Snow Patrol is a Northern Irish–Scottish rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee… Read Full Bio ↴Snow Patrol is a Northern Irish–Scottish rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, backing vocals), Jonny Quinn (drums), and Johnny McDaid (piano, guitar, backing vocals).[6] Initially an indie rock band, Snow Patrol rose to prominence in the early– mid-2000s as part of the post-Britpop movement.

The band were founded at the University of Dundee in 1994 by Lightbody, Mark McClelland, and Michael Morrison of Shrug. After briefly using the name Polarbear, releasing the EP Starfighter Pilot (1997) and losing Morrison as a member, the band became Snow Patrol in 1997 and added Quinn to its lineup. Their first two studio albums, Songs for Polarbears (1998) and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001), released by the independent record label Jeepster Records, were commercially unsuccessful. The band then signed to the major record label Polydor Records in 2002.

Connolly joined Snow Patrol in 2002, and after their major-label debut album, Final Straw, the following year, with "Run", the album's biggest hit, the band rose to national fame. The album was certified 5x platinum in the UK. Their next studio album, Eyes Open (2006), and its hit single, "Chasing Cars"—reported in 2019 to be the most-played song of the 21st century on UK radio—propelled the band to greater international fame. The album topped the UK Albums Chart and was the best-selling British album of the year. In 2008, Snow Patrol released their fifth studio album, A Hundred Million Suns; then, in 2009, they released their first compilation album, Up to Now; and, in 2011, their sixth studio album, Fallen Empires, was published. The band released their seventh album, Wildness, on 25 May 2018.

During the course of their career, Snow Patrol have won seven Meteor Ireland Music Awards and been nominated for six Brit Awards and one Grammy. Final Straw, Eyes Open, and A Hundred Million Suns have sold ten million copies worldwide, combined.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Patrol

Studio albums
Songs for Polarbears (1998)
When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001)
Final Straw (2003)
Eyes Open (2006)
A Hundred Million Suns (2008)
Fallen Empires (2011)
Wildness (2018)

Downhill from Here
Snow Patrol Lyrics

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You could get arrested for
Getting your kit off in the street
How many times have I told you
It's not polite to meet and greet
We'll get you home and wash you up
In a bath of cold coffee
I only do this cause I love you
And you can make things easier

Didn't you hear me when I said
Not to do this anymore
I've had enough it's got to stop
Or I will leave you then we'll see
If you could handle things yourself
Without me here to scrape you up
This is the last time I'll warn you

Don't make me leave you all alone
It doesn't matter anyway

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Downhill from Here" by Snow Patrol speak of a relationship where one partner constantly finds themselves in trouble and the other constantly has to bail them out. The song opens with a warning about getting naked in public, and the singer admonishing their partner for not understanding the societal norms around public nudity. They go on to talk about how they will have to clean their partner up after their latest incident, but it's all done out of love. The singer then warns their partner that they will leave them if they continue to get into trouble, essentially reinforcing the idea that their partner needs them to survive. They end the song by saying that it doesn't matter anyway, implying a sense of resignation or hopelessness about the situation.

On a deeper level, the lyrics could be interpreted as a commentary on codependent relationships, where one person relies heavily on the other and may even be causing harm to themselves or the relationship. The singer seems to be torn between wanting to help their partner and being frustrated with their inability to change or improve. The line "I only do this cause I love you" could be seen as a classic codependent trope, where one partner's enabling behavior is masked as care or support.

Overall, "Downhill from Here" is a somber song about a relationship that is teetering on the edge of collapse. It touches on themes of reliance, frustration, and resignation.

Line by Line Meaning

You could get arrested for
Performing actions that are not socially acceptable might have negative consequences.

Getting your kit off in the street
Stripping down in public is not appropriate behavior.

How many times have I told you
The singer has repeatedly given advice or warnings to the listener.

It's not polite to meet and greet
Approaching strangers in an inappropriate manner is impolite.

We'll get you home and wash you up
The artist will take care of the listener after they have behaved inappropriately.

In a bath of cold coffee
The singer will use unconventional methods to clean up the listener.

I only do this cause I love you
The singer's actions are motivated by their care and concern for the listener.

And you can make things easier
The listener's cooperation can make the artist's job easier.

Didn't you hear me when I said
The artist is frustrated that the listener did not listen to their previous warnings.

Not to do this anymore
The artist clearly instructed the listener to stop their inappropriate behavior.

I've had enough it's got to stop
The singer has reached their limit, and the listener must stop their behavior or face consequences.

Or I will leave you then we'll see
The artist is considering leaving the listener if they do not stop their inappropriate behavior.

If you could handle things yourself
The singer questions the listener's ability to take care of themselves.

Without me here to scrape you up
The singer is the one picking up the pieces after the listener's inappropriate behavior, implying that the listener cannot take care of themselves.

This is the last time I'll warn you
The singer will not give any more warnings, and the listener should take their warning seriously.

Don't make me leave you all alone
The artist does not want to leave the listener, but their inappropriate behavior is forcing the artist's hand.

It doesn't matter anyway
The artist is exasperated that the listener doesn't seem to understand the seriousness of the situation.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LIGHTBODY, MCCLELLAND, QUINN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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