You Are a Tourist
Intro
This, fire, grows, higherThis, fire grows, higherThis, fire, grows, higherThis, fire, grows, higherVerse 1
When there's a burning in your heartAn endless yearning in your heartBuild it bigger than the sunLet it grow, let it growWhen there's a burning in your heartDon't be alarmedRefrain
This, fire, grows, higherVerse 2
When there's a doubt within your mindBecause you're thinking all the timeFraming rights into wrongsMove along, move alongWhen there's a doubt within your mindVerse 3
When there's a burning in your heartAnd you think it'll burst apartOr there's nothing to fearSave the tears, save the tearsWhen there's a burning in your heartBridge
And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were bornThen it's time to go and define your destinationThere's so many different places to call home'Cause when you find yourself the villainIn the story you have written, it's plain to seeThat sometimes the best intentions are in need of redemptionsWould you agree? If so, please show meRefrain
This, fire, grows, higherThis, fire, grows, higherOutro
When there's a burning in your heartWhen there's a burning in your heart (This, fire, grows, higher)When there's a burning in your heart (This, fire, grows, higher)When there's a burning in your heart (This, fire, grows, higher)When there's a burning in your heartWhat the song means
The song is an urgent, encouraging address to someone who feels restless and stuck. The "fire" is an inner drive, a longing or ambition that keeps growing. The first verses describe that burning in the heart, followed by doubt and fear. The singer tells the listener not to panic and to let the feeling grow instead of holding it back.
The middle verses turn toward self-criticism. Doubt becomes a habit of overthinking, and the singer warns against twisting right and wrong to justify yourself. The bridge is the emotional center. Feeling like a tourist in the city where you grew up suggests becoming a stranger to your own life and identity. The singer urges you to choose a new direction and to see yourself as the villain of your own story. Good intentions can still cause harm and need to be redeemed.
The key images are the fire, which stands for desire and energy, and the heart, which stands for emotion and motivation. The repeated "grows, higher" suggests that a passion is not something to suppress but something to follow, even when it frightens you. The outro leaves the fire burning, so the song ends on a sense of ongoing, unresolved momentum.
Key phrases explained
- burning in your heart
- a fire of intense desire or emotion inside you — Here it means a strong, consuming passion or longing that drives the singer.
- endless yearning
- a constant, deep longing for something you lack — The phrase emphasizes that the desire never fully goes away.
- Framing rights into wrongs
- justifying your own mistakes by twisting the truth — It describes self-deception, where you rewrite events to excuse your behavior.
- tourist in the city you were born
- a stranger in your own hometown — The image conveys feeling disconnected from the place and life you once knew.
- need of redemptions
- in need of forgiveness or a way to make amends — It suggests that even well-meant actions can require making up for harm caused.
Song info
- Release date
- 2011-03-29
- Album
- Codes and Keys
- Written by
- Benjamin Gibbard
- Produced by
- Chris Walla
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