Young also records under the names Sky Sailing, Port Blue, Color Therapy, Insect Airport, Seagull Orchestra and his own name, Adam Young.
Young started out making music in 2007 in his basement in his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota, United States, later developing a following through his MySpace profile before being signed to Universal Republic. Young has released seven albums under the Owl City moniker: "Maybe I'm Dreaming" (2008), "Ocean Eyes" (2009), "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (2011), "The Midsummer Station" (2012), "Mobile Orchestra" (2015), "Cinematic" (2018), and "Coco Moon" (2023). Young's 2009 single "Fireflies" reached #1 in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and The Netherlands. His second major hit, 2012's "Good Time" featuring Carly Rae Jepsen reached #8 in the US and #1 in New Zealand.
He was also once a member of Windsor Airlift and Swimming with Dolphins, both of which he is no longer involved with.
05-The Saltwater Room
Owl City Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And saw you in the low light
Walking down by the bay
On the shore, staring up at the planes
That aren't there anymore
I was feeling the night grow old
And you were looking so cold
So like an introvert
Around my arms and began
To shiver violently before
You happened to look
And see the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark
Underground
All the subways around
Create a great sound
To my motion fatigue
Farewell
With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves
In underwater caves
As if you actually were inside
A saltwater room
Time together isn't never quite enough
When you and I are alone
I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone
So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time
Can you believe that the crew has gone
And wouldn't let me sign on?
All my islands have sunk
In the deep, so I can hardly relax
Or even oversleep
I feel as if I were home, some nights
When we count all the ship lights
I guess I'll never know
Why sparrows love the snow
We'll turn off all of the lights
And set this ballroom aglow
(So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in love? All the time)
Time together isn't never quite enough
When you and I are alone
I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
We need time, only time
When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time
Time together is just never quite enough
When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time
The Saltwater Room by Owl City is a bittersweet love song that describes two lovers spending time together by the bay, enjoying the sights and sounds of their surroundings. The song starts with the singer opening his eyes to see his lover walking down by the bay, staring up at the planes that used to fly overhead. The night is growing old, and the singer notices that his lover is looking cold and distant, so he wraps his over shirt around his arms to keep warm. He starts to shiver violently before his lover looks over and sees the tunnels all around him.
As the song progresses, the singer talks about how time together is never quite enough when he and his lover are alone. Even though he feels at home with his lover, he also feels lonely and wonders what it will take to make or break their relationship. Finally, he asks his lover if she wishes they would fall in love all the time, underscoring the fragile nature of their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I opened my eyes last night
I woke up from my sleep
And saw you in the low light
I saw you in the dim light
Walking down by the bay
You were walking by the shore
On the shore, staring up at the planes
You were gazing at the sky while being near the sea
That aren't there anymore
Although the planes are no longer visible
I was feeling the night grow old
Time seemed to be passing slowly
And you were looking so cold
You seemed emotionally distant
So like an introvert
You were not very talkative
I drew my over shirt
I put my shirt closer to my body
Around my arms and began
So that I could keep myself warm
To shiver violently before
I started to shake uncontrollably
You happened to look
You suddenly turned your gaze towards me
And see the tunnels all around me
You saw my surroundings in a different way than I did
Running into the dark
There were paths which lead me into the unknown
Underground
The journeys were taking me to new horizons
All the subways around
The paths I could take were all interconnected
Create a great sound
The sounds from these surroundings were a symphony
To my motion fatigue
I was so used to these journeys that they made me feel tired
Farewell
A poetic way of saying goodbye
With your ear to a seashell
If you listen carefully to a seashell
You can hear the waves
You can hear the sound of waves in the sea
In underwater caves
Even if you are underwater
As if you actually were inside
It's like you're fully immersed
A saltwater room
A place which brings peace and calm
Time together isn't never quite enough
The time we spend together always feels short
When you and I are alone
When it's just us, without any distractions
I've never felt so at home
I feel comfortable and relaxed around you
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
What could either strengthen or weaken this feeling?
Only time, only time
The passage of time is the only way to find out
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of
When we are away from each other what are you thinking about
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone
You are my home, but why do I feel lonely sometimes
So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in love?
Do you want us to start a romantic relationship?
All the time, all the time
Is this something you think about constantly?
Can you believe that the crew has gone
I cannot believe that the crew is no longer here
And wouldn't let me sign on?
I was not allowed to join the crew
All my islands have sunk
Everything that was once important to me is now gone
In the deep, so I can hardly relax
I often find myself feeling restless and uneasy
Or even oversleep
I struggle to even get a good night's sleep
I feel as if I were home, some nights
On some nights, I feel like I'm in a familiar place
When we count all the ship lights
When we look at all the lights from ships on the ocean
I guess I'll never know
It's something I'll probably never find out
Why sparrows love the snow
The reason behind some things may never be clear
We'll turn off all of the lights
We will switch off everything around us
And set this ballroom aglow
And create an atmosphere which feels lively and warm
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM R. YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind