Keep Your Head Up

The lyrics describe someone looking back on distance and difficulty, then gradually finding a way out of that bleak period. At first, the speaker feels separated from others, bored, and unable to reach the bottom of their sadness. A change in mood follows: walking down a mountain, feeling the sun and wind, and meeting a friend bring comfort. The speaker realizes that the happiness they were seeking was, in part, a return to themselves. The repeated advice to stay strong turns this change into an encouraging message.

The “turning tide” suggests that circumstances and feelings can shift, even after a difficult stretch. Swimming in darkness and being kept out by the seabed make sadness feel deep and hard to escape. By contrast, the friend’s warm smile and welcome home suggest that connection can help someone feel safe again. “Keep your head up” is an idiom meaning to stay hopeful and not give in to hardship.

The song’s final words about remembering someone with “eyes like wild flowers” and “demons of change” are affectionate but not entirely simple. They may describe a person who is vivid and beautiful yet troubled by change, or suggest that change is part of what makes them distinctive. The lyrics could be about returning from a personal struggle, saying goodbye to someone, or both. They leave the exact story open, while emphasizing care, resilience, and the possibility of happiness.