VERSE/CHORUS/BRIDGE ANALYSIS:

First Verse:

You got a new life Am I bothering you, do you wanna talk?

straight away, harry acknowledges one basic fact: the subject’s day-to-day schedule looks different from what it used to. this could be taken in the literal sense (they are busier, have different/more activities than usual, etc.), or it could be interpreted as this person’s perspective on things has changed.

from the second line, harry is already tip-toeing around the want to start a conversation. he wonders if he’s bothering this person by wishing to communicate with them, but still asks if they can speak.

here we see a major difference from harry’s previous work.

issue in communication is something that harry, as a person and within his romantic relationship, is no stranger to. but each time it has been referenced in the past, it has always been represented in two ways: (i) general resistance to communication (this can be as simple as refusing to take blame) (ii) waiting for conversation to happen without doing anything to initiate it.

but this time, he’s inviting this person to speak with him: do you wanna talk, (because i want to).

We share the last line Then we drink the wall 'til we wanna talk

these two lines could be taken very literally (aka, drug/alcohol references), and it would make sense. there’s this pre-determined need to not be sober when they communicate, perhaps because they can be more honest, more open about difficult conversations.

since “we” is used here, one could assume that both harry and the subject do wish to communicate (another difference from his previous albums). this could also be implied by the lyric “we share the last line”, when taken to meaning the previously sung line (am i bothering you, do you wanna talk?). they share this sentiment, they share the last line.

“we drink the wall ‘till we wanna talk”. is this a hyperbole? is he saying they’re going to have to drink the entire wall of alcohol in order to be able to communicate? or rather, does he mean that they’ll need to drink the wall between them away till it’s down, so they can communicate? i’m leaning more towards the latter.

Pre-Chorus:

I go round and round Satellite

harry compares himself to a satellite going around a planet, or perhaps someone he considers his world in a romantic interpretation. the purpose of an artificial satellite is communication, but its kept at the perfect distance from the celestial body around which it orbits.

this person needs their space, so harry quite literally gives them space.

Chorus:

Spinnin' out, waitin' for ya to pull me in I can see you're lonely down there Don't you know that I am right here? Spinnin' out, waitin' for ya to pull me in I can see you're lonely down there Don't you know that I am right here? Spinnin' out, waitin' for ya

harry spins out into their orbit and waits patiently. all he can do is go around them and quietly observe them, and one of these observations that he makes it that the person is clearly lonely. he believes they’re lonely because they’ve been left alone to think about their thoughts, about whatever conversation it is that harry so desperately wishes to be a part of.

in another interpretation, one can also see the lyric “down there” as being about his partner “feeling down” (and thus emotionally shutting him out.)

“don’t you know that i am right here?”. there’s melancholy, desperation and a slight frustration in this lyric. he’s telling the subject that he can see them. he’s been observing them meticulously and has come to the conclusion that they’re lonely. but the subject doesn’t seem to realize that harry is right there with them too, so he ponders;

don’t you know that i’m here for you? to communicate and help you through whatever it is that’s troubling you? i can see that you’re lonely, but you don’t have any reason to be because i’m right here. i’m just waiting for you to eliminate the space between us.

Second verse:

I'm in an LA mood I don't wanna talk to you She said, "Give me a day or two"

the second verse is opposite to the first verse.

in the first verse, harry is inviting the idea of communication. in the second, he makes it blatantly clear that he doesn’t wish to communicate. he’s not tip-toeing around this refusal to communicate, he isn’t shying away from it - he’s saying it in the most obvious manner: i don’t want to talk to you.

in other words, it takes two to have communication issues.

his reasoning behind this refusal to communicate is that he’s in an LA mood, a place which harry considers to be work. if you think about the environment of someone’s workplace, along with the realities of LA in general (think stereotypical stardom), he may simply be saying that he’s in a bad mood, possibly as a result of whatever he’s required to do because of his work.

i’m inclined to believe that this includes his stunts.

