Illuminate
Orbital Lyrics


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Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
Illuminate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is

Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah

Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
alleviate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is

Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart




Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah

Overall Meaning

It seems that the lyrics of "Illuminate" by Orbital are a call for change, a plea for someone to break down the walls they have built around themselves and to let the beauty and happiness of the world in. The first lines of the song encourage the listener to "paint the world anew" and find a way to open up to the joy that exists. The repetition of the phrase "illuminate the strain" suggests that the songwriter feels burdensome and weighed down by life, and is looking for a way to alleviate that discomfort. The second verse expands on the theme of the walls we build to protect ourselves, with the singer admitting that they too have "buildin' a wall inside" around their heart. The repeated refrain of "yeah" in this section is both emphatic and uncertain, suggesting a reluctance to let others in but a growing understanding that this may be necessary to find true happiness.


The metaphor of "fireworks in the blue" and "the burstin' endless shine" paints a picture of the beauty of the world, while also acknowledging that it can be overwhelming and maybe even a little frightening. The final line, "Show me where the real light is," seems to suggest that the songwriter is searching for something authentic, a genuine connection with the world that will help them escape their own internal struggles.


Overall, "Illuminate" is a song about the struggle to connect with the world and find happiness. It acknowledges the walls we build to protect ourselves, but ultimately suggests that we need to break them down in order to truly live.


Line by Line Meaning

Paint the world anew
Transform the world into something beautiful and fresh


Find a way to open all the joy in order to
Discover how to unlock complete happiness


Illuminate the strain
Shed light on the difficult moments and obstacles


Fireworks in the blue
Vivid and striking bursts of color in the endless expanse of the sky


Beyond the burstin' endless shine
Further than the grand and glowing lightshow


Show me where the real light is
Point out the true source of power and illumination


Buildin' a wall inside
Creating a barrier around oneself to keep emotions guarded


Wall round my heart
A physical manifestation of emotional defensiveness


Yeah
An expression of affirmation or agreement




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID GRAY, PAUL HARTNOLL, PHIL HARTNOLL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

sharon needlez

Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
Illuminate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is
Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah
Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
alleviate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is
Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah



DJMoley LDN

Illuminate

Orbital

Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
Illuminate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is

Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah

Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
alleviate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is

Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah

Songwriters: David Gray / Paul Hartnoll / Phil Hartnoll



All comments from YouTube:

Steve W

Such a pure sounding track complimented by David’s voice, one of my favourite Orbital numbers from a stellar career.

hsanajotti

Eu amo demais essa música!

Land of Nirvana

One of the most perfect and pure audio masterpieces ever

Stephanie Rae

Ever.

Autumnblueskies

I only just discovered this and I can’t believe I missed it in 2001!! But I’m not sad- I’m just thankful I found it- and I freakin love it ❤️❤️

sharon needlez

Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
Illuminate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is
Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah
Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to
alleviate the strain
Fireworks in the blue
beyond the burstin' endless shine
Show me where the real light is
Buildin' a wall inside
Wall round my heart
Buildin' a wall inside
Yeah

Maschinestorm

Orbital has brought an immense amount of positive memories to my former days.

Paolo Uribe

que increíble es descubrir viejas canciones que te emocionan hasta el alma

mimosa27

Melt my heart, ignite my soul. As always, thank you Hartnolls 😭♥️

Tornado Jones

Actually ran across this track just last week, how the bugger has evaded me this long I'm not sure, but it's added itself to my top 100.. Which is no mean achievement when you consider my Spotify alone has 7500 tracks! Love the wistful melody with DG's slightly raspy vocals providing the perfect foil... It reached my ears in the middle of COVID and for me, says :-
Yes this is a sh1t situation, advancing age and bitter experience may have built a wall around your heart, but change your way of thinking and bring back the joy... There's time for fun yet...
Paint the world anew
Find a way to open all the joy in order to alleviate the strain...
Show me where the real light is.

Yep.
:)

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