There's a drumming noise inside my head
That starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
There's a drumming noise inside my head
That throws me to the ground
Swear that you should hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
[Pre-Chorus]
Louder than sirens, louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell
[Verse 1]
I ran to the tower where the church bells chime
I hoped that they would clear my mind
They left a ringing in my ear
But that drum's still beating loud and clear
[Pre-Chorus]
Louder than sirens (Louder than sirens), louder than bells (Louder than bells)
Sweeter than heaven (Sweeter than heaven) and hotter than hell (Hotter than hell)
Louder than sirens and louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell
Louder than sirens and louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell
As I move my feet towards your body
I can hear this beat, it fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up and gets louder and louder
[Verse 2]
I run to the river and dive straight in
I pray that the water will drown out the din
But as the water fills my mouth
It couldn't wash the echoes out
But as the water fills my mouth
It couldn't wash the echoes out
I swallow the sound and it swallows me whole
Till there's nothing left inside my soul
As empty as that beating drum
But the song has just begun
[Chorus]
As I move my feet towards your body
I can hear this beat, it fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up and gets louder and louder
[Bridge]
There's a drumming noise inside my head
That starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
There's a drumming noise inside my head
That starts when you're around
I swear that you could hear it
It makes such an almighty sound
Louder than sirens and louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell
Louder than sirens and louder than bells
Sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell
[Chorus]
As I move my feet towards your body
I can hear this beat, it fills my head up
And gets louder and louder
It fills my head up and gets louder and louder
About
“Drumming Song” is from Florence + the Machine’s debut album, Lungs (2009). It was later released as the album’s fourth single, two months after its release, in September 2009.
Florence Welch described the song herself on their website:
This is about when there’s that electricity between you, and a boy, and it’s completely unspoken. When they’re standing in front of you and you can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t do anything properly. I’m really geeky – if I like someone, I just become incapable. I remember with my first boyfriend, walking past the window of a pub, seeing he was in there and literally throwing myself on the ground and crawling on the floor because I was so scared! I feel things quite intensely, which is probably why the music is quite intense. If I really like someone, I like someone; I’m sad, I’m sad.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In Florence + The Machine’s old website, Florence stated:
I was listening to a lot of hip hop, and I wanted to make something that had that kind of beat to it. To me it’s the most forward-thinking music around. No one else is moving forward at such a pace!
Again, it’s really Gothic imagery – fairy tales and Edgar Allan Poe stories. I’d read a lot of Gothic horror when I was a kid. Also things like Sylvia Plath – I’ve always been a kind of literary miserablist!
- 4.Howl
- 7.Drumming Song
- 9.Cosmic Love
- 11.Hurricane Drunk
- 12.Blinding
