Overjoyed

You know when people post song lyrics on Facebook/Twitter or whatever accompanied with something along the lines of 'this song just sums up my life story'? You know how that can be really annoying at times? Well I'm not gonna go as far as to say this song does that, but it's most certainly pretty relatable, to be honest. The song I have in mind is 'Overjoyed' by Bastille. So I guess the best way to approach this is to kind of discuss how I interpret the song (it may be completely wrong, but hey ho). 

So in simple terms, ‘Overjoyed’ describes the joy brought to the narrator when the individual (addressed in the song) actually listens to what they have to say, 'Oh I feel overjoyed, when you listen to my words'. The individual is struggling to cope with the cards that they've been dealt with in life. They obviously respect the narrator enough to listen to what they have to say; 'I see them sinking in, oh I see them crawling underneath your skin.' I just think that there's something so powerful about this image; the narrator can visually understand that their words aren't just blowing over the head of this person that they care about, but instead are being truly valued. And it's the talking that's so important. The narrator feels powerless to their friend's depression; talking to them is the only way that they can help them battle against it. Sometimes talking is the best way to help someone, and this is a clear case of that. 

The chorus consists of the repeated phrase 'I hear you calling in the dead of night'. I guess this opinion could vary, but I interpret this as the narrator constantly having the individual on their mind/ being worried about them 24/7. They care about them to the extent that even during the late hours of the night/early hours of the morning, they lie in bed, thinking that they can hear their friend calling out for help. I find it pretty sad that they feel this level of anxiety, but it also highlights a deep level of affection. The fact that the phrase is repeated just emphasises how the individual is constantly running around the narrator's mind, maybe even in their dreams. You could see this as sweet, a sign of 'true love'. But I also find it quite sad, because no matter how hard they may try they can't stop caring; all they can do is offer some comforting words. 

I suppose that the individual's depression is best highlighted in the second verse, 'you lean towards despair, any given opportunity you're there'. So this is pretty tragic stuff; it's basically explaining that the individual is constantly in an unhappy state of mind. 'But what is there to say, when you're always falling off the fence that way?' It's this following bit that really gets to me. The narrator is literally lost for words. This person is always feeling the same way, and there are only so many words of reassurance that can be offered. I think we’ve all be in a similar situation with someone, haven’t we?

So to conclude this; as sad as it is, I think that this song is beautiful. And I guess that's just because it's so real. It actually means something, it's not just a piece of 'music' with a few irrelevant lyrics thrown in. There's the fact it’s so relatable as well; I'm sure lots of us have been in a similar situation with a person we hold dear to us. We love someone, but other than giving them a few kind words we can feel utterly powerless at times. I think 'Overjoyed' captures that feeling really well, and that's why it is one of my favourite songs of Bastille’s. 

Be sure to watch the video for 'Overjoyed' on YouTube and follow @BASTILLEdan on Twitter.