Analysis of Lyrics ‘Hiding’ by Florence

+ the Machine

By Kabita Nepali

“I think you hideWhen all the world's asleep and tired

You cry a little, so do I, so do II think you hide

And you don't have to tell me whyYou cry a little, so do I, so do I

Tell me I will be releasedNot sure I can deal with thisUp all night again this week

Breaking things that I should keep”

This section shows that it is supposed to directed to someone, it repeatedly states “you” and “I”. Therefore, it is shows there is a person trying to communicate with someone in this song.The lyrics “when all the world’s asleep and tired, you cry a little, so do I, so do I”, suggests that this person is somehow linked to this other person, emotionally where no one else does. Which makes me believe that this part is about this person that doesn’t like to show their emotions to others but, this person who is singing this song dedicating to the other person knows that they are like this.

“I think you hide, you don’t have to tell me why” suggests that this person knows there is something wrong with this other person but, because this person loves that person so much, they are willing to give them the choice to not tell that person what they truly feel if they don’t want to.

The lyrics ‘Tell me I will be released, Not sure I can deal with this’ state that the person feels trapped/has had enough and wants to get out but, can’t unless the other person lets them go.

The lyrics “Up all night again this week, Breaking things that I should keep”, suggests more about the background of what has happened previously, the lyrics suggest that what they have been feeling has kept them up for a long time, no rest, no sleep and this is making them go crazy since they breaking things that they should be finding valuable, and things they should be keeping. This could also mean heart, like metaphorically keeping the other persons heart, so the ending lyric could connate to that this person keeps breaking the other person’s heart, something they should be holding close or they should be taking a better care for.

“I know that you're hidingI know there's a part of you that I just cannot reach

You don't have to let me inJust know that I'm still here

I'm ready for you whenever, whenever you needWhenever you want to begin

I know you've triedBut something stops you every time

You cry a little, so do I, so do IAnd it's your pride

That's keeping us still so far apartBut if you give a little, so will I, so will I”

The lyrics “I know that you're hidingI know there's a part of you that I just cannot reach”, this suggests that this person knows how the other person must be feeling like, they feel like no matter how hard they try the other person doesn’t let this person come close to them. The opening of the lyrics it stats that the person knows that the other person is hiding something, where on the opening of the song the lyrics start with ‘I think’ instead of this one which is ‘I know’. This shows that the person has become more definite about the fact the other person is hiding something from them.

The lyrics “You don't have to let me in, Just know that I'm still here, I'm ready for you whenever, whenever you need, Whenever you want to begin” suggests that the person knowingly wants to stay by the other persons side even knowing that that person is keeping things from them. The lyrics suggests that if the other person tries then this person can help the other person.

The lyrics “I know you've tried, But something stops you every time, You cry a little, so do I, so do I” suggests that this person acknowledges that the other person has tried to tell this person about what they are hiding but, they have stopped themselves from trying to tell them many times. It also suggests that these two people are like one since they both understand

The lyrics “And it's your pride, That's keeping us still so far apart, But if you give a little, so will I, so will I” suggests that this person knows it’s the pride of the other person that keeps the two go against each other. However, this person suggests that if the other person co-operated a little and became more open to this person then, this person will open up too.

“Tell me I will be releasedNot sure I can deal with thisUp all night again this week

Breaking things that I should keep

I know that you're hidingI know there's a part of you that I just cannot reach

You don't have to let me inJust know that I'm still here

I'm ready for you whenever, whenever you needWhenever you want to begin”

The lyrics ‘Tell me I will be released, Not sure I can deal with this, Up all night again this week, Breaking things that I should keep’, this suggests that the relationship is still in a low point and this person is trying to figure out how to make it better how to make the relationship better between them. This causes that person to spend staying ‘up all night again this week’ trying to figure everything out. By stating that this person keeps ‘Breaking things that I should keep’ it indicates that this person keeps breaking something that they should be holding dear to them.

The lyrics ‘I know that you're hidingI know there's a part of you that I just cannot reach, You don't have to let me in’ suggests that this person feels as if there is a certain part of the other person the wish they could reach but, they are allowing the other person to let them in when they think its better to them in.

The lyrics ‘Just know that I'm still here, I'm ready for you whenever, whenever you need, Whenever you want to begin’, suggests that this person is allowing them to have an option of whether they want to be with this person or not. This also suggests that the person who is stating these lyrics, written in P.O.V from, are very understanding towards the other person and are very open to what the other person feels.

“I know I seem shakyThese hands not fit for holding

But if you let me, ohI will see you around

Tell me I will be releasedNot sure I can deal with thisUp all night again this week

Breaking things that I should keep”[x2]

The lyrics are ‘I know I seem shaky, These hands not fit for holding, But if you let me, oh, I will see you around’. This suggests that this person feels that they don’t deserve to be with the other person but, if the other person lets this person in their heart, this person then will show this person around.

This could also indicate that this person is trying hard to get away from this person hence, their hand shaking, almost as If pleading for something. By ‘fit for holding’ it could indicate a deal, for example, people shaking hands when making a deal, this idea is also supported when it the lyrics state that if the person lets them this person will see them around, this indicates when people break up but want to still be friends so, they state they will see them around. It could indicate that this person is having a hard time letting this person go since they feel like they are not able to go with out them letting them.

The lyrics ‘Tell me I will be releasedNot sure I can deal with this, Up all night again this week, Breaking things that I should keep’ suggest that this person feels trapped and not be able to get out of hold of the other person. The lyrics indicates that this person is wanting to be free from what is keeping them up until now, it also suggests that because this person is being like this there are consequences that they have faced, e.g. breaking things that they should’ve kept.

“I know that you're hidingI know there's a part of you that I just cannot reach

You don't have to let me inJust know that I'm still here

I'm ready for you whenever, whenever you needWhenever you want to begin

I'm still hereI'm still here”

The lyrics ‘I know that you're hiding, I know there's a part of you that I just cannot reach, You don't have to let me in’ is repeated again so, it seems as if the person is trying to remind the other person again and again about their feelings towards them.

The lyrics ‘Just know that I'm still here, I'm ready for you whenever, whenever you needWhenever you want to begin’ suggests this person is trying to convey their feelings for the other person without them acknowledging it.

The lyrics ‘I'm still here, I'm still here’ suggest that even thought the other person doesn’t know, this person feels like even if they try to get away they will still be here.