It can be assumed that Jesse wants to know if he will be able to maintain a good self-esteem (that is, considering Jesse is referring to floating as the opposite of being or feeling down).
I feel like that is a plausible solution, given the text that the narrator is close to drowning in his life while everyone else is swimming, and that even though he knows how to swim, he just can’t. It can be a metaphor for someone who knows how to be happy but just can’t. And the last two lines, about him ‘floating away’ could be that he plans to kill himself.
Float
The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Imagine leaving all your air behind
What matters in the end
A matter of opinion 'til you find out
Life can only mean hardly anything
All I'll ever be is partly settled in
I've been learning since, but it doesn't mean I'll float, oh no
I won't float, no, no, no, no, won't float
I had a funny sleep,
I didn't have a dream
'Cause I don't believe in them
Life can only mean hardly anything
All I'll ever be is partly settled in
To show you how to swim, then they throw you in the deep end
Well I've been learning since, but it doesn't mean I'll float oh no no no
I won't float, no, no, no, no, oh
Float away, float away, then come right back to me
Float away, float away, then come right back to me
To show you how to swim, then they throw you in the deep end
Well I've been learning since, but it doesn't mean I'll float
To show you how to swim, then they throw you in the deep end
Well I've been learning since, but it doesn't mean I'll float no oh no
I won't float
What if I, what if I don't float?
What if I don't float?
I think I'll float, I'll float
I'll float away
The Neighbourhood's song "Float" can be interpreted in a number of ways, but largely deals with the idea of uncertainty in life. The first verse talks about leaving all your air behind, which could symbolize leaving everything that is familiar and secure for something unknown. The line "What matters in the end, a matter of opinion 'til you find out" suggests that what we think is important in life may not actually matter in the grand scheme of things. This uncertainty about what is truly important is a major theme throughout the song.
The chorus talks about the struggle to stay afloat in life. The metaphor of swimming is used to represent the journey of life, and the idea that we are all thrown in the "deep end," or thrown into life without much guidance. The line "I've been learning since, but it doesn't mean I'll float" suggests that even though we may learn how to swim, we may still struggle to stay afloat. The repetition of "I won't float" reinforces this idea of struggle.
The second verse talks about not believing in dreams, which could mean not believing in achieving what we desire or not believing in the power of imagination. The line "All I'll ever be is partly settled in" suggests a sense of mediocrity and settling for less than what one truly wants.
Overall, "Float" is a song about the uncertainty and struggle of life, and the difficulty of staying afloat in the midst of it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine breathing in
Picture yourself taking a deep breath
Imagine leaving all your air behind
Imagine exhaling until there is no air left in your lungs
What matters in the end
What is important when all is said and done
A matter of opinion 'til you find out
It's subjective until you discover the truth for yourself
Life can only mean hardly anything
Life may not have a definitive purpose
All I'll ever be is partly settled in
I may never discover my full potential
To show you how to swim, then they throw you in the deep end
Someone may teach you the basics, but real life is much harder
I've been learning since, but it doesn't mean I'll float, oh no
I've been gaining experience, but that doesn't guarantee success
I won't float, no, no, no, no, won't float
I won't succeed or stay afloat
I had a funny sleep, I didn't have a dream
I slept strangely and didn't dream
'Cause I don't believe in them
Because I am skeptical about the meaning of dreams
Float away, float away, then come right back to me
Drift away and come back to me
What if I, what if I don't float?
What if I don't succeed?
I think I'll float, I'll float
I have confidence in my ability to succeed
I'll float away
I'll let myself drift
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEREMY FREEDMAN, ZACHARY ABELS, BRYAN SAMMIS, JESSE RUTHERFORD, MIKE MARGOTT, EMILE HAYNIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MickeyThomas408
Imagine breathing in
Imagine leaving all your air behind
What matters in the end
A matter of opinion 'til you find out
Life can only mean hardly anything
All I'll ever be is partly settled in
They show you how to swim
Then they throw you in the deep end
I've been learning since
But it doesn't mean I'll float, oh, no
I won't float, no, no, no, no
Won't float
I had a funny sleep
I didn't have a dream
'Cause I don't believe in them
Life can only mean hardly anything
All I'll ever be is partly settled in
They show you how to swim
Then they throw you in the deep end
I've been learning since
But it doesn't mean I'll float, no, no
No, no
I won't float, no, no, no, no
Float away
Float away, then come right back to me
Float away
Float away, then come right back to me
They show you how to swim
Then they throw you in the deep end
Well, I've been learning since
But that doesn't mean I'll, oh
They show you how to swim
Then they throw you in the deep end
Well, I've been learning since
But it doesn't mean I'll float, no, no
No, no
I won't float
What if I, what if I don't float?
What if I don't float?
I think I'll float
I'll float
I'll float away
@jazzyshufflesz1299
It's been 9 yrs and i still get the chills and butterflies listening to every single song, like, every song. I'm so in love with this band 😭❤
@abdlrhmankhalafalla9688
wow 9 years !! i started like three years ago and i stopped listening to any other artists
@NylaaMadeEm
Literally same
@darquetzal2124
This whole album is soo sick 🔥
@bobertbobston276
So many memories of the depressing past. It made me who I am today. It made me the strong man, I was always meant to be. This is a piece of the past I will forever hold dearly, but in other ways I've also let go of all the pain connected to it. Now just memories, with no feeling attached... I thank God above all.
@goarmartinezcardona1782
God bless this band man
@FiRe00TiMe
Highschool memories kicking in right now 😢
@nelly9322
neighbourhood makes art
@CarlosCruz-ri5dm
Ya vuelvan los extraño demasiado 💗😩
@Nfr5345
Que banda ❤