Meaning of “Chandelier” by Sia

The lyrics of Sia’s “Chandelier” are about a party girls’ love for living life to the fullest. She loves the attention being a party girl gives her despite the fact that it’s fleeting and not genuine. She knows she’s the one for the good time. The one people call on only for fun. Swinging from a chandelier has always been one way of describing a life of excessive partying and that’s what she is doing.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Sia's Chandelier at Lyrics.org.
Lyrics of the song "Chandelier"

But despite the thrill, she admits that her life is not all excitement and joy. It’s also about pain, tears and holding on to life any way possible. Sia insinuates that whenever she tries to drown her pain, it barely works and she should have learnt by now but no. She keeps trying. In so doing, she tries to drown her pain in a bottle and keep living like there’s no tomorrow. She drinks until she loses count and can’t feel anything but that barely stops her.

Furthermore, she makes it clear that all the effort is for the night. She’s just trying to hold on to her life for the night. At least when she keeps drinking, she won’t have to face the night or her challenges.

The second verse brings us to the realization that, running and drowning herself in a bottle doesn’t stop the sun from coming up. Neither does it stop reality from hitting her nor her from facing her shame for the mess she’s turned her life into.

All in all, “Chandelier” is like an autobiography considering how challenging Sia’s life had been around the time the song had been written. It’s common knowledge that Sia once battled intensely with addictions to drugs and alcohol.

14 Responses

  1. Beth says:

    The song is about alcoholism and drug addiction and the associated depression and suicidal thoughts to escape it. ‘I want to swing from the chandelier, I’m going to live like tomorrow doesn’t exist, fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they run dry’ swinging from the chandelier is a metaphor for hanging herself.

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s not about suicide. Sia has explained this song in interviews. The original explanation is correct.

      • RK says:

        Actually, Beth is correct. IF you search around online, apparently she had a really nasty time with alcoholism after something bad happened to one of her past lovers. Its about addictive tendencies and bad party habits “just trying to hang on for tonight”

    • Anonymous says:

      Absolutely bang on.

  2. Eze Emmanuel chibuikem says:

    It’s also for the better of our young ones there who taught all hope are lost they should remember after the running and drowning into bottles doesn’t stop the sun for coming up. Neither does it stop reality from hitting her shame

  3. Anonymous says:

    Along with drug additions, alcoholism – this could also be about BI-POLAR?

    Highs (chandelier, fly like a bird…)
    Lows – crashing (Won’t look down, won’t open my eyes).

    It sounds like she likes the “highs”, but not the “lows” (maybe depression/bi-polar?) “won’t look down” “Keep my glass full until morning light”

    This is one of my all-time favorite songs.

  4. Naminé Morrison says:

    If you look it up on google it says that is was about drugs and substance abuse when sia says ‘party girls don’t get hurt’ is an example how when you get drunk you don’t feel anything then in the song she asks herself when will she learn because she knows that getting her self drunk is not helping her. And when she also says I push it down, push it down she is referring to drinking alcohol nonstop because she is trying to make herself forget about someone she loved died

  5. XX says:

    ‘Swinging from the chandolier” is not about partying. It’s about actually swinging from a noose off the chandolier – ending it all. Just listen to the lyrics. She’s gonna hang herself and fly like a bird away from the pain.

  6. Simom says:

    Full of sh-t, you are obviously daft

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