Category Archives: 2010s songs

The best 500 songs from the 2010s. Lyrics, meanings and interpretations from your favorite musicians. Adele, Halsey, Sara Bareilles, Grouplove, Sia, The 1975, Harry Styles. Find out our highest ranked music acts of the 2010 decade. It was a great decade for music.

2010s songs, party songs

#196 Chandelier- Sia

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I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier/
I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist.

In “Chandelier”, Sia demonstrates her amazing range as well as her amazing voice. “Chandelier” is about a party girl who gets really hammered and dries her tears as she swings from the chandelier. Metaphorically of course. She is a mess. She is ‘holding on for dear life’. We don’t get the feeling this is a one-night thing for her: she is a party girl after all.

Sia Chandelier Meaning

Sia might be the best at creating party songs with great melodies and “Chandelier” is a prime example. One interesting aspect to her music is that she usually releases a regular version that is a “dance” mix as well as a “piano” mix. For Chandelier, both are great,

That speaks a lot to her versatility as a performer as well as her imagination. In Chandelier, each version changes the tone and meaning of the song due to the ambiguous lyrics. The dance version’s sounds like it could be a celebration of getting drunk and partying.  Lets worry about everything tomorrow. The beat can hide meaning!

In the piano version we hear a less ambiguous tone and it sounds like someone  crying out for help. Sia has discussed her issues with recovery so this is probably closer to the “accurate” meaning.

Chandelier Lyrics

One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink

Throw em back, till I lose count

I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist
Like it doesn’t exist
I’m gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier

And I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
Help me, I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
On for tonight

Party girls don’t get hurt
Can’t feel anything, I push it down, push it down

I’m the one “for a good time call”
Phone’s blowin’ up, I feel the love, feel the love

I feel the love, feel the love
Sun is up, I’m a mess
Gotta get out now, gotta run from this

Here comes the shame, here comes the shame
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink
Throw em back till I lose count

I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier
I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist
Like it doesn’t exist
I’m gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry
I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier

And I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
Help me, I’m holding on for dear life, won’t look down won’t open my eyes
Keep my glass full until morning light, ’cause I’m just holding on for tonight
On for tonight
On for tonight

written by Sia

2010s songs, relationship problems

#183 Shots (acoustic)- Imagine Dragons

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From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun/
And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved.

The narrator of Imagine Dragons’ “Shots” feels he is constantly hurting the people he loves. He always seems to be saying the wrong thing or making the wrong choices and causing pain. In his mind, he feels he’s letting his loved ones down or at the very least he is being reckless.

Who would want to be around a person who carries a loaded gun and randomly shoots wildly in the air? Who would want to stand near that person? A person who is so careless cannot be considered a good person, right?

shots imagine dragons meaning
Imagine Dragons

Is the narrator an overly reckless person or is there another explanation?  Is he overly hard on himself?  We can’t know. Perhaps it is impossible to escape the fact that we will hurt the ones we love unintentionally–at times. I suppose it is the real question is “how often is this happening”?  And how severe is the pain that we are causing?

He doesn’t believe it is purposeful, but why does it seem to always happen? Should we be judged by our actions or our intentions? Good intentions are great, but if everyone around you is constantly getting hurt by the things you do, perhaps something is wrong with you.

Shots (acoustic) Meaning
Imagine Dragons

The acoustic, piano version of “Shots” provides everything I want in a song. The pacing is a little better than the electric version. The piano allows the lyrics to truly be highlighted—and they are good lyrics that deserve attention.

The piano introduction sounds memorable and is the perfect length. The piano arrangement is quite good. Note all the different patterns–the intro, verse, chorus and solo all sound different yet perfectly coherent.

The vocals are delivered with the proper amount of intensity. We can hear the feelings of confusion, disappointment and resignation in his voice. “Shots” is an underrated classic.

Shots Lyrics

Am I out of touch?
Am I out of my place?
When I keep saying that I’m looking for an empty space
Oh, I’m wishing you’re here
But I’m wishing you’re gone
I can’t have you and I’m only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I’m going to mess this up
Oh, this is just my luck
Over and over and over again

In the meantime we let it go
At the roadside we used to know
We can let this drift away
Oh, we let this drift away

And there’s always time to change your mind
Oh, there’s always time to change your mind
Oh, there’s always time to change your mind
Oh, love, can you hear me?

I’m sorry for everything
Oh, everything I’ve done
From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun
And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved
Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved

Am I out of luck?
Am I waiting to break?
When I keep saying that I’m looking for a way to escape
Oh, I’m wishing I had what I’d taken for granted
I can’t help you when I’m only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I’m going to mess this up
Oh, this is just my luck
Over and over and over again

In the meantime we let it go
At the roadside we used to know
We can let this drift away
Oh, we let this drift away

And there’s always time to change your mind
Oh, there’s always time to change your mind
Oh, there’s always time to change your mind
Oh, love, can you hear me?

I’m sorry for everything
Oh, everything I’ve done
From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun
And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved
Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved

written by Mckee Benjamin Arthur / Platzman Daniel

2010s songs, couples songs

#154 Outer Space- John Grant

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I think you must be extraterrestrial/
‘Cause you can open up the heavens for me.

John Grant’s “Outer Space” is a great concept for a love song. There are only so many times you can say “you’re special” and “I love you” before the words start to lose their meaning from repetition or because we use those words to describe other things that we “love” like granola bars or reality tv.

John Grant has met someone who is life-changing. He wants to tell her(him?) he loves her in a unique way. He says, “You must be from outer space”, because no one has made him feel that way before. The new feeling is almost otherworldly compared to the past. It is such a touching sentiment, and a beautiful, quirky way to say “I love you”.

Outerspace Meaning
John Grant

The reason the lyrics of John Grant’s “Outer Space” don’t come off as cheesy is because he sings them with such earnestness. We believe that he is in genuine awe and he is running out of words to describe the way he feels.

But it isn’t just the lyrics. “Outer Space” sounds amazing and borderline groundbreaking. The sound he creates with the keyboard to sound like outer space sounds celestial. It is genius. It kills.

This space-like vibe, coupled with a great melody and vocals make “Outer Space” a candidate for all-time great song. You May also like Space Oddity by David Bowie.

Outer Space Lyrics

I still don’t know what I’m looking at,
‘Cause I’ve never seen anything like this before.
I have a friend who’s an astronomer,
And he says he cannot help me,
‘Cause he doesn’t have a clue.

I think that you must be from outer space-
Maybe from somewhere beyond the stars.
I think you must be extraterrestrial,
‘Cause you can open up the heavens for me
With just one smile, just one smile, just one smile.

What is that sound coming out of your mouth?
(Cause I’ve never heard anything like that before).
It sounds like a language from another galaxy.
I wanna thank you ’cause you opened the door.

I think that you must be from outer space-
Maybe from somewhere beyond the stars.
I think you must be extraterrestrial,
‘Cause you can open up the heavens for me
With just one smile, just one smile, just one smile.

Written by John Grant