Fireflies by Owl City....what does it mean to you?

Question

Here's my personal interpretation, and as far as I was able to find out I have a completely original view of this song. Shared it with my family, blew their minds...So here goes.

"You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies, lit up the world as I fell asleep."

Okay, I'm going to start with one very important metaphors which will be backed up throughout the song. Sleep in this song is a metaphor for death. From there I hypothesize that the fireflies are either angels, or truth/answers, or both.

"Cause they'd fill the open air, and leave teardrops everywhere. You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare."

They'd fill the emptiness of knowledge that I previously mentioned the fireflies possibly representing, and perhaps the tears are tears of joy, or maybe sorrow. Could be either, but I'm going with joy, and I will back that stance up later.

"I'd like to make myself believe that the Earth turns slowly."

This means that he'd like to believe that he has more time than he really does on this earth.

"It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep. Cause everything is never as it seems."

This basically means, how do you know if you'd be happier dead, since there is no way to communicate between living and dead."

"Cause I'd get a thousand hugs, from ten thousand lightning bugs, as they try to teach me how to dance."

Again, the lightning bugs may be angels greeting you into heaven, and perhaps teaching you how to fly or something along those lines. The "teach you how to dance" lyric is the only one in this entire song that I have doubts about, but oh well.

"A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed, a disco ball is just hanging by a thread."

I personally think that foxtrot and sock hop refer to heaven and hell, but my mom insists they have something to do with a word starting with "f" and "s", since that's generally what those words stand for or something. The disco ball is both a metaphor for the world, and your own life, both of which are in delicate balance, and both of which could be ended at any moment.

then there's the refrain again, and then...

"Please leave my door open just a crack (please take me away from here), cause I feel like such an insomniac (please take me away from here)."

Again, sleep is a metaphor for death throughout this song. He wants the door open because he doesn't feel ready to die, he wants to stay "awake". Of course, the aside of "please take me away from here" is the inner desire to move on, and to "fall asleep". He wants to go on to heaven, but fights it anyway.

"Why do I tire of counting sheep (please take me away from here), when I'm much too tired to fall asleep."

He is tired of the day to day life of "counting sheep", yet even though he's getting old and bored with life he feels like he's not ready to die, even though he can feel it coming. He is asking the question of why we hold more dearly to life as we get older, only to get inevitably closer and closer to death.

"To ten million fireflies, I'm weird cause I hate goodbye's. I got misty eyes as they said farewell."

The "angels" don't understand why he wouldn't want to go to heaven, or perhaps don't understand why he's so sad when someone dies. They leave without him (perhaps this is inspired by a close call of his own or by the death of someone else), and he's sad to see them go.

"But I'll know where several are, if my dreams get real bizarre, cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar."

I lied above, this is the second part of the song that I don't really know what it could mean. I suppose if I had to guess, I'd say that he's keeping memories or something along those lines.

The rest is just he refrain repeating, with exception to the last like saying "cause my dreams are bursting at the seams." which to mean is either a little arrogant, or he's referring to heaven again, but heaven bursting at the seams? Nah, I think he's just referring to the little dreams and ideas we all have constantly throughout our lives.

So there's my take on this song, that it's about death and dying.

The best response gets the "best answer" award, as per usual.

Good luck, and hope you all like my interpretation. Do tell me if anyone found similar ideas elsewhere, but I'm pretty sure this is original.

Answer 1

I think the neat thing about songs is that it can mean whatever you want it to mean. Sure, the artist might have meant this line to mean something specific, but what's nice is that you can hear it and it means something different to you, and another person can hear it and have it mean something totally different than both of you, etc. Interpretation is a highly personal thing. I usually don't try to analyze pop songs lyrically, but you've definitely made me think about this one, and I enjoyed reading your take on it - something I've never considered.

Answer 2

Sorry but i agree with what "Johnny Was: MTV Get Off The Air" said, I think that it's a terrible song and that it is just to boring and bland for my liking.

I would rather listen to



Fix You - Coldplay



Then ' Fireflies'

Answer 3

I think it's about some 20 year old insomniac who loves toys. That song got ruined. Too many people played it on TV, ohh well (:

Answer 4

in an interview the singer said it was inspired by a camping trip where he was surrounded by what felt like millions of actual fireflies.....

Answer 5

to me it means that your not able to sleep so you take a walk and see all the cool things the night has to offer. like the fireflies probably he is catching them. fire flies=night

Answer 6

It means that a sh*t song made it to the radio. But thats nothing new.

Answer 7

wayyyy over analyzed there.... i think its about a happy guy who wanted to write a song

Answer 8

Dude it's JUST a song!!! You don't need to make it into an English class!!

Answer 9

that was way to long..... its a song it means what eve you want it to mean

Answer 10

my daughter tells me that it is about being on extasy

Answer 11

i think its the sign of another apocalypse.

Answer 12

to me it just means that today's mainstream music is getting worse and worse

Answer 13

h0h0h0!