Buckle Lyrics – Florence + the Machine

Meaning of ‘Buckle’ Lyrics Explained

Verse 1 Meaning:
She’s feeling lonely and vulnerable, wanting to reach out to someone she still deeply cares about, even though she knows it’s probably a bad idea. Despite being admired and loved by many people, she feels completely alone inside. Her confidence is fading fast, and she’s stuck wondering what she’d even say if she called. The fact that this person couldn’t even reply for days makes her pain sting even more.

Chorus Meaning:
Here, she admits her flaws openly, calling herself broken while recognizing that the other person is a mess too. No matter how much she tries to stay strong, all her determination falls apart the moment they appear. She knows their connection is unhealthy and doomed, but she still wants to feel something real, even if it hurts. Being kept as a secret and treated like she doesn’t matter still doesn’t stop her from holding on, desperate and emotionally attached, like she’s hanging by the buckle on their belt.

Verse 2 Meaning:
She’s describing a cycle of heartbreak and self-destruction. After being left alone and emotionally wrecked, she feels powerless and keeps giving in to someone who doesn’t treat her right. She’s aware of how unhealthy it is—therapy feels pointless because she keeps going back. To numb the pain, she drinks and drifts through places connected to that person, trying to fill the emptiness by seeking attention from anyone who flatters her. Blocking them doesn’t even make a difference, and she’s crushed by how unnoticed she feels.

Bridge Meaning:
She realizes she’s too old to still be stuck in this painful loop, feeling like she should have moved on by now. But emotionally, she hasn’t—she’s still caught in the same heartbreak.

Chorus Meaning:
Once again, she confesses how damaged she feels, trapped in a love that she knows won’t work but can’t walk away from. When that person is near, everything else fades, and her self-control disappears. She’s aware of her weakness and even questions her self-worth, almost begging to be shown that she still matters somehow. Even when she’s kept hidden and replaced, she continues to cling emotionally, unable to let go, still metaphorically hanging from the buckle on their belt—completely tied to someone who can’t love her back the way she needs.