Black Balloon
The Kills Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elevator straight into my skull
The escalator rises as it falls
I swear our chant is crashing in my mind
You can hold on but I wouldn't waste your time

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon
I've stood in a thousand street scenes
Just around the corner from you
On the edge of a dream that you have
Has anybody ever told you it's not coming, true?

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Farewell my black balloon

Da, da, da, da...
Ah, ah, ah, ah...

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you




Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Farewell my black balloon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Kills' song Black Balloon are highly evocative, as they describe a feeling of being lost, perhaps in a dream-like state or a state of mind that is hard to escape. The first verse sets the tone, suggesting that the singer feels trapped in their own head, unable to escape their own thoughts. The use of the metaphor of an elevator straight into their skull and an escalator that rises and falls hints at the cyclical nature of the singer's thoughts, as well as their intensity.


The second verse is equally dream-like, describing the singer's sense of being on the edge of a dream. They are standing in a thousand street scenes, just around the corner from someone they know, and yet they feel disconnected from reality. The question "Has anybody ever told you it's not coming, true?" suggests a sense of disappointment or disillusionment with the world, as if the singer has given up on their dreams and is now resigned to their fate.


The chorus of the song, "Farewell my black balloon", underscores this sense of loss and resignation. The phrase "black balloon" is often used to describe something negative or depressing, such as a black cloud hanging over someone's head. In this context, it seems to symbolize the singer's hopes and dreams, which have been dashed or lost. The fact that the weather had its way with the balloon suggests that outside forces or circumstances have contributed to the singer's sense of loss.


Overall, the lyrics of Black Balloon create a haunting and melancholy mood, evoking a sense of being lost in one's own thoughts and dreams, disconnected from reality and unsure of how to move forward.


Line by Line Meaning

Elevator straight into my skull
My thoughts are consuming me like an elevator going directly to my brain


The escalator rises as it falls
I feel like my life is going up and down and not getting anywhere


I swear our chant is crashing in my mind
The constant repetition of a message is causing me anxiety and distress


You can hold on but I wouldn't waste your time
You can try to help me, but it's not worth your effort because I'm beyond saving


Farewell my black balloon
Goodbye to my unhealthy coping mechanism that I relied on to escape reality


I've stood in a thousand street scenes
I've been in many different situations and environments, but they all lead to the same dead end


Just around the corner from you
Although we may be physically close, we are emotionally distant and disconnected


On the edge of a dream that you have
I'm on the verge of achieving my goals, but they are not aligned with yours


Has anybody ever told you it's not coming, true?
Has anyone ever warned you that your dreams may not become a reality?


Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Goodbye to my unhealthy coping mechanism which was ruined by external factors I couldn't control


Da, da, da, da... Ah, ah, ah, ah...
An expression of frustration and helplessness


Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Saying goodbye one final time to my habit that was destroyed by outside forces


Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Acknowledging that my unhealthy coping mechanism was out of my control and it's time to move on


Farewell my black balloon
Closing the chapter on a harmful habit and looking towards a healthier future




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Paulo Avellar

Elevator straight into my skull
The escalator rises as it falls
I swear our jet is crashin' in my mind
You can hold on but I wouldn't waste your time

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon

I've stood in a thousand street scenes
Just around the corner from you
On the edge of a dream that you have
Has anybody ever told you it's not comin' true?

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Farewell my black balloon, the weather had it's way with you
Farewell my black balloon



Ant Jeimima

Elevator straight into my skull
The escalator rises as it falls
I swear our jet is crashing in my mind
You can hold on but I wouldn't waste your time

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon

I've stood in a thousand street scenes
Just around the corner from you
On the edge of a dream that you have
Has anybody ever told you it's not coming true

Farewell my black balloon
Farewell my black balloon
The weather had its way with you
Farewell my black balloon
The weather had its way with you
Farewell my black balloon



All comments from YouTube:

Dirty Water

I stumbled upon gem a few years back. A week later, I owned every piece of music The Kills made. They are everything I ever wanted rock to be. Their fuck-you attitudes, their strung out style, their incessant coolness, and most importantly, the way all that oozes out into their music which sounds perfectly underproduced and unpolished. This album is particularly moody. It's great for late night listening. I'm so glad there is still a band like this out there, putting a good name to rock and roll in a world where Nickleback and One Direction is considered good good music. Ya done good, VV and Hotel. Don't ever stop

Matt DiFebbo

Sam Buca im pretty sure nobody considers nickleback good

Dirty Water

Leda9393 I wish I could say you were right but unfortunately, they're still making money doing what they do. People still pay to listen to him sound like he's singing while taking a deep shit

Sarah Luv Burkhardt

Dirty Water Damn homie well said! Thank you! While reading what you wrote my mind flooded with memories and created visuals that I wish others could see!

Louis Logie

Im getting a mature the xx vibe, the kan adts to the ladies emotion not vive versa. Two songs in. Band was namedroped on flick cinnection after the song do it to death was used on a movie

3 More Replies...

gc

I love how her voice is a beautiful instrument itself.

mariana dequeen

Alison Mosshart is amazing if you dont know the dead weather, ck it out

Stormy H

12 years later and I'm still letting this song emotionally wreck me haha

kelsey kelsey

just this song? lucky

btsmchl

No!

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