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Little Secrets
Passion Pit Lyrics


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When I came down the dawn poured into me
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb

Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry

It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be

Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen

Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains

Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain

You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name

Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars

Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher

But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher

Overall Meaning

"Little Secrets" by Passion Pit tells the story of someone who has been through some difficult experiences, but is now finding a sense of freedom and strength. The first stanza speaks of a moment of transformation, when the singer is filled with something new at dawn, causing them to shake things up around them. Despite being wounded in some way, they hold onto their "stolen gold," or their personal worth, within the "emperor's tomb," or some kind of oppressive system.


The second stanza speaks of the singer's creative endeavors, specifically the creation of a "cardboard neighborhood's disgrace" that they've turned into something beautiful by "painting rainbows" on their "ugly face." They find fulfillment in this work within the "confines of such chemistry."


The chorus expresses the sense of exhilaration that comes with this newfound empowerment, as they climb higher and higher. They urge the listener to keep their newfound strength a secret.


The third stanza continues to speak of the power of this feeling, as the singer watches the world around them transform, filled with "ecstatic fright" and "halogen." The lemon-squeezer mentioned in the song could be a metaphorical representation of someone trying to extract something from the singer that they don't want to give up, causing pain and drawing out a sense of shame.


The final stanza speaks to an imagined conversation with the singer's mother, who is potentially nostalgic for a time when she felt powerful but has now lost that sense of agency. The singer, on the other hand, has found their own sense of power by channeling their experiences into creative and personal growth.


Overall, "Little Secrets" is a song about personal empowerment and how creativity and individuality can be used as tools to find strength and freedom.


Line by Line Meaning

When I came down the dawn poured into me
As I woke up, the light of dawn flooded me with energy and vitality.


I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
I made a strong impact, causing everything around me to shake and crumble down.


My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
Despite being hurt, I remained determined and strong, my fists shaking with emotion.


My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
I hold something valuable that doesn't rightfully belong to me, like the treasure inside an ancient tomb.


Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I am attempting to make something beautiful out of something that is normally considered unappealing or flawed.


I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
I am responsible for creating something that is considered shameful or a poor representation of a community.


But I ascend and serve my feverish need
I rise above my problems and continue to pursue my passionate desires with an intense fervor.


Within the confines of such chemistry
My actions and emotions are limited by a particular set of circumstances and restrictions.


It's the way I see
The perspective from which I view the world and interpret my experiences.


Everything I need
All the things that are necessary in order for me to feel satisfied and fulfilled.


It's no way to be
Despite my desire for these things, I understand that this way of life may not be healthy or sustainable.


Let this be our little secret
We will keep this to ourselves and not tell anyone else about our experiences or feelings.


No one needs to know were feeling
We don't need to share our emotions and experiences with others in order to validate them or make them real.


Higher and higher and higher
We continue to reach new heights and experience new highs.


But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Despite any struggles or difficulties, I feel a strong sense of life and vitality within me.


Up and up I keep on climbing
I continue to strive for new heights and push myself to achieve greater things.


My face blew up at such a casual sight
I was surprised by something seemingly insignificant, causing a strong emotional reaction.


The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
I experienced a range of intense and conflicting emotions, such as excitement and fear, that left me feeling chaotic and scattered.


The rush above me to oblivion
I felt an intense and overwhelming sensation of being lifted up and carried away, like I was headed towards a place of complete loss and emptiness.


Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
The world around me was lit up in a way that made everything seem brighter and more vivid, emphasizing the details of my surroundings.


Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
Have you ever experienced such intense and powerful emotions that you felt invincible and unstoppable?


How come it takes some people so damn long
Why does it take some people a long time to discover and embrace their own sense of strength and passion?


He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
He attempted to create something significant or meaningful out of something small, like squeezing a lemon to produce a small amount of juice.


The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
The lemon juice emphasized or highlighted the details of the situation, leaving a lasting impression or leaving it stained in some way.


Watch the basin drain
Observe as the water and all of its contents flow out of the container.


As your life lines wane
As you grow older and closer to the end of your life.


And you can't explain
You struggle to understand or articulate your own experiences or emotions.


As your friends complain
As your loved ones voice their dissatisfaction or annoyance with your behavior or choices.


You've caused all this pain
You are responsible for causing hurt and suffering to those around you.


And you proudly shame
Despite causing pain, you feel proud or empowered by the chaos and energy you bring into the situation.


Your whole families name
Your actions reflect upon your entire family and its reputation.


Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
I am aware of my mother's thoughts and emotions, even without her expressing them directly to me.


Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Looking up towards the night sky, lost in thought or reflection.


Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
Remembering a time when she felt in control and had a sense of power or influence over her own life.


And now I've hit the mark
Now, I have achieved a significant milestone or reached a goal that I had set for myself.


Stabbing at the dark
Continuing to pursue my passions and dreams, even though they may feel out of reach or unrealistic.


And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
I am aware of the judgment or scrutiny I may face from others, but I choose to focus on my own inner strength and resilience.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICHAEL ANGELAKOS

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

@akinyiomer4589

@ed tolentino The lead singer is basically taking us on a very sad and very personal walk-through of one of the aspects of a relationship to heroin addiction. He's admitting how much he loves & needs the breathless highs, but he knows its costing him his life, health and family. Feel free to Google the lyrics while you read this!

The first part of verse 1 is kind of him describing the surreal agony of a come-down ("walls were crumbling, fists shaking with these salty wounds"). And then after the comedown, comes the self-loathing ("I built this cardboard neighbourhood's disgrace". He's using a pretty powerful metaphor: some homeless addicts live in what some people call 'cardboard neighbourhoods', and he's saying he thinks he's the most disgraceful thing in that neighbourhood. That's intense.) What's amazing is that immediately after he admits feeling like shit, and how he's not proud of himself, he's immediately "ascending the feverish highs". And what's even sadder is that he's admitting he's helpless against serving his addictions needs, and the way he views life now which in turn further fuels the need, the next verse. He knows it's all messed up but its "its the way I see, everything I need, it's no way to be".

And then the chorus is a punch in the face because the music is so beautiful and joyous, with the harmonies and the childrens choir with their innocent voices. Even his voice literally soaring in its falsetto as if its climbing or soaring above the sky.
"Let this be our little secret" - so cheeky, so light as if he's not talking about an eviscreating subject. And then the "higher and higher" part ... basically he's being honest about that intense, otherworldly freeing happiness and high that you get from using - what a lot of addicts says is one of the most dangerous parts of some drugs to them - that you feel so blissful and beautiful. (Its not like this for all users of all substances, but I've heard meth & heroin users say this).

Verse 2 goes on to walk us through the remaining experience of the high, and the descriptions used are so loving and wonderful - even though again hes talking about being out of his mind to the point of oblivion, where oblivion could also mean the end of his life. I love the surreal part about the citrus (lemon juice is sometimes used by heroin addicts to increase intensity of the high).

Following the lyrics in the bridge, all the way from "Watch the basin drain ... Your whole family's name". Pretty self-explanatory description of him going through the using rituals at the sink, being aware of the danger to his health and feeling pain because he feels he's dishonoured his family.

Theres still some verses left, but I've talked enough! Once you have an understanding of the above you'll see where he's going with the last verse about knowing how helpless/powerless his mother feels, and how he's helpless too because even though he knows it's all awful and bad, he's way past caring: "I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars". That's pretty powerful because that's one of the "shame" barriers that some addicts initially try to hide from others cause of the stigma. But dude is way past that. I could talk about this song forever!



All comments from YouTube:

@olympic1l196

This was part of the soundtrack to my life in the final months of high school. Class of ‘10. I can’t believe I’m actually nostalgic about the late 00s-Early 10s already.

@TheEmpireDabsBack

Class of 10' also, definitely one of my faves from those days as well, that original Foster the People album too, us thinking we were the coolest little hipsters partying to this dancey indie music hah

@tyty-fg2qm

Class of 09’ yup, I feel you lol

@ovomaximus165

Yoooo class of 10' here too! dug this one randomly on spotify. Remember listening to this on repeat back in the day!!! 😭😭😭 Things were kinda rough back then but this song is so feel good, it made everything seem better!

@iluvpink1176

That’s so wild I always saw this Omg as not that old but I was literally 3

@BrisLS1

You kids are lucky to have good music in and of your time. My generation just listened to Rock music from 10-20 years earlier, and if you did not, then you were called "Alternaitve" aka nice word for "Punk Rock".

7 More Replies...

@InspectorSaget

I love how fucking happy and uplifting this song is and then you find out it's about someone ruining his and his family's lives through his heroin addiction. Passion Pit is incredible

@ntamsma

Well, he did just come out.

@invblu

Higher and higher and higher....

@Kittysoftpaws6363

+I like narwhals i like norwals too.

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