“Heat Waves” Lyrics & Meaning (Glass Animals)

Heat Waves definitely brought the heat.

This monster hit by Glass Animals took the locked-up world by storm during first pandemic summer.

But the Heat Waves lyrics meaning took many by surprise.

That’s because the song nearly as upbeat and happy as it sounds.

Instead, it is quite melancholy and gloomy.

So what is it actually about? Keep reading to find out. We are going to cover everything you need to know.

 

Heat Waves Lyrics Meaning

Heat Waves was the fourth single released by the band Glass Animals. It came from their third studio album named Dreamland.

Even though the lyrics are rather depressing, the song has an upbeat feeling. It’s this contrasting feature, along with the catchy tune, that led to the songs being so successful.

It was released in 2020 and quickly became a huge hit. It peaked at number five on the U.K. charts and went to number one in the U.S, staying there for 5 weeks.

Not only did the song reach the top of the US charts, but it also broke the record for the longest charting song in the top 100 of all time (a whopping 91 weeks), overtaking The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights, which had the top spot until August 2021.

The song was produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant the band had to be extra creative when it came to shooting the music video for this song. There were a fair few restrictions in place, so the band had to figure out the best way to work around them.

The band ended up asking their neighbors if they could shoot the music video using their mobile phones. They rented an empty music hall and shot the music video as though they were singing live, which must have been an uplifting experience since live music was banned at the time.

The COVID-19 pandemic also made it impossible to promote the song in the usual fashion, which may have been the reason Glass Animals chose to use social media platforms, particularly TikTok to advertise their song.

This resulted in Heat Waves going viral and further added to their success with the song. The band even turned it into a sea shanty to compete with Nathan Evans’s Wellerman sea shanty. Considering the success they had with the song, I would say everything worked out perfectly.

In 2021, the song got a twist with a feature from Iann Dior, who is a Texan rapper. This gave the song a new lease of life. It kept it fresh and made sure it continued its record-breaking time on the charts.

 

Heat Waves Lyrics

 

Intro

Road shimmer wigglin’ the vision
Heat, heat waves, I’m swimmin’ in a mirror
Road shimmer wigglin’ the vision
Heat, heat waves, I’m swimmin’ in a—

Chorus

Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now
Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now

Verse 1

Usually, I put somethin’ on TV
So we never think about you and me
But today, I see our reflections clearly
In Hollywood, layin’ on the screen
You just need a better life than this
You need somethin’ I can never give
Fake water all across the road
It’s gone now, the night has come, but

Chorus

Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now

Verse 2

You can’t fight it, you can’t breathe
You say somethin’ so lovin’, but
Now I gotta let you go
You’ll be better off in someone new
I don’t wanna be alone
You know it hurts me too
You look so broken when you cry
One more and then I say goodbye

Chorus

Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now
Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now

Bridge

I just wonder what you’re dreamin’ of
When you sleep and smile so comfortable
I just wish that I could give you that
That look that’s perfectly un-sad
Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Heat waves been fakin’ me out

Chorus

Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now
Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat waves been fakin’ me out
Can’t make you happier now

Road shimmer wigglin’ the vision
Heat, heat waves, I’m swimmin’ in a mirror
Road shimmer wigglin’ the vision
Heat, heat waves, I’m swimmin’ in a mirror

 

Heat Waves Meaning

Heat Waves addresses the feelings of sadness and heartbreak you may feel after a relationship ends or after the death of someone close. It is about loss and the ultimate realization that you just have to accept it. You can’t do anything about it.

A heatwave is usually something that comes in the peak of summer. It’s a heat that may feel unbearable due to high temperatures, haziness and a potential drought. This song can be seen as a reflection of all those aspects.

After losing someone close, it’s common to experience a feeling of not being able to bear anything. And to feel a certain haziness about the future. You can even compare it to a drought, not just because you no longer have that person in your life, but because those feelings of love and happiness have dried up.

The chorus of the song repeats the line “sometimes all I think about is you.” This shows that the singer is still caught up in his past relationship and is finding it hard to move on. It puts emphasis on the fact that the singer emotionally struggling.

The lead singer of Glass Animals, Dave Bayley, explained that the song was meant to be reflective and that it is about a close friend who dies and whom he really missed. In other words, it is a melancholy song, despite the first impression.

The song has an upbeat tune that fools a lot of people into thinking it is a happy song. But if you really listen to the lyrics, you’ll quickly understand that it has underlying theme of sadness.

 

Heat Waves Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Heat Waves is one of those songs that deceives casual listeners, like the lyrics to Cherry Wine by Hozier. The upbeat tempo belies the darker Heat Waves lyrics meaning.

Another example comes from the band Roar, who juxtapose a happy, upbeat tune with dark lyrics about abuse in their biggest hit. Learn more in our breakdown of the lyrics and meaning of Christmas Kids.

While the song sounds happy at first listen, if you actually listen to the lyrics and think about their meaning, it quickly becomes clear that this is anything but a happy song. And that is not a bad thing. It is a wonderful tune with melancholy lyrics that hooked millions of listeners.

Another melancholy song about someone dealing with the loss of a relationship, in this case his girlfriend cheating on him, check out our breakdown of the Santeria lyrics and their meaning.