the pronoun “she” is used here, when throughout the rest of the song there was a “you” being addressed to. the “she” could represent the subject of the song, harry himself, or a completely different person entirely, and there’s not enough context behind the “she” to know which one.

the same person:

his partner believes it’ll only take a day or two for them to help harry start talking and no longer be in an LA mood. (i personally do not see much substance in this interpretation, but i digress.)

harry himself:

considering harry’s explorations with gender in the past, the pronoun perhaps is intentional. its possible that he means he will be out of his LA mood and ready to open up to this person.

a different person:

there’s another subject in this situation. perhaps this person is the reason behind him being in an LA mood, and whatever task he must complete in LA also requires the availability of this person.

Bridge:

Right here, right here Spinnin' out, waitin' for ya I'm here, right here Wishin' I could be there for ya Be there for ya Be there for ya (For ya) For ya Be there for ya

his partner doesn’t seem to realize that he is right here, or perhaps harry believes thats the case and thus he’s trying to drive home the fact. he has his hands on this persons shoulders, shaking them and trying to make them see again and again that he’s right here.

“i’m here, right here” this almost sounds comforting. like he’s trying to give some solace to his partner by saying i’m here. you don’t have to face whatever is troubling you alone because i’m here. you’re not alone, you don’t need to be lonely.

“wishin’ i could be there for ya” - harry just said that he’s right here, and now he says he wishes he could be there for his partner. this implies emotional distance instead of physical distance, because while he is physically close to his partner (right here), he isn’t emotionally close with them and therefore he tells them that he wishes he could be.

COMPARISONS:

with harry’s own work (from HSH):

late night talking:

this song is quite literally the opposite of satellite, but the parallels remain. late night talking is about having communication despite physical distance, while satellite is about not having communication despite physical closeness.

If you're feelin' down I just wanna make you happier, baby Wish I was around I just wanna make you happier, baby

regardless, harry’s desires remain the same. he wants to be there for this person, and make them happier when they’re not feeling good.

with louis’ work:

habit

You gave me the time and the space I was out of control and I'm sorry, I let you down

while i don’t believe “satellite” and “habit” are referencing the same moment, i do think these lyrics say enough about louis’ need to have space and time to himself, separate from his partner, in order to work things out on his own.

“7″ cover

And I love you but I need another year alone

And I love you but I need another second to myself

both of these lyrics of a song that louis chose to cover on tour are pretty much direct responses to satellite - affirmation of love for this person, but a gentle statement that he needs time to himself.

LAST THOUGHTS:

satellite as a whole is laced with an underlying anxiety. the emotional distance between harry and his partner, and the frustrating way it affects him can be seen not only through lyrics but also through production, with it becoming increasingly erratic in sound.

its almost a cacophony, like the music and sound was specifically chosen to represent the exasperation that harry is feeling inside his head. he’s going round and round, and he cannot stop feeling this desperate need to be there for his partner and make them feel better again, whilst also stopping himself from eliminating the space between him and his partner because he respects their wishes, needs and boundaries right now.

and i think that in and of itself is quite healthy. the willingness to give your partner the space they need to sort through their own issues isn’t something that everyone is capable of or everyone understands needs to happen. mostly because its only natural to want to help them and somehow even that innocent want can cross lines when your partner wishes for space.

that’s why it’s quite beautiful that harry acknowledges that. he acknowledges that he wants to be there for them, that he can see his partner is lonely. but, he holds back. he waits patiently until they pull him in. because despite his need to make things better, there’s a much stronger need to be what his partner wishes him to be in that moment - their satellite.

VERSE/CHORUS/BRIDGE ANALYSIS:

First Verse:

Black and white film camera Yellow sunglasses Ashtray, swimming pool Hot wax, jump off the roof

the scenery has been set instantly from the first verse through a basic stream of consciousness writing technique. it implies that harry will be using the verses of the song to reminisce about memories shared between him and his partner.

the first verse has things that do not exactly relate to one another, with the exception of black and white film & camera. otherwise, it's quite literally a random toss of words that only have meaning to harry and his partner, and are therefore quite uninterpretable by anybody else.

