Adam Young spoke about the song's meaning with Female First:"'Hello Seattle' is a song about growing up in Minnesota, imagining what the city of Seattle was like without having visited. It's about daydreams and imaginings where you are things that dwell in/around the Emerald City, thus giving the listener a first person view."
Young described "Hello Seattle" as a love song to a place he had never visited. He stated that never traveling to the city was a "pretty big inspiration" to him. The song gained viral popularity on MySpace and earned Young a record contract with Universal Republic.
Written and produced by Young, the track runs at 90 BPM and is in the key of B-flat major. Young's range in the song spans from the notes F4 to G5. The song was one of the first tracks that Young ever wrote. On a night when Young couldn't sleep, he had an idea for an electronic track that came to be "Hello Seattle". He stated, "'Hello Seattle', which is on the album and is still most representative of the type of music I want to make. It's innocent, accessible pop, but with a melancholy feel and abstract lyrics." The song's lyrics references Young's faith to God.
"Hello Seattle" first appeared on his debut EP Of June with a runtime of two minutes and 57 seconds. The song was later remastered for his second studio album Ocean Eyes with a runtime of two minutes and 47 seconds. A remix version of the song was also featured on the deluxe edition of the album.
"Hello Seattle" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics.
Hello Seattle
Owl City Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the hills and highlands
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
And awake in your mouth
Hello Seattle, I am a manta-ray
Deep beneath the blue waves
I'll crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound
And construct my summer home
Hello Seattle, I am the crescent moon
Shining down on your face
I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill
And descend inside of you
Hello Seattle, I am a cold seahorse
Feeling warm in your sand
I sing about the tide and the ocean surf
Rolling in the evening breeze
Hello Seattle, I am an albatross
On the docks and your boats
I sail above your inlets and interstates
Through the rain and open wind
Hello Seattle, I am an old lighthouse
Throwing beams of bright lights
Red in the morning, blue in the evening sun
Taking heed from everyone
Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer
In the hills and highlands
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
Take me above your light
Carry me through the night
Hold me secure in flight
Sing me to sleep tonight
Take me above your light
Carry me through the night
Hold me secure in flight
Sing me to sleep tonight
The lyrics to Owl City's song "Hello Seattle" are a series of fantastical and dream-like images, depicting the singer as various creatures and objects as they interact with the city of Seattle. Each verse begins with the greeting of "Hello Seattle" and an introduction of the singer as something entirely different from the previous verse.
The first verse describes the singer as a mountaineer, falling asleep in hospital parking lots and waking up in the metaphorical "mouth" of the city. The following verses continue to paint the singer as a manta-ray, a crescent moon, a cold seahorse, an albatross, and an old lighthouse, each with their own unique interactions with the city and its landscape.
The final refrain echoes the first verse, with the singer as a mountaineer once again, beckoning the city to "take me above your light" and "carry me through the night" while asking to be sung to sleep.
Overall, "Hello Seattle" is a surreal and dreamy exploration of the city and the singer's relationship to it, using whimsical imagery to create a sense of otherworldliness and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello Seattle, I am a mountaineer
I am someone who enjoys climbing mountains
In the hills and highlands
I prefer to spend my time in high altitude areas
I fall asleep in hospital parking lots
I travel constantly and sleep in peculiar locations
And awake in your mouth
I feel at home in Seattle when I wake up each morning
Hello Seattle, I am a manta-ray
I am a free-spirited creature that moves with grace
Deep beneath the blue waves
I swim in the depths of the ocean
I'll crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound
I will explore the area with curiosity and wonder
And construct my summer home
I am always looking for new places to call my temporary home
Hello Seattle, I am the crescent moon
I am a celestial body that watches over Seattle
Shining down on your face
I provide light to Seattle's inhabitants
I will disguise myself as a sleeping pill
I will calm you down and help you rest
And descend inside of you
I will ease your anxieties and make you feel comfortable
Hello Seattle, I am a cold seahorse
I adapt to my surroundings and enjoy the cool temperatures of Seattle's beaches
Feeling warm in your sand
I enjoy the feeling of sand between my fins
I sing about the tide and the ocean surf
I find inspiration in the natural surroundings of Seattle's coast
Rolling in the evening breeze
I am moved by the gentle winds and sounds of Seattle's shores
Hello Seattle, I am an albatross
I am a skilled flier who enjoys soaring over Seattle's harbors
On the docks and your boats
I perch on the docks and boats of Seattle's ports
I sail above your inlets and interstates
I fly over Seattle's unique layout - waterways and highways
Through the rain and open wind
I travel through any weather, rain or shine
Hello Seattle, I am an old lighthouse
I am an iconic structure of Seattle, overlooking the water and providing guidance
Throwing beams of bright lights
I use my strong light to help guide sailors to safety
Red in the morning, blue in the evening sun
I change colors depending on the time of day - red in the morning and blue in the evening
Taking heed from everyone
I listen to feedback and use it to better my performance
Take me above your light
Take me to a higher level and show me the best of Seattle
Carry me through the night
Be my guide and help me navigate Seattle's darkness
Hold me secure in flight
Keep me safe and stable throughout my journey
Sing me to sleep tonight
Provide me with comfort and peace as I rest in Seattle
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM R. YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind