Tonight We Fly
The Divine Comedy Lyrics


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Tonight we fly
Over the houses
The streets and the trees
Over the dogs down below
They'll bark at our shadows
As we float by on the breeze

Tonight we fly
Over the chimney tops
Skylights and slates -
Looking into all your lives
And wondering why
Happiness is so hard to find

Over the doctor, over the soldier
Over the farmer, over the poacher
Over the preacher, over the gambler
Over the teacher, over the rambler

Over the lawyer, over the dancer
Over the voyeur,over the builder and the destroyer,
Over the hills and far away

Tonight we fly
Over the mountains
The beach and the sea
Over the friends that we've known
And those that we now know
And those who we've yet to meet

And when we die
Oh, will we be
That disappointed
Or sad

If heaven doesn't exist




What will we have missed
This life is the best we've ever had

Overall Meaning

The Divine Comedy's "Tonight We Fly" is a song about escaping reality and experiencing the world from a new perspective. The lyrics paint a picture of flying over houses, streets, and trees, looking down on the people living their everyday lives. The singer wonders why it's so hard to find happiness in life, as they soar over doctors, soldiers, farmers, preachers, gamblers, and more. The imagery is dreamlike, as the singer floats by on the breeze and takes in the beauty of mountains, beaches, and the sea.


The song's chorus, "Tonight we fly," is a declaration of freedom, a moment of pure escapism. The singer longs to escape the confines of ordinary life and experience something extraordinary. The line "If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed?" suggests a yearning for something more, for a life beyond what we can see and touch.


The song speaks to our innate desire to seek out new experiences and explore the world around us. It encourages us to take risks, to step out of our comfort zones, and to embrace the unknown. It's a reminder that life is short and we should make the most of every moment.


Line by Line Meaning

Tonight we fly
We are taking off on a journey tonight


Over the houses
Flying high above the houses in the neighborhoods


The streets and the trees
We are soaring over the winding streets and the tall trees


Over the dogs down below
Even the dogs will catch a glimpse of us and hear us fly by


They'll bark at our shadows
The dogs will bark at our shadows, as we pass over them


As we float by on the breeze
We're moving through the sky, enjoying the wind currents


Over the chimney tops
We are now flying above the chimney tops of the houses


Skylights and slates -
Continuing to observe the rooftops, skylights, and shingles


Looking into all your lives
We see everything, including the lives of those we're flying over


And wondering why
We're pondering the reason why this is such a difficult world to find happiness in


Over the doctor, over the soldier
We're flying over the places where the doctors and soldiers work


Over the farmer, over the poacher
Our flight path takes us over the farmers and those causing destruction to wildlife


Over the preacher, over the gambler
Flying above religious leaders and those who indulge in gambling


Over the teacher, over the rambler
We pass over the educators and hikers wandering through nature


Over the lawyer, over the dancer
Further flying over the lawyers and the ballet performers


Over the voyeur,over the builder and the destroyer,
Flying over the peeping toms and those who are either creating or destroying objects


Over the hills and far away
Our journey takes us over hills, and far from where we started


Tonight we fly over the mountains
Continuing onward, we soar over towering mountain ranges


The beach and the sea
Now on to the clear beaches and open sea


Over the friends that we've known
Flying above old friends that we have kept in touch with


And those that we now know
Hovering over the people we have recently met


And those who we've yet to meet
Contemplating the individuals we have not crossed paths with yet


And when we die
Eventually, when we pass away


Oh, will we be
We wonder if we will be


That disappointed
Let down by the fact that we may never fly again after death


Or sad
Or will simply be sorrowful for what we missed in life


If heaven doesn't exist
If the afterlife does not exist in heaven


What will we have missed
What will we have lost out on by living life to the fullest


This life is the best we've ever had
This life is our best, and only given opportunity




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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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@SteffanBrunner

[Verse 1]
Tonight we fly
Over the houses
The streets and the trees
Over the dogs down below
They'll bark at our shadows
As we float by on the breeze

[Verse 2]
Tonight we fly
Over the chimney tops
Skylights and slates
Looking into all your lives
And wondering why
Happiness is so hard to find

[Bridge]
(We'll fly)
Over the doctor, over the soldier
Over the farmer, over the poacher
Over the preacher, over the gambler
Over the teacher, over the writer
Over the lawyer, over the dancer
Over the voyeur
Over the builder and the destroyer
Over the hills and far away


[Verse 3]
Tonight we fly
Over the mountains
The beach and the sea
Over the friends that we've known
And those that we now know
And those whom we've yet to meet

[Verse 4]
And when we die
Oh, will we be that
Disappointed or sad
If heaven doesn't exist
What will we have missed
This life is the best we've ever had



All comments from YouTube:

@didoma73

What a song...what a man...what a genius. His voice and his lyrics are remarkably beyond his years. Let's hope Neil Hannon continues to grace us for many, many years to come.

@lochlanira2589

i guess Im asking randomly but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid lost the password. I would love any tips you can offer me!

@brooksmaddox1706

@Lochlan Ira instablaster =)

@lochlanira2589

@Brooks Maddox Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site on google and Im in the hacking process now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.

@lochlanira2589

@Brooks Maddox it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy!
Thank you so much you really help me out :D

@brooksmaddox1706

@Lochlan Ira Happy to help =)

5 More Replies...

@SM-je3dh

Over the doctor, over the soldier, over the farmer, over the covid. This life is the best we'll ever have thanks to your divine music Mr Neil Hannon

@RighteousBrother

I find this song incredibly moving

@Hurley684

Neil Hannon is unfortunately one of the worlds best keept secrets

@alejandromagyaroff1222

Just perfection in a song:
And when we die, Oh, will we be
That disappointed or sad
If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed?
This life is the best we've ever had.

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