Smith's debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour, was released in May 2014 on Capitol Records UK. The album's lead single, "Lay Me Down", was released prior to "La La La". The album's second single, "Money on My Mind", became Smith's second number one single in the UK. The third single, "Stay with Me", was an international success, reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while their singles "I'm Not the Only One" and "Like I Can" reached the top ten in the UK. The album won four awards, at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
For Smith's and Jimmy Napes's song "Writing's on the Wall", the theme for the James Bond film Spectre (2015), Smith won the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Smith's second studio album, The Thrill of It All, was released in November 2017 and debuted atop the UK and US album charts. The lead single, "Too Good at Goodbyes", reached number one in the UK and Australia and number four in the US. They released the single "Promises" with Calvin Harris, which peaked at number one in the UK. Smith released "Dancing with a Stranger" with Normani in 2019, which reached the top ten in the UK and the US and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards, and followed it by releasing a string of commercially successful singles "How Do You Sleep?", "To Die For" and "I'm Ready" with Demi Lovato; all of which feature on Smith's third album, Love Goes.
Smith has won four Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and an American Music Award, as well as a Golden Globe and an Academy Award through their career. Smith has been publicly gay since 2014, genderqueer since 2017, and has used they/them pronouns since 2019.
Berlín
Sam Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Berlin in the cold
All that fighting, all that snow
Sober nights
And byron on my mind
Tell me I'm not going home
And I'll stop waiting by the phone
Bedroom floor
And silence in my blood
Sorry love I'm running home
I'm a child of sun and the stars I love
The lyrics of Sam Smith's song Berlin symbolically represent a state of despair and confusion of someone who's facing a dilemma in life, whether to stay in Berlin or to return home. The song starts with a line "Come down love", which indicates the melancholic mood of the singer. The second line, "Berlin in the cold" represents the dark and cold atmosphere of the city that the singer is presently in. The following line "All that fighting, all that snow" shows the struggles and hardships that the singer is enduring while he's in Berlin.
The song depicts the struggle with alcoholism, as mentioned in the line "Sober nights," indicating that the artist is trying to get away from unhealthy habits. The line, "Byron on my mind," refers to the poet Lord Byron, who also struggled with alcohol and addiction. The line "Tell me I'm not going home, and I'll stop waiting by the phone" signifies the singer's indecisiveness and his overwhelming feelings of being lost.
The verse, "Bedroom floor, and silence in my blood," conveys the feeling of loneliness and isolation that the singer is going through. The following line, "Sorry love I'm running home," refers to the singer's decision to leave Berlin and return home. The last line, "I'm a child of sun and the stars I love," indicates the singer's longing for love and warmth, ultimately leading him back to his sunny and happy place.
Line by Line Meaning
Come down love
Addressing someone he cares about, possibly a lover or friend, to join him and keep him company.
Berlin in the cold
The setting in which he currently is; Berlin, known for its cold temperatures, is affecting his mood.
All that fighting, all that snow
Reflecting on the challenges and tough times he's been through in Berlin, the snow is intended as a metaphor for life's difficulties.
Sober nights
Contrasting partying and drinking with loneliness and longing for human connection. Reflecting on loneliness instead of indulging in drugs or alcohol abuse.
And byron on my mind
He is reminded of romantic poet Lord Byron whose work often touched upon themes of love, melancholy, and isolation.
Tell me I'm not going home
Asks the person with him to reassure him of not having to return home alone to face emptiness and isolation.
And I'll stop waiting by the phone
If he gets a positive response to the previous request, he will no longer worry about not having company and someone to connect with.
Bedroom floor
In the setting of his accommodation, place where he has laid down unenthusiastically, either to contemplate or to escape the cold.
And silence in my blood
Feeling an emptiness which he seems to associate with a 'silence' within him that he cannot silence, a sort of daunting silence that awakens in the mind when the mind is simply static.
Sorry love I'm running home
Despite wanting to stay in Berlin, he decides to leave, perhaps disillusioned or overwhelmed by his thoughts and feelings.
I'm a child of sun and the stars I love
He is someone who seeks light, love and connection with other people, missing them in the cold of Berlin.
Writer(s): MARSHALL SMITH, TIM FOX
Contributed by Sebastian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SmithySafc96
The note at 1:57 was amazing!
@queenofsparkleful
This needs to be longer! Could listen to it endlessly...
@jerrelcarpio
His vocals....absolutely amazing....I have no words, just in awe. Amazing artist we have for this generation. Look forward to his future
@Jade_jemma
1:57 omg I've melted, his voice is out of this world!!! Beautiful
@theinvinsablechicken
Flawless singer. Flawless song. Flawless Performance.
@ElevatedShadow
Oh my lord... Why am i now just hearing this...
@grandArianaSupporter
+joell forney Well son... bc I gave u da ears!
@raki166
I think this is one of the most remarkable performances. I'm totally mesmerised by this................looooove it!
@AnnyLovesPink
Seriously, why are people hating on him so much? His voice is amazing
@Mettemeres
who is hating him