Looking for songs that make you feel like you’re floating? We’ve got you covered.
Below, we’ve listed 20 songs about floating. Many musicians have written about floating in the past as a way to better describe their state of mind, their romantic relationship, or their actual physical situation.
So, every song you’ll find here will have something to do with floating!
1. “Red Eye” by Kid Cudi
Up first, we’ve got Kid Cudi’s 2013 song “Red Eye”, which features the band Haim. In this song, Cudi sings about using drugs to help him with his demons and personal struggles. As a result, he ends up staying up all night.
He helps describe this state of mind by saying, “I’m floating through the night on a red eye”. Elsewhere in the song, he mentions that he feels that he’s losing his mind. So, his talk of floating here isn’t him describing a stable or good state of mind!
2. “Bag Full of Money” by The Byrds
The Byrds’ song “Bag Full of Money”, which appears on the album Farther Along, also talks about floating. The band sings about a soldier of a war who is unhappy completing his orders and duties, as he never truly wanted to go to war.
Here, the band sings the lyrics, “Floating I’m floating on down through the sky / Never had no ambition to learn how to fly”.
However, even when this man gets out of the war and returns home, he’s still unhappy, as he doesn’t have any money. So, he considers robbing someone to then have a “Bag Full of Money”. Therefore, this song could also be describing someone who is lost and just floating through life.
3. “Lilo” by The Japanese House
The Japanese House’s song “Lilo” appears on the 2018 album Good at Falling. In this song, the singer discusses a romantic relationship that is easy and makes her feel as if she’s floating. As a result, this relationship is quite peaceful and not dramatic at all.
She sings about her new romantic partner, “You were floating like a lilo / With your eyes closed, going where the tide goes”.
4. “Aqueous Transmission” by Incubus
Incubus’ 2001 song “Aqueous Transmission” also discusses floating! This song opens with the verse, “I’m floating down a river / Oars freed from their holes long ago / Lying face up on the floor of my vessel / I marvel at the stars and feel my heart overflow”.
In this song, the band explains that they’re floating down a river — and are feeling quite peaceful and even optimistic about it. This could symbolize how they don’t really have control over their life, but that’s okay.
Later in the song, the singer also discusses that his girlfriend is on the same type of journey down the river as him. He’s hoping that they’ll be able to meet and talk about their experiences when they’re done. This could then symbolize that he’s spent time apart from his partner — and he’s hoping time alone helps them work out some issues!
5. “Floating Down the River” by Tears For Fears
Tears For Fears’ 2006 song “Floating Down the River” also deals with floating down a river, as you may have guessed from the song title! There are many interpretations one can make from this song.
However, it does appear that the band discusses losing one’s mind or emotions — and feeling as if they’re floating down the river as a result. They sing, “Starting to lose me / Didn’t I warn you / (Floating down the river once again)”.
6. “Paprika Plains” by Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell released her song “Paprika Plains” on her 1977 album Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter. Throughout this song, Mitchell sings about Native Americans in Canada and the many struggles they have faced. Therefore, she discusses assimilation, addiction, their culture, and more.
As she talks about these stories and moments, she also talks about floating. Whether she is floating off into space or into a dream, she feels affected by what she is singing about.
7. “Tiny Bubble” by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney’s 2001 song “Tiny Bubble” talks about how we all are so small compared to the vast universe. As a result, it is like we are all living in a “Tiny Bubble”. Through this meaning, McCartney also talks about the feeling of floating.
He sings the lyrics, “All the world’s a tiny bubble floating inside / Those of us who notice are expected to hide”.
8. “In God’s Hands” by Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado’s 2007 song “In God’s Hands”, which appears on her hit album Loose, details a romantic relationship coming to an end. Furtado explains that both she and her partner have realized that they do not love each other anymore. Therefore, they must end the relationship, as it’s the right thing to do.
They don’t want to hold on and try to make something work, when they clearly don’t love each other anymore. So, Furtado explains that their love is floating away naturally. She sings, “Now our love’s floating out the window”.
9. “Float On” by Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse’s 2003 hit song “Float On” is all about looking on the bright side! The band details various bad things that can happen to people in this song — from backing into a cop car to losing a job.
However, they also say that it’s okay, as “we’ll all float on”. They’re explaining that we should be positive and just let life happen to us, as we can’t control everything. If we’re positive and optimistic, especially during the bad times, we’ll be able to deal with these struggles!
