Don't Look Down
The Divine Comedy Lyrics


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"Birds and planes go
Through the rainbow
Every day though
You simply refuse
Old-fashioned Ferris Wheels
Are no big deal
They're just big wheels with chairs
So don't be scared
Just set yourself free"

She tells me it's alright
To open up my eyes
She holds onto my hand
And the clouds float by
The couple in the car below
They wave to us and say hello
I think they understand
The way we're feeling

I don't need to say 'I love you'
When we're floating
So far up above
Everyone else's lives
Are intertwined
With yours and mine
I hope
They find the joy
That we have found

She tells me it's alright
To open up my eyes
She holds onto my hand
And the clouds race by
The couple in the car above
I suppose they think
That we're in love
I think they might be right

And without warning when we're almost at the top
The wheel that turns us all comes to a sudden stop.
The wind that's blown us dies a quick and painless death
The air gets clammy and we hold each other's breath
We get the feeling that we're not alone in this
And then a God who really ought not to exist
Sticks out a great big hand
And grabs me by the wrist
And asks me "why?" and I say
"Well God, it's like this
It may be arrogance
Or just appalling taste
But I'd rather use my pain than let it all go to waste
On some old god who tells me what I want to hear
As if I cannot tell obedience from fear
I want to take my pleasures where and how I will,
Be they disgraceful or distasteful or distilled
And to be frank I find that life has more appeal
Without a driver who's asleep behind the wheel"

Then God decides that he has taken quite enough
Of all this atheistic tosh I'm spouting off
And so he calls upon his favorite angel choir
To sing of times when men were filled with christian fire
But over-zealous angels flap their wings too fast
And cause the wind to blow and turn the wheel at last
And soon my feet are safely back on solid ground




And then I hear a voice say
"Don't look down!".

Overall Meaning

The Divine Comedy's song "Don't Look Down" is a journey taken by the singer and his lover on a Ferris wheel. The song initially describes how everyday things like birds and planes pass through the rainbow while the Ferris wheel is no different, just a big wheel with chairs. The Ferris wheel ride can be a bit scary for some, but the singer assures his lover that it's alright. The couple experiences a sense of freedom, being at a height that allows them to temporarily escape the realities of their intertwined lives. As the ride approaches the top, it suddenly stops, and the air gets clammy, adding to the already known fact that they’re not alone. God appears and confronts the singer about his position of atheism. The singer states that he prefers to make his decisions rather than blindly follow a religion that only demands obedience, citing that he would rather live his life on his own terms. The song ends with a warning to “not look down.”


The song seems to address the singer's struggle with religion and spirituality. Particularly, the lyrics depicting God confronting the singer and singing angels suggest the singer's internal conflict about the validity of religion in his life. The singer seems to express how he prefers to live his life based on his choices, even if it means taking disgraceful or distasteful paths. The song is a reminder to appreciate the moments of freedom that can be felt in simple experiences like riding a Ferris wheel, which can be an escape from the inertia of daily life, but it also confronts the existence of the divine and the human need for understanding.


Line by Line Meaning

Birds and planes go
Airborne objects frequently fly through the sky


Through the rainbow
Despite their altitude, these objects often pass through refracted light


Every day though
This spectacle occurs regularly and predictably


You simply refuse
The artist admonishes someone for avoiding what is a common phenomenon


Old-fashioned Ferris Wheels
A traditional amusement park ride consisting of passenger-filled, rotating carts attached to a wheel


Are no big deal
The singer contends that this type of ride is not especially concerning


They're just big wheels with chairs
The Ferris Wheel is simply a standard mechanism with seats


So don't be scared
The artist reassures someone that there is no need to feel fearful


Just set yourself free
Don't restrict yourself unnecessarily


She tells me it's alright
The artist hears an encouraging message from an unspecified person


To open up my eyes
This message spurs the singer to adjust their perspective


She holds onto my hand
The same person offers physical support and comfort


And the clouds float by
The singer observes the scenery around them, specifically passing clouds


The couple in the car below
Other individuals are observed nearby in a car beneath the singer's location


They wave to us and say hello
These individuals acknowledge the singer and the person with them


I think they understand
The artist intuits that these people can relate to what the artist is experiencing


The way we're feeling
Their understanding pertains to the emotions that the artist is feeling


I don't need to say 'I love you'
The singer perceives that their mutual emotions are implicit and don't require verbal expression


When we're floating
The romantic context of the scenario isn't contingent on an explicit declaration


So far up above
The distance from the ground contributes to the (literal and figurative) elevation of the experience


Everyone else's lives
The artist recognizes the world continuing unabated below their vantage point


Are intertwined
Despite this awareness of individuality, the world is also interconnected


With yours and mine
The singer draws a distinction between the experience they are sharing and the rest of the world


I hope
The artist expresses a positive wish for the people below


They find the joy
That they, too, can experience gratification and bliss


That we have found
And hopefully the singer's own joy can be contagious, in a sense


And without warning when we're almost at the top
Drawing on personal experience, the singer recalls an unexpected moment of difficulty


The wheel that turns us all comes to a sudden stop.
The previously-described Ferris Wheel encounter an abrupt mechanical issue


The wind that's blown us dies a quick and painless death
As a result, the movement and excitement of the ride field suddenly ceases


The air gets clammy and we hold each other's breath
The singer and their companion are implicated in the situation and experience a brief moment of shared tension


We get the feeling that we're not alone in this
A sense of unease originates from an ambiguous sense of being watched or evaluated


And then a God who really ought not to exist
In this heightened moment of doubt and confusion, an unexpected character is introduced


Sticks out a great big hand
The appearance of God is accompanied by a seemingly-out-of-place gesture


And grabs me by the wrist
God establishes a physical contact with the artist


And asks me 'why?' and I say
God initiates an inquiry about what the singer is thinking or doing


'Well God, it's like this
The artist responds to God's question


It may be arrogance
The singer self-reflects on their potential motivations


Or just appalling taste
The singer humorously suggests that they could simply have bad judgement


But I'd rather use my pain than let it all go to waste
The singer implies that they prefer to harness the negative aspects of life rather than wallow in them


On some old god who tells me what I want to hear
The artist critiques a caricature of religion which does not challenge or inspire but only coddles


As if I cannot tell obedience from fear
The artist resents being falsely labeled as a sheep who blindly follows authority out of fear


I want to take my pleasures where and how I will,
The singer asserts their own autonomy and desires


Be they disgraceful or distasteful or distilled
The singer doesn't wish to be judged for their personal preferences


And to be frank I find that life has more appeal
In the artist's view, liberation from dogmatic constraints allows life to be more rewarding


Without a driver who's asleep behind the wheel'
The artist metaphorically characterizes a remote deity who doesn't actively participate in human affairs as unfulfilling or worthless


Then God decides that he has taken quite enough
The artist imagines God becoming fed up with the artist's frank comments


Of all this atheistic tosh I'm spouting off
The singer dismisses the notion of 'atheistic tosh' as a dismissive and condescending remark


And so he calls upon his favorite angel choir
God summons some subordinate entities


To sing of times when men were filled with christian fire
These entities perform a praising, nostalgic musical number


But over-zealous angels flap their wings too fast
These angels become too excessive in their performance


And cause the wind to blow and turn the wheel at last
Compounded with the malfunction of the Ferris Wheel from earlier, the combined wind now drives its movement


And soon my feet are safely back on solid ground
The ride concludes and the artist brings themselves back to normalcy


And then I hear a voice say
Another new character is introduced, concluding the saga


'Don't look down!'
This voice offers a final suggestion to the singer, imbued with a metaphorical intent




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NEIL HANNON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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