
With somewhere to be

So why does it seem
Like a picture

Hanging up on someone else's wall
Lately I just haven't been myself at all
It's heavy on my mind

I'm dreamin' again
Like I've always been
And way down low
I know

The prettiest thing
I ever did see
Was dusty as the handle on the door
Rusty as a nail stuck in the old pine floor
Looks like home to me

I'm dreamin' again
Like I've always been

And way down low
I'm thinkin' of the prettiest thing

Overall Meaning

"The Prettiest Thing" is a song about appreciating beauty, and how sometimes the most beautiful things are not the ones we see every day. It starts off with Norah Jones describing the most beautiful thing she's ever seen - lightning moving at a million miles an hour through a dark cloud. She's amazed by its beauty and the way it has somewhere to be.

But then she questions why this experience only feels like a picture hanging up on someone else's wall, something she can't quite grasp onto. Recently, she hasn't been feeling herself and she can't shake off the feeling of heaviness. She's dreaming like she always has, and down low she knows there's something unsettling.

Then, Norah describes an unexpected beauty - something as plain as a dusty handle on a door or a rusty nail stuck in the floor can look like home to her. It's a sentiment that speaks to the idea that home is not only where we live, but a feeling of belonging and comfort that can come from the most unexpected and humble sources.

Overall, the song tells a story about how beauty can come from anywhere, and how it's important to appreciate the small things in life that can bring us comfort and joy.

Line by Line Meaning

The prettiest thing
The most beautiful sight

I ever did see
That I have ever witnessed

Was lightning from the top of a cloud
A flash of light from a cloud's peak

Moving through the dark a million miles an hour
Traveling very quickly through the darkness

With somewhere to be
Having a purpose and destination

So why does it seem
I am wondering why

Like a picture
As if it were a painting

Hanging up on someone else's wall
Displayed on somebody else's property

Lately I just haven't been myself at all
I have not felt like my true self recently

It's heavy on my mind
It is weighing on my thoughts

I'm dreamin' again
I am having dreams