10. “Float” by The Neighbourhood
The Neighbourhood released their song “Float” on their 2013 album I Love You. Throughout this song, the singer discusses his low self-esteem and sadness. He’s feeling down — and he then wonders if he’ll “Float” in this state of mind.
He also discusses how he doesn’t know if he’s as prepared as he thought he’d be for life in general. Even though his parents may have tried to show him the way, he still feels as if he may not float.
He sings, “They show you how to swim / Then they throw you in the deep end / I’ve been learning since / But it doesn’t mean I’ll float”.
11. “Hangin’ Around With You” by Dean Martin
“Hangin’ Around With You” by Dean Martin details a romantic relationship that has Martin feel as if he’s floating in space. He loves spending this time with his partner — and he’s so happy he gets to be with her.
He sings the lyrics, “Taking a flier around the blue / Floating through space / Traveling higher than heaven’s door / Locked in your sweet embrace”.
12. “Spiritual” by Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s 2013 song “Spiritual”, which appears on her album Prism, also discusses a romantic relationship. In this song, Perry compares her romance to a spiritual or religious experience.
She sings that she’s been waiting for this person for a long time. So, now that she’s with them, she’s beyond happy — and this person makes her feel as if she’s floating, as a result.
13. “We Float” by PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey released her song “We Float” on her 2000 album Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. There are many different interpretations you can get from this song. However, for the most part, PJ Harvey sings about a romantic relationship that may have lost its way.
As a result, the duo may not be together any longer. This may be sad, but she sings, “But now we float / Take life as it comes”. This could mean that she’s going with these struggles and issues, rather than fighting against them. She wants to float and maybe even be positive, rather than rage against the current.
14. “Down the Nile” by Heart
In Heart’s 2004 song “Down the Nile”, the band discusses a romantic relationship that has them feeling as if they’re floating. The singer details these feelings, explaining that she’s finally realized her partner is the one. She says that there’s no time to deny it, as they should be together.
15. “Major Tom” by Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling’s 1982 song “Major Tom” retells the story that David Bowie created with his song “Space Oddity”. So, in Schilling’s song, he talks about the astronaut “Major Tom” who goes up to space alone — and ends up never coming back down to Earth.
When describing his experience, Schilling sings, “Earth below us / Drifting, falling / Floating weightless / Calling, calling home”.
Major Tom is floating in space and chooses not to come back down to Earth, just as Bowie’s Major Tom decided!
16. “Miracles” by Coldplay
Coldplay’s 2014 song “Miracles” was written for the film Unbroken, which follows a World War II veteran as he tries to move past the trauma he experienced during war and capture. Through his quest to move past his trauma, he finds religion and ends up forgiving the people who harmed him.
So, in Coldplay’s song, the band sings about discovering how to forgive those who did you harm while also experiencing religion. They sing about floating, as a result. The lyrics say, “Oh, now I’m floating so high / I blossom and die”.
17. “Devotion” by Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding’s 2015 song “Devotion”, which appears on her album Delirium, discusses a romantic relationship. Goulding is devoted to this person and says she’ll be with them forever. She sings, “Our bodies in motion, I am caught / Floating in your gravity”.
18. “I’m Not Dead” by Pink
In Pink’s 2006 song “I’m Not Dead”, she discusses a romantic relationship that has come to an end. She sings, “I’m not dead, just floating / Right between the ink on your tattoo / In the belly of the beast we turned into”.
Pink goes on to explain how she’s floating through life — and she doesn’t care. Even though she lost this person that she loves, she knows that they’ll find their way back together again! So, she’ll float through life until they are back together.
19. “Like Spinning Plates” by Radiohead
Radiohead released their song “Like Spinning Plates” on their 2001 album Amnesiac. The band discusses how many leaders have sent innocent people into wars that they didn’t believe in, or didn’t want to fight for. However, they were told they had to go.
Unfortunately, the people did not have any other alternative, and the song ends with the line, “My body’s floating down the muddy river”. This line obviously points towards death and could even be a reference to the River Styx, which is the river of Greek mythology where the living and the dead can meet. Often, people go to this river right after death in Greek mythology!
20. “Space Oddity” by David Bowie
Finally, let’s talk about “Space Oddity” by David Bowie — which may be the best song about floating! We’ve already discussed Bowie’s song when talking about Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom”. The same story in “Major Tom” is told (and was created) in this 1969 song.
Bowie narrates Major Tom’s feelings when he’s up in space. Therefore, he sings, “I’m stepping through the door / And I’m floating in a most peculiar way / And the stars look very different today”.