The Saltwater Room by Owl City Lyrics Meaning – The Lyrical Depths of Nostalgia and Connection

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

Lyrics

I opened my eyes last night
And saw you in the low light
Walking down by the bay
On the shore, staring up at the planes
That aren’t there anymore
I was feeling the night grow old
And you were looking so cold
So like an introvert
I drew my over shirt
Around my arms and began
To shiver violently before
You happened to look
And see the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark
Underground
All the subways around
Create a great sound
To my motion fatigue
Farewell
With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves
In underwater caves
As if you actually were inside
A saltwater room

Time together isn’t never quite enough
When you and I are alone
I’ve never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time

When we’re apart what ever are you thinking of
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone
So tell me darling do you wish we’d fall in love?
All the time, all the time

Can you believe that the crew has gone
And wouldn’t let me sign on?
All my islands have sunk
In the deep, so I can hardly relax
Or even oversleep
I feel as if I were home, some nights
When we count all the ship lights
I guess I’ll never know
Why sparrows love the snow
We’ll turn off all of the lights
And set this ballroom aglow

(So tell me darling do you wish we’d fall in love? All the time)

Time together isn’t never quite enough
When you and I are alone
I’ve never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
We need time, only time
When we’re apart whatever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we’d fall in love?
All the time, all the time

Time together is just never quite enough
When we’re apart whatever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling do you wish we’d fall in love?
All the time

The ebb and flow of ‘The Saltwater Room’ by Owl City wash over the listener with a tidal force of emotion, carrying within its currents a sense of deep longing and introspection. Adam Young, the electronic artist behind Owl City, crafts a sonic seascape that transcends mere pop sensibility, evoking a more profound meaning beneath its seemingly serene surface.

This track, a melodic dialogue between isolation and connection, takes us on a journey through Young’s introspective mind, where the ocean becomes a powerful metaphor for the vastness of emotion that can exist between two people. As we step into Owl City’s ambient room of saltwater, we dive deep into the song’s lyrical layers, deciphering the intertwined themes of time, love, and existential contemplation.

The Seascape of the Soul: Unraveling Nostalgia in Melody

There is a tender wistfulness that permeates ‘The Saltwater Room,’ a look back at a moment suspended in time, perhaps a lost love or the fading memory of a simpler era. The imagery of being alone by the bay, staring up at non-existent planes, conjures a deeply nostalgic setting – one where the present seems to be in dialogue with the past.

Young’s use of aquatic symbols imbues the song with a sense of fluidity, like memories that slip through one’s fingers. The subways’ sounds, tying in with motion fatigue, suggest a constant search for movement, disregarding the serene stillness that the ‘saltwater room’ offers—a place where time slows down, and connections can deepen.

Love’s Tempo: The Relativity of Time and Togetherness

A repeated motif throughout the song is the concept of time and its insufficiency for love to flourish. ‘Time together is just never quite enough,’ the song reflects, tugging at the universal feeling of temporal scarcity that plagues deep connections.

In the sonic realm that Owl City creates, time bends and stretches, much like the waves in underwater caves hinted at in the lyrics. This invokes the question of whether time can be ally or adversary in the quest for love – a theme that resonates with many who have ever felt the sting of time’s limitations on the heart.

Anchors Aweigh: The Precipice of Love and its Uncertainties

Young’s poignant questioning – ‘What will it take to make or break this hint of love?’ – serves as the crux of ‘The Saltwater Room.’ It’s an exploration of the hesitation and vulnerability that come with the precipice of love, where decisions have to be made, and risks taken.

There is an air of melancholic hope combined with the fear of the unknown. Will jumping into the depths lead to the warmth of connection or the coldness of solitude? The analogy of the sunken islands represents lost opportunities and past regrets, adding to the song’s emotional gravity.

The Enigmatic Sparrows: Deciphering the Song’s Hidden Meanings

The metaphor of sparrows loving the snow captures the song’s essence of finding beauty and solace in the unexpected. It’s a departure from the norm, a whimsical thought that prompts us to consider why creatures not made for the cold find contentment within it.

The reference to sparrows could also be an allusion to the idea that love and joy can be found in the bleakest circumstances. Just as sparrows find warmth among the wintry flakes, humans find glimmers of hope in the chill of loneliness – all within the metaphoric ‘saltwater room’ that holds a universe of meaning.

Illuminating the Ballroom: The Memorable Lines that Spark Emotional Resonance

Owl City’s knack for crafting lines that linger in the consciousness is exemplified in ‘We’ll turn off all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow.’ These words encapsulate the transformative power of connection – that even in darkness, it is possible for two souls to create light.

Adam Young’s lyrics serve as beacons guiding the listener through the overwhelming seas of emotions. The song’s refrain, ‘So tell me darling, do you wish we’d fall in love? All the time,’ is the beacon’s solemn glow, a testament to the persistent hope for closeness in a world where distance and time often prevail.