Too Long
Yael Naïm Lyrics
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Outside myself
You see I was pretending
To be someone else
I was longing to see
Who I wanted to be
And I've been waiting on my own
Not strong enough to be with you
And I've been making up my world
I've been painting it with gold
Not strong enough to see you
I irrigate illusions
Then let them grow
How can I pacify myself?
And let go
And I run wild to see
Who I turned out to be
[in Hebrew:
I wanted to grow up with you
To grow old
Whatever it takes
Whatever it gives]
But it was too cold
In my world
Yael Naim's song, "Too Long," is a reflection on the self-discovery process that one must go through in order to find one's true identity. The song describes a person who has been waiting for a long time to find out who they truly are. The first verse talks about how the person has been pretending to be someone else, longing to see who they really want to be. The second verse continues to express how the person has been waiting on their own for too long, painting their world with gold and creating illusions. The chorus explains that the person is not strong enough to be with someone else until they have fully discovered themselves.
The bridge of the song adds a layer of complexity as it switches to Hebrew. The lyrics in Hebrew talk about wanting to grow old with someone, no matter what it takes or gives. However, despite this desire, the person realizes that their world is too cold for someone else to be a part of it until they have found themselves.
The song beautifully encapsulates the journey of self-discovery, which can be a difficult and lonely process. It encourages listeners to take the time to truly understand who they are before attempting to enter into a relationship with someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
I waited for so long
I spent a lot of time waiting for something to happen.
Outside myself
I wasn't being true to myself.
You see I was pretending
I was trying to be someone I'm not.
To be someone else
I wasn't being genuine in my actions or thoughts.
I was longing to see
I really wanted to see.
Who I wanted to be
I had an ideal version of myself in my head that I was striving for.
And I've been waiting on my own
I've been waiting for something to happen by myself.
I've been waiting for too long
It's been too much time and effort, waiting for something to happen.
Not strong enough to be with you
I'm not confident enough in myself to be with you.
And I've been making up my world
I have been creating my own version of reality.
I've been painting it with gold
I've been embellishing my life to make it seem better.
Not strong enough to see you
I'm not confident enough in myself to actually see you as you truly are.
I irrigate illusions
I water and cultivate false ideas.
Then let them grow
I let these false ideas take over and grow larger.
How can I pacify myself?
How can I calm myself down and stop worrying about things that may not even be real?
And let go
I need to stop holding onto things that are not important.
And I run wild to see
I act out and do whatever I want to try and figure things out.
Who I turned out to be
I'm trying to discover who I really am.
[in Hebrew:
The following lyrics were originally in Hebrew.
I wanted to grow up with you
I wanted to experience life with you.
To grow old
To grow old together.
Whatever it takes
No matter what happens, I'm willing to do what it takes to be with you.
Whatever it gives]
I'll take whatever comes with it.
But it was too cold
Things didn't work out because there was no warmth or connection between us.
Contributed by Lauren H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jayk8891
I used to listen to this song when I was 8th grade. After years it reminds me of that memories. Thank you Yael Naim.
@nadianoir5915
This video was absolutely clever and beautiful!!!
@haclongninhkieuniit
After years since the first time watched this... Still a great song and MV, too!
@FlorieNamir
Love the music! Cool video.
@crhissmontse1230
Surrealista!!.. me encanta
@xieyifannigel6988
Very creative even now
@GabiRosmari
Love so much this song...
@fuckuptheworldfuckupthewor541
My beautiful angel u deserve all my love
@brendamonique11
Lindo!
@reondaichi
大好き