This Is What It Feels Like by Armin van Buuren Lyrics Meaning – Exploring the Depths of Loss and Longing
Lyrics
The sound of silence I can’t take anymore
Nobody ringing my telephone now
Oh how I miss such a beautiful sound
And I don’t even know how I survive
I won’t make it to the show without your light
No I don’t even know if I’m alive
Oh, oh, oh without you now
This is what it feels like
Nothing to hold but the memories and frames
Oh they remind me of the battle I face
Without your love, without you I drown
Somebody save me I’m going down
And I don’t even know how I survive
I won’t make it to the show without your light
No I don’t even know if I’m alive
Oh, oh, oh without you now
This is what it feels like
And I don’t even know how I survive
I won’t make it down the road with one headlight
No I don’t even know if I’m alive
Oh, oh, oh without you now
This is what it feels like
In the vast expanse of electronic dance music, few tracks manage to marry the pulsating beats of the club with the introspective journey of the soul quite like Armin van Buuren’s ‘This Is What It Feels Like.’ A symphony of melancholy wrapped in a veneer of synth-driven euphoria, the track remains a poignant investigation into the hollows of human experience.
The song, which features the hauntingly evocative vocals of Canadian singer Trevor Guthrie, speaks to the universal journey of coping with absence and the resounding emptiness that lingers in the wake of lost love. It’s a masterclass in the understated emotional resonance that dance music is capable of delivering, often going unnoticed beneath its booming baseline.
A Symphony of Silence: The Isolation Echoes in EDM
Van Buuren’s opening lines paint a scenario of desolation—there’s no one knocking, no phones ringing—the soundtrack of silence and absence. It’s an isolation that’s almost palpable, and while most EDM tracks are engineered to get you moving, ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ compels you to pause and reflect on the times when company is scarce, and the silence is overwhelming.
The song challenges the stereotype of dance music as a genre devoid of depth, demonstrating that a club hit can also serve as a vessel for conveying the weight of solitude. It’s a call in the dark, a confession that resonates with anyone who’s felt left behind, highlighting the universal struggle with loneliness.
Into the Abyss: Drowning in Memories
Guthrie’s vocals are not just a lament but a siren’s call from the depths, representing the struggle of trying to stay afloat amidst the ‘memories and frames’ of a past relationship. He offers a raw look at the ‘battle’ one faces when the life preserver of love is no longer within reach.
This poignant imagery of drowning is a stark metaphor for despair and the consuming nature of dealing with loss. The imagery is vivid and desperate, creating an immersive emotional landscape that listeners can’t help but find themselves adrift in.
A Beacon of Hope: The Light in the Darkness
In the chorus, the light—a symbol of guidance and hope—is crucial for survival. But without it, without that person who illuminates and makes sense of the ‘show’ that is life, the protagonist questions their very existence. It’s a declaration of dependency that shatters the heart, yet it’s relatable in its portrayal of how some individuals become linchpins in our lives.
While it’s common for love songs to touch on themes of dependency, ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ takes it a step further by honing in on the existential crisis bred by the absence of a loved one. The line ‘I won’t make it down the road with one headlight’ emphasizes the perilous journey one must embark on alone, driving home the precarious nature of navigating life’s highway without that guiding light.
Cracking the Code: The Hidden Meaning Behind the Beats
Beyond the straightforward themes of love and loss lies a deeper, perhaps more insidious layer of meaning. The persistent beat mimics the relentless march of time, a metronome to our lives, while the lyrical refrain of ‘This is what it feels like’ serves as an anthem for those moments when we are acutely aware of our emotional state.
The song can be viewed as a reflective mirror, a way to see our coping mechanisms—the loud parties, the constant search for noise and distraction—as nothing more than attempts to drown out the silence that we fear. It’s EDM’s philosophical inquiry into the self, beckoning listeners to confront what truly lies beneath their search for the next beat drop.
Echoes that Resonate: Memorable Lines and the Collective Heartbeat
Certain lyrics in ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ have embedded themselves in the collective consciousness of the music community. Lines like ‘Oh how I miss such a beautiful sound’ capture the essence of yearning in a simple yet profound way. They strike a chord, harmonizing with the heartstrings of those who have experienced the haunting quiet that comes after the party ends.
What makes these lines so memorable is their raw honesty. They do not shy away from the vulnerability that comes with human connection, encapsulating the bittersweet reality of what it means to love, lose, and long for someone or something that once filled our world with sound and fury.
