Worship by Years & Years Lyrics Meaning – Navigating the Depths of Devotion and Desire
Lyrics
Wanna hide in your light
Wanna cover my eyes, I feel you reflect in me
I worship all that you see
Can I still make it right?
Can I be what you like?
Can I keep up this fight?
I hope that you’ll never know
Why I need your control
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
You’re all I need to survive
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
Blind devotion
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
And you’ll be my sacrifice
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
You say you love
I worship, high praises
My longing drives me crazy for you
My kingdom for your graces
I’m not gonna tell nobody
I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you
I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you
Gotta hold my head up
Gotta move for your touch
Gotta keep my lips shut
I’ll do what you tell me to
‘Cause in darkness I follow you
I follow you
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
You’re all I need to survive
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
Blind devotion
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
And you’ll be my sacrifice
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
You say you love
I worship, high praises
My longing drives me crazy for you
My kingdom for your graces
I’m not gonna tell nobody
I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you
Just tell me how I can prove
I’m the one for your fire
And I’ll take you higher
I’ll do it for you
And you can worship me too
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
(I’m holy, I want you to know it)
I worship, high praises
My longing drives me crazy for you
My kingdom for your graces
I’m not gonna tell nobody
I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you
I worship, high praises
My longing drives me crazy for you
My kingdom for your graces
I’m not gonna tell nobody
I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you
I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you
The synth-pop brilliance of Years & Years has often been steeped in the exploration of human emotion, and ‘Worship’ is no exception. On the surface, the track pulsates with an infectious beat that draws you into its rhythm, but beneath lies a profound narrative about the intensity of desire and the complexities of idolatry in love.
As listeners, there’s an almost voyeuristic quality to our engagement with the music, and ‘Worship’ demands that we dissect not just the melody, but also the fragile sentiments it eloquently unveils. The confession-like lyrics are an odyssey through passion and subjugation, asking pressing questions about the balance (or imbalance) of power in relationships.
The Allure of Blind Devotion: Between Love and Worship
When Olly Alexander croons about wanting to ‘hide in your light’ and ‘cover my eyes,’ it’s clear that he is speaking of a love that eclipses mere affection. Throughout ‘Worship,’ the motif of sight and visibility recurs, suggesting that this is a love which demands a surrender not just of the heart, but of the very senses that guide us.
This notion of love as worshipping is inherently fraught with peril. It throws into relief the idea of losing oneself entirely to another—an ecstatic yet potentially destructive act. ‘Worship’ captures the thrilling, albeit dangerous, high-wire act of entrusting someone with that kind of power—a blind devotion that acknowledges the possibility of sacrifice.
Chasing the Divine: The Dichotomy of Power and Sacrifice
The repeated avowal ‘I’m holy, I want you to know it’ becomes a mantra in ‘Worship,’ yet it is immediately followed by calls for blind devotion and the willingness to be a sacrifice. This is a potent metaphor for the dichotomy that often resides within intense relationships—the intermingling of empowerment and vulnerability.
While Olly’s declaration of holiness expresses a sense of self-worth and autonomy, it contrasts starkly with the forfeiture of control to a loved one. It is a reminder that even as one seeks to ascend to the heights of reverence in a partner’s eyes, they are simultaneously laying themselves bare, offering their very being at the altar of love.
The Seduction of Secrecy: Forbidden Desires Under Wraps
The refrain ‘I’m not gonna tell nobody ’bout you’ carries a clandestine tone, introducing an element of the illicit or secretive into the song. This vow of silence adds a layer of intimacy to the relationship, imbuing it with a taboo thrill.
It is curious how the promise of discretion amplifies the devotion being sung about. By choosing to hoard the knowledge of this love, like a precious secret, it intensifies the notion that what they share is sacred, setting it apart from the mundane and the routine of everyday relationships.
Echoes of Eternity: A Quest for Immortality through Love
In ‘Worship,’ the concept of offering one’s ‘kingdom for your graces’ sets a grandiose stage where love is equated with kingdoms of old, emphasizing the timeless nature of the yearning the song communicates. It’s as if love and desire are forces eternal, seeking to outlast even the most enduring empires.
Here the song communicates a desire not just for love, but for an immortalizing kind of love, one that will endure beyond the confines of time and flesh. It is a pursuit of permanence in the face of transience, where the act of worshiping a loved one becomes a bid for something greater than mere temporal connection.
The Song’s Veiled Confession: Relinquishing Control for Affection
The line ‘I’ll do what you tell me to’ is a raw admittance of the speaker’s readiness to relinquish autonomy for the sake of their beloved’s approval. There is a confession within these lyrics, an honest, almost desperate, acknowledgment of the lengths one is willing to go to maintain this semblance of holy adoration between two people.
And while ‘Worship’ presents this in the guise of a catchy pop melody, it’s a deeply compelling exploration of how humans navigate the treacherous waters of desire, control, and adoration, making it a striking study in the human condition as it grapples with matters of the heart.
