Analysing lyrics- Lights Ellie Goulding

Lyrics comes in one 00:07

I had a way then; 00:07-00:10
Perhaps she had her way or path in life and then it changed
Losing it all on my own; 00:11-00:14
I had a heart then; 00:15-00:0018
But the queen has been overthrown; 00:18-00:22
Maybe she is referring to herself as the queen, someone or something has taken her place
And I'm not sleeping now; 00:23-00:27
The dark is too hard to beat; 00:27-00:31
And I'm not keeping now; 00:31-00:35
The strength I need to push me; 00:35-00:38
Push me suggests she wants something or someone back however she talks about how she doesn’t have that strength to push her perhaps she is weak and vulnerable

You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; 00:39-00:43
You shining when I'm alone; 00:43-00:46
And so I tell myself that I'll be strong; 00:47-00:51

It says "tell myself that I'll be strong" but not that she will be strong
And dreaming when they're gone; 00:51-00:54
Suggests she will be able to rest easy when something is gone, but dreaming suggests it may not happen but in her dreaming life she wants it to
Cuz they're calling, calling, calling me home
Calling, calling, calling home; 00:55-01:03
They're is plural and suggests more than one element is calling her home
You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; 01:03-01:07
You shining when I'm alone (home); 01:08-01:12

Noises, I play within my head; 01:12-01:18
Voices or noises in a persons head suggest mental fragility
Touch my own skin; 01:19-01:21
And hope that I’m still breathing; 01:22-01:25
Suggests she’s not sure if she is real, not sure of her own reality
And I think back to when; 01:27-01:30
My brother and my sister slept; 01:31-01:35
Maybe she is not with her siblings anymore because she relates back to the past tense, also suggests that she didn’t sleep when they did which connotates a protective nature over her family
In an unlocked place; 01:36-01:39
The only time I feel safe; 01:39-01:43
She feels safe with her family even if the place isn’t technically safe

You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; 01:43-01:47
You shining when I'm alone; 01:47-01:50
And so I tell myself that I'll be strong; 01:51-01:55
And dreaming when they're gone; 01:55-01:58
Cuz they're calling, calling, calling me home
Calling, calling, calling home; 01:59-02:07
You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; 02:07-02:11
You shining when I'm alone (home); 02:12-02:16

Lights, lights (x14); 02:32-02:45

You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; 02:47-02:51
You shining when I'm alone; 02:51-02:54
And so I tell myself that I'll be strong; 02:55-02:59
And dreaming when they're gone; 02:59-03:02
Cuz they're calling, calling, calling me homeCalling, calling, calling home; 03:03-03:11

You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; 03:11-03:15
You shining when I'm alone; 03:16-03:20


Home, home; 03:20-03:48
Repetition of the word home suggests her yearning for a place like home

home is also something we link with safety and contenment, however her calling for it suggests she doesnt feel safe or content

(Lights, lights, lights)...; every seconds from 03:20-03:51

Song ends at 04:06