☝️ Key Points
- The song is about dealing with darkness, regret, and inner demons, and the hope that is implied in the phrase 'It's always darkest before the dawn'.
- The chorus 'Shake it out' is an invitation to shake off burdensome experiences and free oneself from what weighs them down.
- The lyrics refer to letting go of emotional baggage, symbolized by burying the horse, and starting anew by giving up her 'heartless heart'.
- Despite the difficulties she has experienced, the singer wouldn't take any of it back and describes her experiences as a 'beautiful romance'.
- In the final verse, she reaches a kind of acceptance, ready to find both the good (heaven) and the evil (devil) within herself and to suffer and hope, and decides to let it happen.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Shake It Out' by
Florence & The Machine are a powerful message of letting go and self-renewal.
In the first verse, the singer talks about how regret accumulates like old friends who are there to relive dark moments. She speaks of demons wanting her pound of flesh, which means she's struggling with inner demons or dark times in her life. But there are some things she prefers to keep to herself, she keeps her troubles to herself. The saying 'It's always darkest before the dawn' suggests that despite the difficulties, she has hope.
In the second verse, she refers to the past she can't escape from and a love that evokes sad memories. She plans to let go of this emotional baggage, symbolized by burying the horse.
The chorus 'Shake it out' is an invitation to shake off burdensome experiences and free oneself from the things that weigh her down, symbolized by the devil on her back.
The third verse speaks of the decision to start anew by giving up her 'graceless heart' and restarting.
The interlude makes it clear that despite the difficulties she has experienced, she wouldn't take any of it back. She describes her experiences as a 'fine romance,' even though they have left her incomplete.
In the last verse, she seems to reach a kind of acceptance, ready to endure and hope, and accepts that she has found both the good (heaven) and the evil (devil) within herself, and decides to let it happen.
Overall, 'Shake It Out' is a song about freeing oneself from the past and hoping for a fresh start.