Early version available on Ephem… Read Full Bio ↴Track six on Painfully Mainstream.
Early version available on Ephemera: Demos and Unreleased Stuff 2007-10.
From Bandcamp: “A first version of Animals, before I decided to record Painfully Mainstream in a studio instead. Not much to say. What is up with that glockenspiel though. Seriously.”
Animals
Tom Milsom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The skys would be empty,
Made of invisible wings.
And what if fish found they had emotions,
Suddenly our oceans
Would become blinded by things.
There's something to be said,
Covering your head,
And waiting for whatever comes your way,
And in the end when you've lost all your friends,
They're never coming back.
La, la, la…
Oh, and if I could tell you I loved you,
Would you promise to try to
Feel the same way.
I know I'm not the only fish in the sea,
But if it were just you an me,
We'd take control of the sky.
La, la, la
Tom Milsom's song "Animals" explores the idea of what it would be like if animals felt emotions in the same way that humans do. The lyrics suggest that if birds were to fall in love, the sky would be empty and made of invisible wings, indicating that the birds may be so consumed by their emotions that they would be unable to fly. Likewise, if fish suddenly realized they had emotions, the oceans would be blinded by things, suggesting a kind of chaos that would ensue.
The song also touches upon the universal theme of loss and the pain that comes with it. The line "And in the end when you've lost all your friends, they're never coming back" is a poignant reminder that loss is a part of the human experience, and there's nothing we can do to change it. The chorus of the song urges the listener to take control of their emotions and seize the moment, expressed through the lines: "Oh, and if I could tell you I loved you, would you promise to try to feel the same way...We'd take control of the sky." Essentially, the song encourages the listener to embrace their emotions, take risks and live in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
What if birds fell in love like we do,
Imagining the possibility of birds having romantic relationships like humans do.
The skys would be empty,
If birds fell in love, they would likely prioritize their partners over flying in the sky, making it emptier than usual.
Made of invisible wings.
This could mean that love might be invisible, or that birds in love might still be flying but less visible than before as they bond with their partners.
And what if fish found they had emotions,
Consider the notion that emotions might not be exclusive to humans, that even fish might have their own set of feelings.
Suddenly our oceans
If fish had emotions, the oceans would not only be about swimming and living for survival but would also involve a deep emotional connection among its inhabitants.
Would become blinded by things.
The beauty of the ocean floor would be obscured by emotions such as love, jealousy or heartbreak, and the mood of the ocean sent in a seemingly constant state of flux.
There's something to be said,
There's a clear message to be conveyed.
For getting into bed,
Going to sleep may be an effective coping mechanism for dealing with life's problems and uncertainty.
Covering your head,
Maybe putting your head under covers while sleeping is a metaphor of shedding the world from our minds for a while, allowing space to reset and recharge.
And waiting for whatever comes your way,
Life is full of surprises, and the best way to respond to unforeseen eventualities is to embrace them when they happen.
And in the end when you've lost all your friends,
A realization that a time may come when all our friends would be gone, and we would be left alone.
They're never coming back.
Once lost, our friends may be irretrievable even after we spend our entire lives searching for them.
Oh, and if I could tell you I loved you,
The singer wants to express their deep affection for the other person.
Would you promise to try to
The singer wishes that the other party would be receptive and try to reciprocate the love expressed in the previous line.
Feel the same way.
The singer wants the other person to express his/her feelings in return
I know I'm not the only fish in the sea,
The artist acknowledges that there are other people out there, but they only have their sights set on the current love interest.
But if it were just you and me,
The artist fantasizes, it would only take the two of them to make the world rotation around love.
We'd take control of the sky.
If the two of them were together and in Love, they could take charge of the world and soar higher than imaginable.
La, la, la…
A musical way of expressing emotions and sentiments
Contributed by Cameron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
duchessofdorset
Guys that was amazing!!! Bethan you look sooooo pretty! Must have been really cold though!