Let Down
O'Riley Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Transport, motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings
Disappointed people clinging on to bottles
And when it comes it's so so disappointing

Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around

Shell smashed, juices flowing
Wings twitch, legs are going
Don't get sentimental
It always ends up drivel

One day I'm going to grow wings
A chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless
Hysterical and

Let down and hanging around
Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around

Let down again
Let down again
Let down again

You know, you know where you are with
You know where you are with
Floor collapsing
Floating, bouncing back
And one day
I am going to grow wings
A chemical reaction
Hysterical and useless
Hysterical and

Let down and hanging around




Crushed like a bug in the ground
Let down and hanging around

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of O'Riley's song "Let Down" take on a melancholic, yet insightful tone that examines the emptiness and disappointment of life. The song begins with the image of transportation methods like motorways and tramlines starting and then stopping. This could represent the repetitiveness of life, where people go through their daily routines, only to be faced with the same feeling of emptiness. The song also speaks about disappointed people clinging onto bottles, representing individuals using alcohol or other substances to escape the mundaneness of their lives, and when they finally have what they want, it's still disappointing.


The chorus of the song consists of the singer feeling let down and hanging around, crushed like a bug in the ground. It's a metaphor for feeling small, powerless and defeated. The second part of the song speaks about a shell being smashed, juices flowing, and wings twitching, legs are going. This could represent the frustration, anger, and restlessness that individuals experience when they're feeling stagnant in their lives. The lyrics hit their high point when the singer claims that one day, they will grow wings, a chemical reaction, hysterical and useless; implying that they will do what they want without necessarily caring about the consequences.


In conclusion, the lyrics of O'Riley's song "Let Down" speak about the disillusionment and disappointment that people face in their lives. The song uses powerful images and metaphors to convey the emptiness and restlessness that often come about when people feel their lives are going nowhere.


Line by Line Meaning

Transport, motorways and tramlines
The mundane routine of commuting to and from work or other obligations


Starting and then stopping
The feeling of being stuck in a repetitive cycle without progress


Taking off and landing
Moments of excitement followed by disappointment or anticlimax


The emptiest of feelings
A sense of numbness or hopelessness


Disappointed people clinging on to bottles
Using alcohol or other vices to numb the pain of disappointment and unmet expectations


And when it comes it's so so disappointing
The build-up to something exciting or anticipated often leads to feelings of letdown when it finally happens


Let down and hanging around
Feeling dejected and stuck in a negative mindset


Crushed like a bug in the ground
Feeling powerless and defeated by circumstances


Shell smashed, juices flowing
Feeling emotionally or physically broken, with raw emotions spilling out


Wings twitch, legs are going
Feeling restless and eager for change or escape


Don't get sentimental
Avoiding attachment to fleeting moments or temporary happiness


It always ends up drivel
Acknowledging that things often don't live up to our expectations or hopes


One day I'm going to grow wings
Dreaming of a better future or a way to escape current circumstances


A chemical reaction
Believing that change or growth is possible through internal or external forces


Hysterical and useless
Feeling overwhelmed or ineffective in pursuing change or happiness


Let down again
Experiencing another letdown or disappointment


You know, you know where you are with
Feeling bored or disillusioned with the predictability of life


Floor collapsing
Feeling like the stability or foundation of one's life is falling apart


Floating, bouncing back
Trying to find a way to overcome adversity or setbacks




Lyrics ยฉ Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, PHILIP JAMES SELWAY, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE

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
Comments from YouTube:

@user-wx4bd8ui2p

brilliant! ๐Ÿ‘

@Vicentecarmonagonza

๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

@michaelfradley6950

Amazing, Chris, I have a singular memory of me as a teen just sitting and absorbing this in darkness and silence. Brings it back. Wonderful to see you play it. Thank you for these gifts

@vicious6838

I think of music as this when they say, that music connects and connects with the metaphysical reality of this world which is inside everyone of us. Music as this is what is understood as this one particular universal language which by its very own distinctness surpasses that of the world of perception itself..

Pieces like this is what touches and shakens natures inmost consciousness at a deep fundamental level. It is the universal language of our feelings and passions.

@johnnysails

Master piece! Best version everโ€ฆ you are genius man, THANK YOU!!!!

@scottwillispiano2241

I love when it goes to the section at 2:06, simple beauty, then builds and builds, what curious joy in an often upside down world:)

@tjbruns5972

Beautiful, ๐ŸŽน๐ŸŽน๐ŸŽน๐ŸŽน

@marcushusbands7077

This is what genius looks like!

@johnyuse7253

GENIUS! My favorite song reinterpreted.

@chamakhmybitchup

Really beautiful version of this song.

More Comments

More Versions