The Sweet Serenades formed during the summer of 2002 in Stockholm, Sweden b… Read Full Bio ↴The Sweet Serenades formed during the summer of 2002 in Stockholm, Sweden by singer Martin Nordvall and guitar player Mathias Näslund.

Signed to Leon Records, they released their debut album, Balcony Cigarettes in 2009.

They achieved some fame when their song Die Young (a duet with Karolina Komstedt from Club 8) was featured on an episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' in March 2010.

City Lights
The Sweet Serenades Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

White lines passing by
The smoke and the neon signs
A tape keep you around
Somewhere under the skyline

Do you feel what I feel?
Oh and the city lights
Can you hear my heart beat?

Oh and the city lights

The night is over
Restless waiting on your call
Invite me, take me away

Have you had enough?
Are you moving on?
You won't know

Do you feel what I feel?
Oh and the city lights
Can you hear my heart beat?
Oh and the city lights

Do you feel what I feel?
Oh and the city lights
Can you hear my heart beat?
Oh and the city lights (lights, lights, lights,...)

(Oh and the city lights)
(Oh and the city lights)

(Oh and the city lights)
(Oh and the city lights)

Overall Meaning

The Sweet Serenades's song City Lights is about being caught up in the fast-paced life of a big city. The lyrics describe the experience of driving through the city, with "white lines passing by" and "smoke and neon signs" all around. The tape mentioned in the lyrics is likely a reference to music, implying that music is what is keeping the singer connected to the person they are thinking about.

The chorus of the song asks if the person listening can feel what the singer feels and hear their heart beat. The city lights are presented as a constant presence, but at the same time, the night is over and yet the person is still waiting and longing for a message or a sign from the person they are thinking about. The final lines of the song offer no closure, as the person is left wondering if the one they are thinking about has had enough and is moving on.

Line by Line Meaning

White lines passing by
The passing white lines on the road while driving

The smoke and the neon signs
The atmosphere of a city with smoking chimneys and shining neon signs

A tape keep you around
A sentimental object keeps the memory of someone close

Somewhere under the skyline
The whereabouts of the person connected to the sentimental object is unknown but within the city limits

Do you feel what I feel?
Asking if the listener shares the same feeling as the singer

Oh and the city lights
An acknowledgement to the city landscape at night

Can you hear my heart beat?
Metaphorically asking if the listener can sense the singer's emotional presence

The night is over
The time has passed

Restless waiting on your call
Being anxious while expecting a call from someone

Invite me, take me away
Asking to be invited to escape the present situation

Have you had enough?
Asking the listener if they have reached their limit