Swedish indie rock duo Pale Honey consists of guitarist Tuva Lodmark and dr… Read Full Bio ↴Swedish indie rock duo Pale Honey consists of guitarist Tuva Lodmark and drummer Nelly Daltrey. They have been performing music together since elementary school, bonding over a mutual love for acts like Queens of the Stone Age and PJ Harvey. While the two-piece’s sound has evolved since those early years, they’ve managed to maintain a distinct, stripped-down approach. This is readily apparent on Pale Honey, their self-titled debut which was recorded in producer Anders Lagerfors’ kitchen.

Fish
Pale Honey Lyrics

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I never told you that
I wanted this to go this way
I never told you why
You shouldn't believe what my dull eyes say

So I spun around
And fell off off off to the ground
I think to myself

What a wonderful world

I never told myself for what reason
I stopped to live
I just lie to myself

So I spun around
And fell off off off to the ground
I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I never told myself for what reason
I stopped to live
I just wanna be in your head
I just wanna be in you bed

So I spun around
And fell off off off to the ground
I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Fiction
Get me before I leave
Your opinion is mine

It is a bliss, could I ever be
You're an abyss
And I lay down

Fiction all the time
Go to sleep
You're all diseased again

I know, so I go again
And the sound
Will sweep you off your feet
My friend

It is a bliss, could I ever be
You're an abyss
And I lay down

Fiction all the time
Go to sleep
You're all diseased again
Fiction all the time

Go to sleep
You're all diseased again

Overall Meaning

The song "Fish" by Pale Honey starts with the singer admitting that they never really explained what they wanted in their relationship. They never told their partner why they shouldn't believe their uninterested eyes. The singer then falls to the ground and thinks to themselves what a wonderful world it is. The next verse takes on a more personal note. The singer tells themselves that they never really had a reason to stop living, yet they still ended up just lying to themselves. They then confess that they just want to be in their partner's head and in their bed while they spin around and fall to the ground, still thinking about how beautiful the world is.

The chorus introduces the word "Fiction" which appears several more times throughout the song. The singer speaks of escaping from the reality of the world and instead being consumed by the fiction of their imagination. They want to be lost in their own thoughts and narratives. The song ends with the singer calling their audience diseased and telling them to go to sleep. This final line is confusing to interpret as it could be a call to rest and let go of one's worries or it could be a darker suggestion to give up and stop fighting against the world's problems.

Line by Line Meaning

I never told you that
I kept my true feelings a secret from you

I wanted this to go this way
I never intended for things to turn out like this

I never told you why
I never explained my reasons to you

You shouldn't believe what my dull eyes say
My facial expressions don't always tell the truth

So I spun around
I was disoriented and confused

And fell off off off to the ground
I experienced a great fall or failure

I think to myself
I reflected inwards about my situation

What a wonderful world
I found beauty despite the circumstances

I never told myself for what reason
I didn't understand why things happened

I stopped to live
I gave up on life or lost my purpose

I just lie to myself
I deceived myself about my own feelings or motivations