Flicker & Flutter
The Future Islands Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You'll never know me, 'cause you gave that up
And I was taken out with the trash
Taken out with the good
You're holding onto nothing, file my away
With all your broken dreams
'Cause that's what you are to me

Take me out, take your ring
You gave to me and I lost
Between the seats
Take me out, take your ring
And everything you ever gave to me

You'll never know me, or crawl so slow
This place is my home, now moving too late
You in the lantern, flicker and flutter
Sign in my chest hair, where are you going
And when are you leaving?
I'm leaving tomorrow, you can't stop me
Is that honesty? is that enough for you?
It's enough for me, file me away
Lyrics with your broken dreams
'cause that's what you're to me

Take me out, take this spider ring
You gave to me, and I lost
Between the seats
Take me out, take your ring
And everything you ever gave to me

How's that for honesty?




How's that for honesty?
Take your ring

Overall Meaning

and everything you ever gave to me


The song Flicker & Flutter by Future Islands is a beautiful yet emotional track that speaks to the pain of a broken relationship. The song opens with the singer expressing how their partner has given up on getting to know them, leaving them discarded like trash. The singer then goes on to ask their partner to take back everything they've given them, including a ring that they've lost between the seats of their car. The song ends with the singer speaking of their desire to leave and start anew.


The lyrics of Flicker & Flutter are powerful because they speak to the pain of being in a relationship where one partner feels disregarded and neglected. The singer's plea for their partner to take back everything they've given them, including the ring, is symbolic of their desire to sever ties and start anew. The chorus is particularly moving, with the repeated lines "Take me out, take your ring / And everything you ever gave to me." The singer's request speaks to the depth of their pain and their desire to move on from the relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

You'll never know me, 'cause you gave that up
You abandoned the chance to know me better


And I was taken out with the trash
You discarded me like a piece of garbage


Taken out with the good
You got rid of me with everything else that was valuable


You're holding onto nothing, file my away
You have no meaningful connection to me, so forget about me


With all your broken dreams
Your unfulfilled hopes and desires define you


'Cause that's what you are to me
In my eyes, you are defined by your unfulfilled dreams


Take me out, take your ring
Remove me from your life, and take back your symbol of commitment


You gave to me and I lost
I misplaced the ring you gave me, and now it has no value


Between the seats
I lost the ring in a careless, forgetful way


You'll never know me, or crawl so slow
You will never put in the effort to understand me better


This place is my home, now moving too late
I am settled here now, so it's too late for you to reconnect with me


You in the lantern, flicker and flutter
You are just a passing, fleeting presence in my life


Sign in my chest hair, where are you going
You left a mark on me, but I don't know where you are headed


And when are you leaving?
I want to know when I can finally be rid of you


I'm leaving tomorrow, you can't stop me
I am finally able to move on from you, and you can't hold me back


Is that honesty? is that enough for you?
My candidness about my feelings, is that what you wanted to hear?


It's enough for me, file me away
I feel better now that I've been honest, so forget about me again


Lyrics with your broken dreams
I express myself through my music, just like you express yourself through your unfulfilled dreams


'cause that's what you're to me
You are defined by your unfulfilled dreams in my eyes


Take me out, take this spider ring
Get rid of the last memories of our relationship


How's that for honesty?
I hope you can appreciate my honesty


How's that for honesty?
Again, I want you to acknowledge my honesty


Take your ring
Get rid of the last piece of evidence of our relationship




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Gerrit Welmers, Samuel Thompson Herring, William Hugh Cashion

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