Owl City’s “Galaxies” Lyrics Meaning

Owl City’s “Galaxies” may be a bit confusing to some listeners. The verses are artistically based on an actual historical event, while the choruses are more theological. And in terms of said event, that would be the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986 – a major catastrophe in American history that has been covered quite a few times in song. 

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Owl City's Galaxies at Lyrics.org.

And what Owl City is doing is portraying the role of the flight commander aboard that doomed vessel. More specifically, the featured narrative is intended to reflect the very moment in which the shuttle exploded and took the life of said commander, as well as the other individuals on board. And that is as far as the verses go.

Choruses of “Galaxies”

As for the choruses, they feature the narrator having his last mortal conversation with God, or something like that. It has theoretically been put forth that the hook reflects the moment right after the vocalist’s passing, thus him rather having his first conversation with God on the spiritual plane. 

But such is not terribly clear. Instead, it’s like the song transforms from a physical one to more of a spiritual one. And what the narrator is comprehensively expressing in the chorus is his willingness to follow God and pretty much God only. This is a concept which in and of itself seemingly has nothing to do with the Space Shuttle disaster.

But perhaps the bridge is where these two ideas meet in congruence. For, going a bit on a limb here, we would theorize that Owl City is using the Space Shuttle disaster as an example of the fact that a person’s life can be lost in an unpredictable instant. 

As such the vocalist, let’s say speaking as himself instead of the shuttle commander this time around, knows that he has to “keep an eye” on God just in case of such an eventuality. In fact as the outro reveals, he would even follow the Most High “through the galaxies” if need be.

Thesis Sentiment of “Galaxies”

Aside the above, there are some other things going on in this song. An example is the vocalist dissing “Hercules”, seemingly within the context of the mythological figure representing a false god. 

But at the end of the day, it is obvious that the intended thesis sentiment centers on the singer’s spiritual commitment to his faith. And he partially relies on a historically-based space motif to get that point across.

Owl City, "Galaxies" Lyrics

The “All Things Are Bright and Beautiful” Album

This track is from Owl City’s third album. The band titled that album “All Things Are Bright and Beautiful”. And it was released as the second single from the undertaking on 19 April 2011.

Owl City

Owl City is the name of a musical project that is actually helmed by a single individual, Adam Young, who comes from Minnesota. The beginning of his career dates back to the days of MySpace, and Young being an indie artist. 

In 2008 he came out with his first album, “Maybe I’m Dreaming”, under a label called Sky Harbor. That particular project didn’t catch on in a commercial sense. But promptly thereafter, Young was signed to Universal Republic in 2009, i.e. the major label that put out his next four albums. 

The most successful out of the lot was his second overall, 2009’s “Ocean Eyes”. This project went platinum in the US and reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 and 7 on the UK Albums Chart. 

And whereas his next two full-lengths, the aforementioned “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (2011) and “The Midsummer Station” (2012), scored higher on the Billboard 200, they did not perform nearly as well commercially.

Owl City’s sixth studio album, “Cinematic”, was once again a project of Sky Harbor. And throughout the years, Young, operating under this moniker, has been nominated for and won a number of accolades, including a couple of Billboard Japan Music Awards in 2012.

Galaxies
“Galaxies

Who wrote “Galaxies”?

“Galaxies” was both written and produced by Adam Young. The song went on to break the top 40 of Billboard’s Christian Songs listing.

Owl City's Adam Young explains "Galaxies"

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