Pompeii

Song Meaning of Pompeii by Bastille

The title and lyrics of the song alludes to the Roman town of the same name, which was buried under Mount Vesuvius' eruption in AD 79. As the group's breakthrough single, "Pompeii" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart.

In an interview, Dan Smith claimed that the song was composed as a dialogue between two people who were affected by Mount Vesuvius' explosion.

"I was reading a book that had some picture of the people who got caught up in the volcanic eruption. And it's just such a kind of dark powerful image, and it got me thinking about how boring it must have been emotionally after the event. To be sort of stuck in that same position for hundreds and hundreds of years. So, the song is sort of an imaginary conversation between these two people who are stuck next to each other in their sort of tragic death pose."

Lyrics of Pompeii by Bastille

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

I was left to my own devi-i-i-i-ces

Many days fell away with nothing to show

And the walls kept tumbling down

In the city that we love

Gray clouds roll over the hills

Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like

Nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like

You've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

We were caught up and lost in all of our vices

In your pose as the dust settled around us

And the walls kept tumbling down

In the city that we love

Gray clouds roll over the hills

Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like

Nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like

You've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Oh where do we begin?

The rubble or our sins?

Oh oh where do we begin?

The rubble or our sins?

And the walls kept tumbling down (oh where do we begin?)

In the city that we love (the rubble or our sins?)

Gray clouds roll over the hills (oh where do we begin?)

Bringing darkness from above (the rubble or our sins?)

But if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like

Nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like

You've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul

Eheu aul aul