Florence + the Machine: Shake It Out

Regrets collect like old friends,
Here to relieve your darkest moments...

I love this song, it has this haunting feel. The lead singer's voice is exquisitely velvety smooth. That one thing why I love songs from indie bands is that their lyrics are so poetic and mostly metaphorical.

The first time I heard this song, is when I watched the 17th episode (aired February 20) of the 7th Season of one of my favorite American sitcoms "How I Met Your Mother" entitled: "No Pressure". I instantly fell in love with the song. It was fitting considering it was played in the end where Ted Mosby was telling his best bud Marshall that he is officially ending his feelings for Robin Scherbatsky. When he told him that, plus there was this song in the background, everything was suddenly bittersweet. Especially when Ted was going out to the sea of yellow umbrellas meaning that he is opening his heart to new possibilities. That scene was melodramatic.

There goes Ted in his black umbrella onto the sea of yellow possibilities

I automatically researched the song and found out that the title was "Shake It Off" from Florence + the Machine which is a British indie band. The song is like fighting within oneself; one's wretched, twisted world full of lies, hurt and limited possibilities and the struggle to leave everything behind. The struggle to go 2 steps forward while being pushed 1 step back. Its the resistance to breakaway and start anew. I love the dark-ish, haunting, melodramatic, metaphorical twist to the song.

Found out months later that Glee revived the song on their Season 3 episode "Choke". Though I love the show Glee, I still love the original version.

By the way here is the lyrics to the song:

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart
Cause I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

And given half the chance would I take any of it back
It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone
It's always darkest before the dawn

Oh woah, oh woah...

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my rope
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark and right at my throat
Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Looking for heaven, found the devil in me
Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah

And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

And here is the music video:

I still think Ted and Robin has an amazing chemistry. Best Friends. Soul Mates. Partners-in-crime. Ted-Robin till the end!

I like to keep my issues strong,
It's always darkest before the dawn...