I Thought
The Bryan Ferry Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I Thought
Written By Bryan Ferry & Brian Eno
I thought - you'd be my streetcar named desire
My way - my taste of wine
I thought - you'd be that flame within the fire
One dream that just won't die

All night - looking for new love
Impossible true love - nothing at all
Looking for new gods - looking for new blood
Looking for you

I thought - I'd find you walking in the rain
Just like a wayward child
I thought - I'd find you calling out my name
So foolish is my pride

All night - looking for new love
Impossible true love - nothing at all
Looking for new ways - looking for strange blood
Looking for you

I thought - I'd be your streetcar named desire
Your man - the one you seek
I thought - I'd take you deep within myself
Subtitles when we speak

Hold on - the flower says reach out
The thunder says no shout is greater than mine




Listen and hold on - till the day fades out
Smothered in gold

Overall Meaning

The song "I Thought" by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, written by Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, is about the search for love and the disappointment that comes with unfulfilled expectations. The song expresses the hopefulness that one finds the love they desire, yet the search is seemingly impossible. The lyrics express the desire to find a love that is all-consuming and never-ending, almost like a flame within a fire that never goes out. The singer also seems to feel that the search for this love is a futile one, as they express the line "impossible true love, nothing at all."


The singer is searching for a love that is all-encompassing and never-ending, and they thought they had found it with the person they were seeking. They express hopefulness that they will find this love, yet they are also aware of the possibility that they may never find it. The chorus repeats the line "looking for new love, looking for you" which reinforces the theme of searching for something elusive and unattainable. The ending of the song brings a note of optimism, with the flower saying to "reach out," and the thunder reminding us to "listen and hold on" until the day fades out, bringing a feeling of hope to the search for love.


Line by Line Meaning

I thought - you'd be my streetcar named desire
I had hoped that you will be my source of passion like a streetcar named desire


My way - my taste of wine
You would be my way to happiness like a taste of fine wine.


I thought - you'd be that flame within the fire
I believed you were the one to ignite and keep the passion inside me forever.


One dream that just won't die
I yearn for a dream of us together that will never fade away.


All night - looking for new love
I've been searching for new love all night long.


Impossible true love - nothing at all
It seems that finding true love is impossible as I'm left with nothing.


Looking for new gods - looking for new blood
I've been seeking new inspirations and experiences, looking for new thrills.


Looking for you
All this time, I've been searching for you.


I thought - I'd find you walking in the rain
I had envisioned running into you while you were walking in the rain.


Just like a wayward child
You would be like a lost child, in need of someone to care for you.


I thought - I'd find you calling out my name
I imagined you calling out my name when we finally meet.


So foolish is my pride
I realize how silly my ego is for believing that I could find you that easily.


Looking for new ways - looking for strange blood
I'm trying to find new paths and unconventional experiences, searching for excitement.


I thought - I'd be your streetcar named desire
I had hoped to be your source of passion and desire too.


Your man - the one you seek
I thought that I could be the man that you were looking for.


I thought - I'd take you deep within myself
I believed that I could offer you a deep connection and understanding of myself.


Subtitles when we speak
Our connection would be so deep, that we could understand each other without words.


Hold on - the flower says reach out
The flower tells me to extend myself and reach out to you.


The thunder says no shout is greater than mine
The thunder implies that no one's voice is louder than its own.


Listen and hold on - till the day fades out
I should listen and wait until the end of the day, until I can gain some clarity.


Smothered in gold
Everything seems perfect, as if life is glistening with gold.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN ENO, BRYAN FERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@regretto

I don't know much about it but it is just so neat that ferry's got this project with an orchestra re-making and re-modeling his and roxy's songs. it makes a superb listening, all albums are good (i like to listen to them while working), and as far as can be seen here it really is quite a treat to see live. it's always nice to see just how engaged ferry's cohorts always are, be it his orchestra or his backing band, which i guess says a lot about him as a "ringleader". oh yes, about "i thought"... for me it is easily his best song of the 21st century and one of the best overall, a simple tune that'll allways be my weakness. ah, ferry, ferry, if i wasn't me i would like to be you...

@nacholibre1962

Bryan Ferry: One of the coolest cats to ever step on a stage. Even as a kid I understood the 20's vibe he was bringing to the equation. I just finished watching the Babylon Berlin series (highly recommended) and the stylized 20's versions of Roxy Music classics, most notably Dance Away, made the show for me. Fabulous. I've had that tune stuck in my head for over two weeks and I'm not complaining. I need to get the album!

@hawkman9333

I cannot imagine anyone watching this and not having a big smile. This makes me feel happy especially when I see the two ladies dancing and enjoying themselves. 😀

@spiritofthespey

Experienced this Bryan Ferry concert live at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. Wonderful arrangements, played by truly talented musicians + the magic of Mr Cool himself. Sedate start with the orchestra playing a variety of timeless pieces but by the end of the concert the whole place was rockin'!! Fantastic evening!!  

@w0mblemania

Amazing.  Fantastic tune, redone beautifully. 

@williambyron772

Utterly fantastic album. Heard it by chance, was knocked out- was not a Ferry fan prior, there's still a handful of versions that I only know from the Jazz Age album and I have no regrets. Was quite upset they didn't do more outside of the Gatsby soundtrack.

@philjamieson5572

Excellent stuff.

@lauradamico3027

❤👏👏👏💙💝

@angestellter1

Ganz große Nummer, tolle Musiker!

@ub1068

👏😊🥰 sehr gut👍

More Comments

More Versions