Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. They rose to prominence in October 2012 after being featured on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. Smith was subsequently featured on Naughty Boy's "La La La", which became a number one single in May 2013. In December 2013, they were nominated for the 2014 Brit Critics' Choice Award and the BBC's Sound of 2014 poll, winning both.

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.

Daniel
Sam Smith Lyrics

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Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

They say Spain is pretty, though I've never been
Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Oh and he should know, he's been there enough

Lord, I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much

Oh, Daniel, my brother, you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Your eyes have died, but you see more than I
Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky

Oh Daniel, my brother, you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Your eyes have died, but you see more than I
Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky

Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye

God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

Overall Meaning

Sam Smith's song "Daniel" is a heartfelt tribute to a brother who is leaving for Spain. The song starts with Smith being able to see his brother, Daniel's, plane take off for Spain, through the red tail lights. Though Smith admits that he has never been to Spain, Daniel says that it is a beautiful place to visit. Smith misses his brother so much and can barely contain his emotions as he watches the plane disappear into the horizon, and it brings tears to his eyes.

The second verse is Smith reflecting on his brother's life and experiences. He wonders if Daniel still feels the pain of the scars that won't heal. He admits that Daniel has seen more than he has, with 'eyes that have died'. Despite this, the singer sees him as a 'star in the face of the sky'. The song returns to the chorus, with the repetition of the "God, it looks like Daniel must be the clouds in my eyes" line.

The song has a very emotional undertone, and the lyrics are thought-provoking, given that anyone can relate when it comes to missing their loved ones. It highlights that the pain is most measurable when your loved ones leave you behind, and you have to face the world. The idea of feeling emotional about someone that is still alive is also very relatable—something that most of us feel quite often.

Line by Line Meaning

Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
Daniel is currently on a plane traveling somewhere

I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
I can see the red tail lights of the plane Daniel is on as it flies towards Spain

Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
I can see Daniel waving goodbye to someone or something

God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
The artist sees someone who looks like Daniel but believes it must be a trick of the lighting or their perception

They say Spain is pretty, though I've never been
The artist has heard that Spain is beautiful but has never had the chance to visit

Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Daniel has been to Spain and thinks it's the most amazing place he's ever been

Oh and he should know, he's been there enough
Since Daniel has been to Spain multiple times, he should be considered an expert on the location

Lord, I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much
The artist misses Daniel a great deal

Oh Daniel, my brother, you are older than me
Daniel is the artist's older brother

Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
The artist asks if Daniel still experiences emotional pain from past experiences

Your eyes have died, but you see more than I
Even though Daniel appears to be emotionally numb, he understands more than the singer does

Daniel, you're a star in the face of the sky
The artist sees Daniel as a shining star in the sky, a symbol of his greatness

God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
The singer once again sees someone who looks like Daniel but attributes it to a trick of the lighting or their perception

Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
The song repeats the opening line to bring the story full circle

I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Again, the singer notes the red tail lights of the plane Daniel is on flying towards Spain

Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
The song ends with the artist once again noting Daniel waving goodbye, possibly feeling a bittersweet mix of emotions

God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
The song concludes with the repeated refrain of the artist seeing someone who looks like Daniel, but ultimately dismissing it as a trick of the light or vision

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ELTON JOHN, BERNIE TAUPIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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