Cannonball Lyrics - Damien Rice

It's about someone who led a hard life, and experienced a lot of pain from other people (perhaps someone broke his heart, perhaps someone abused him). But all of the sudden, he falls in love with someone, and it surprised him a bit, that he manages to find someone who he wants to be close to, who he wants to open up to him. someone he agrees to trust.

Still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
Still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
Still a little hard to say what's going on

Still a little bit of your ghost your witness
Still a little piece of your face i haven't kissed
You step a little closer to me
Still i can't see what's going on

these lines describes the process of falling in love ("you step a little closer to me"), but the songwriter still has his doubts, he's still not sure if it's really happening or not, if he's really falling in love, and if he really agrees to put himself in such a vulnerable position such as being in love. ("still i can't see what's going on").

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball

these lines represent the hardships in his life. he's using cynicism in these lines. (for example, he saya "stones taught me to fly", although stones are heavy objects, and are therefor the worst "teacher" to have when "learning to fly"). these lines suggest that the writer had poor examples to follow in his life, hard experiences, that made him a cynic, a sad person, a doubtful person.


Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to cry
So come on courage!
Teach me to be shy
'Cause it's not hard to fall
And i don't want to scare her
It's not hard to fall
And i don't want to lose
It's not hard to grow
When you know that you just don't know

the writer continues his cynicism ("so come on courage! teach me to be shy", which expresses the writers will to confess his love to her, but he's so ready to be let down by something, to be dissappointed by something). he continues to express his sad view on life, and somewhere deep inside, he's so sad and doubtful and cynic that he doesn't believe in love. but on the other hand, he expresses a will to hang on to his love - "and i dont want to scare her", "i dont want to lose". the writer has an inner conflict between his realistic, melancholic view about life, and his optimism and hope, his will to hang on to his love. on one line he says "it's not hard to fall", and immidiatly on the next one "and i don't want to scare her". as if there are two voices speaking from within him, each expressing different views.

Eventually, the writer says "It's not hard to grow, When you know that you just don't know". finally, at the end, after the inner conflict, the writer comes to a conclusion he just doesn't know. he doesn't know if he's in love or not, he doesn't know if he really wants it or not, he doesn't know if it's good for him or not.

All he knows, is that he doesn't know anything.

I love the way this song flows. It connects on so many levels. A good friend of mine, Jeffery Allen Cooper played it at a concert in 2006 and it brought me to tears. I still get choked up every time I hear it. THanks for the words Damien.

I love this song because its relaxing 2 listen 2 when ur in bed in a bath or in a shower e.t.c i just love it it reminds me of my dad 4 some kind of reason lolumsssssssssssssssssssxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx i even had a cd of it 2 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxby mandy xx

I love this song. I know i can relat to it and when i here it i wanna get up to dance and sing. since it christmas eve i just wanna say Merry Christmas to all you lovely people out there! love ya
Jess xxx

love it! its soo good i listen to this song all the time and i have to say this is the best time that iv listened to it!!! its wonderfull and im glad little mix have done there version on the x factor UK

I think it's unfinished business...'you step a little closer each day'. He doesnt want to scare her off. They have been intimate but still he doubts she feels as much as him. I met a guy 3 weeks ago, we both thought our feelings were mutual, that it was the beginning of love. We spent that weekend together but he hasnt been in touch for 6 days and now I wonder if I scared him by saying the wrong thing. I'm gutted that something that felt so wonderful now seems to be out of reach.

I love music! But never paid attention to rice i heard the 'blowers daughter' in 'closer' and cannonball in 'in good company'consecutively...randomly too!coincedence??ever since i love rice!!great song writer ,great writer!this song is about two people who love themselves but just can't love cos of life complexities, they had goodtimes..but it all the gonna have!!!

This has been my favorite song for six years now and through two serious relationships its significance has continuously changed. I've always felt that I've related to what is being said by Damien in the song. It took me a very long time to move on and learn how to be in love again after my first long-term relationship ended. We still love one another but as very close friends. Now that I'm in another serious relationship, I'm learning to trust and break down my walls again. I couldn't be happier now but the difficulties dealt with from my breakup will always be carried with me. This song helps me realize that all of it have served as life lessons and are apart of my learning how to love.

A few days ago, someone from my past told me to check out this song. I've always had this one from amongst my list of songs but never really gave much thought to it. But somehow, when I listened to it that day, somehow I was able to interpret it in a whole new meaning as the happy and memorable moments we shared came rushing into me. I couldn't help it, and I will always miss that person. But just like most of the thoughts on this song which I've read, ours really could never have a happy ending. But I miss him - always have, and always will. I'm with someone else now, but once in a while I can't help but look back on something that was once upon a time something so passionate and intense.

I hear this song as a guy who really loved someone but lost her, and never really got over her. And his situation taught him about life; he's looking back on her and what happened, and admitting that he fell "like a cannonball". He knows better now not to fall so easily, even though a part of him will always love her, and he won't ever really be the same: "There's still a little bit of your taste in my mouth / It's still a little hard to say what's going on..." I absolutely love this song, it's beautiful and his voice is perfect - I could listen to it over and over <3

I think this song is beautiful but highlights a doubt he loves this person but loosing her and the feelings that he feels hense "there's still a bit of your face I haven't kissed" and "still a little bit of your taste in my mouth", this song hits hard and will always be remembered sometimes relationships are hard and u can often feel the other person slipping away pure genius!

this is about someone who loved and lost. then a comparison between the new love and the lost love. And now they will be more cautious with their heart.They dont want too fall to fast "float like a cannonball"

This is a nyc song dt my love likes.....i din lyk it dt mch b4 bt i cn relate 2 it nw......things havnt been goin gr8 between us.....i really love her and i kno dt she also loves me....bt m scared of losin her...i feel she will drift away n leave me.....it will never b intentional....bt my worst fear z she might nt realize dt dis happnd :(

I feel personally this song is about a jaded guy who's falling in love again (or so he thinks, but he isnt sure). His doubt, his longing for her in spite of that doubt.. He's afraid that he's going to push her away hence the "courage teach me to be shy"... Just my views but the guy the song is about was probrably steamrolled into the ground and is used to failure and loss... For once he found someone he does not want to, but his doubt remains from a lifetime of losing.

I am totally falling in love with this guy but our situations are complicated. He wants to sing this song to me. This is a beautiful song and I understand that how hard it is to fall then you know that it is a very difficult decision. I really want him to love me back but still have no clue about his feeling. We been spending a lot of time together and we enjoyed every moment. Yet, he has not mention his feeling to me. Everyone knows I am totally in love with him and perhaps he knows.