Bigger Than Us
White Lies Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You took the tunnel route home
You'd never taken that way with me before
Did you feel a need for change?
Apologies on your fingernails
Love flickered in the city of lights
Like intermittent radio waves

I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I've just got to get home

And I feel like I'm breaking up
But I wanted to stay.
Headlights on the hillside
Don't take me this way
I don't want you to hold me
I want you to pray
'Cause it's bigger than us

You went where the horses cry
You'd never taken that way with me before
Did you feel a need for a change?
Guilt smeared across your lips
I was tired and cold from the window
You're tired nothing has changed

I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I've just got to get home

And I feel like I'm breaking up
But I wanted to stay
Headlights on the hillside
Don't take me this way
I don't want you to hold me
I want you to pray
'Cause it's bigger than us

And I feel like I'm breaking up
But I wanted to stay
Headlights on the hillside
Don't take me this way
I don't want you to hold me
I want you to pray
'Cause it's bigger than us

And I feel like I'm breaking up
But I wanted to stay
Headlights on the hillside
Don't take me this way
I don't want you to hold me
I want you to pray
'Cause it's bigger than us

And I feel like I'm breaking up
But I wanted to stay
Headlights on the hillside
Don't take me this way
I don't want you to hold me




I want you to pray
'Cause it's bigger than us

Overall Meaning

In White Lies's song "Bigger Than Us," the singer observes the changes in a relationship with someone they once had an intense connection with. The song explores the feeling of lost love and the desire to move forward, even if it means breaking up. The lyrics depict a sense of an emotional detachment between the singer and the person who they're addressing.


The singer describes how the other person has started to take different routes home and has started doing things they didn't do before, as if they're trying to change and move on. However, the singer feels like it's difficult to move on and break up, even though they know they should. The lyrics "And I feel like I'm breaking up, but I wanted to stay" suggests a feeling of conflict within the singer.


The chorus lyric "Headlights on the hillside, don't take me this way, I don't want you to hold me, I want you to pray, ’cause it's bigger than us" highlights the singer's conflict between holding onto their relationship and the realization that they need to move on.


Line by Line Meaning

You took the tunnel route home
You changed the path that you usually took on your way back home.


You'd never taken that way with me before
I never had the opportunity to experience this new path with you.


Did you feel a need for change?
Did you want to leave the routine and try something different?


Apologies on your fingernails
You have regrets and are apologizing for something you did with your hands.


Love flickered in the city of lights
We had moments of love and passion while we were in the city.


Like intermittent radio waves
Our love was like radio signals that came and went in waves.


I don't need your tears
I don't need you to feel sorry for me.


I don't want your love
I don't need your love anymore.


I've just got to get home
I need to find my way back home and move on from this relationship.


And I feel like I'm breaking up
I feel like my heart is breaking.


But I wanted to stay.
I wanted to hold on to the relationship despite the pain.


Headlights on the hillside
The lights from cars passing on the hills outside.


Don't take me this way
I don't want to be led down this path anymore.


I don't want you to hold me
I don't want physical comfort from you anymore.


I want you to pray
I want you to wish me well and let me go.


'Cause it's bigger than us
The reason for our separation is something much bigger than just the two of us.


You went where the horses cry
You went to a place where animals are in distress or agony.


Guilt smeared across your lips
You have not come clean about something and feel guilty.


I was tired and cold from the window
I was physically drained and feeling isolated as I looked out the window.


You're tired nothing has changed
You're tired and feel that despite the changes, nothing significant has happened.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Charles Cave, Harry McVeigh, Jack Brown

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

@crownedpleb9747

I've been racking my brain for 2 months trying to find this song and googling my vaguest memories.
"music video of boy in quarantine"
"music video of boy breaking from quarantine"
"music video of boy liking a candy bar"
"music video with weird basketballs"
Until finally "music video of boy becoming chocolate bar" led me here. Close enough, right?


Ahh it's good to finally find this song though. Back when I was in middle school and still watched cable TV and the call of duty series wasn't complete dog shit.



@suki3981

You took the tunnel route home, you've never taken that way with me before
Did you feel the need for change?
Apologies on your fingernails, love flickered in the city of lights,
Like intermittent radio waves

I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I just gotta get home

And I feel like I'm breaking up, and I wanted to stay,
Headlights on the hillside, don't take me this way,
I don't want you to hold me, I don't want you to pray,
This is bigger than us

You went where the horses cry, you've never taken that way with me before.
Did you feel the need for change?
Guilt smeared across your lips, I was tired and cold from the window
You're tired, nothing's changed

I don't need your tears
I don't want your love
I just gotta get home

And I feel like I'm breaking up, and I wanted to stay,
Headlights on the hillside, don't take me this way,
I don't want you to hold me, I don't want you to pray,
This is bigger than us



@vynl007

I've stumbled upon this song after many years and I found myself seeing this video from a different perspective.

I think the story is about loving someone going through mental health issues.

The boy knows what's inside the chocolate bar, he understands. But nobody else does. The boy is breaking but he will never stop fighting for her because he knows that one day she will come out of her "shell". Society doesn't understand that situation and neither do we. We learn how to deal with mental illness but we (both society and those affected) struggle to understand it because it's bigger than us. But when we see the children inside of us we can understand it better, because as children we see past the mental illness, we see people for who they are.

This doesn't mean that it makes it easier, the lyrics and the boys action's in the video are contradictory because it shows what a struggle it is for the boy. But he stays. Until one day he manages to get the girl out of her shell and see what he always believed was there, even though nobody else did.

The message in my opinion : Mental Health is bigger than us, nobody understands it, not even the ones suffering from it.
If you are someone who identifies with the boy in this video, don't give up. You can see what society fails to see. You are a Hero <3



All comments from YouTube:

@anovelband

It's a perfect anthemic rock song with mood and feeling. That final double chorus where the drummer switches from a hihat to the crash, and the vocal line melody changes slightly giving extra room for an extra synth line to drop in. It's perfect, and gives me chills everytime I hear it.

@jesseeldridge7619

Very cool, checkout The Bravery and The Killers.

@JJ-zg1hh

Damn straight

@MarioFelipeMaciel

exactly! I love that final part

@dawnp5160

How has it taken me almost 16 years to discover this band???
I'm here now. Thank you

@nick8160

Same, but I discovered them in 2019, the best album is Big TV

@charleshager7189

must have not played Need for Speed lol

@darrenwalshe8513

I'm jealous 😢

@ParanoidParkProject

Someone told there was a video on youtube that was basically ET but with a giant snickers bar instead. I was hooked.

@Major_Music_Geek

@@charleshager7189this is on it? I gave up on NFS after 2012 most wanted trash

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