A small concern with how the engine sounds We held darkness in withheld clouds I would ask, "Should we just keep driving?"

harry now snaps back to the current day. the vehicle represents their relationship, and thus the engine represents the state of their relationship. at the very worst, there’s a chance that their relationship may fail in the future because the situation doesn’t look ideal at the moment.

thus harry recalls an earlier time in which they had major concerns.

the lyric "we held darkness in withheld clouds" could mean several things, all of which have a similar message. he is remembering a period of time, perhaps within the band, in which their relationship was repressed. this caused them to hold darkness, or rather, to suffer greatly.

the past tense tells us they are no longer in that situation.

harry then says he would ask 'should we just keep driving?'. he's remembering that at the time they held darkness in withheld clouds, he would ask his partner if they should continue the relationship.

that is whats so interesting about this chorus. harry is acknowledging that there are problems with their relationship, but specifically notes that its a small concern. those two words sound so mild in comparison to the "darkness" he speaks about in juxtaposition. its almost like he's trying to say that we're concerned for the future, but we've been through worse.

Second Verse:

Maple syrup, coffee Pancakes for two Hash brown, egg yolk I will always love you

this verse is, arguably, my favorite out of all of them for four reasons:

his voice. this is the softest that he has sounds in the entire song, and it makes so much sense because its arguably the softest part of the whole song too.

the simplicity. the entire verse is just him describing their breakfast foods. it's sickeningly domestic, a simple and constant routine that he is highlighting because it means so much to him.

the last line. i will always love you is arguably the most blatant harry has ever been in a romantic song. he's not using flowery language and poetry and my eyes want you more than a melody. he's stating a simple fact. here are all our memories - i loved you during them. lets keep driving - i love you now. here is our breakfast foods - i will love you forever.

the fact that its the only verse in the entire song that follows a syllable meter rule (4/6), with four syllables making up the first and third lines and six syllables making up the second and fourth line. this is very often coincidental in songwriting, and more purposeful in poetry, but there's no hard and fast rule. assuming its not coincidental, the entire verse becomes even sweeter because its like he's saying that two things will always remain stable, a constant truth. the breakfast that we like. and the fact that i will always love you.

Second Chorus:

A small concern with how the engine sounds We held darkness in withheld clouds I would ask, "Should we just keep driving?" Should we just keep driving?

the second chorus has only one difference. he has thought about their memories in the first verse. he has reflected on what they did when they suffered previously in the first chorus. then, he remembers domesticity and love in the second verse. and now, upon having remembered that, he makes up his mind.

he'll ask what he asked before. the question is now being asked in the present. considering how they clearly kept driving before (as indicated by the past to present transition), there's an implication that he wants to keep going with his partner just like before.

Bridge:

Passports in footwells Kiss her and don't tells Wine glass, puff pass, tea with cyborgs Riot America, science and edibles Life hacks going viral in the bathroom

note: too many of you have been focused on the next line, and not on the fact that harry seems to have made an onlyjayus reference. tiktok harry please do not rise.

Cocaine, side boob Choke her with a sea view Toothache, bad move Just act normal Moka pot Monday, it's all good Hey, you Should we just keep driving?

this is one intense bridge.

what is interesting about this bridge is that it has become less intimate, less domestic. we're focusing on travel, fame, drugs, sexual innuendos, riots, america (in other words, not home), pain, etc.

its all a part of their relationship, but its not specific to them. and the second he starts talking about these things, aka when the bridge begins, the overall vibes of the song changes.

the music starts to become more and more intense, seemingly heading for a climax and there's a sense of anxiety and trepidation when one focuses on the music alone. it almost sounds like they're pushing the car's engine too far.

its like when the focus is on more chaotic matters in their life, their relationship suffers. fame, traveling, the state of the world. but whats also important to note is that the bridge is separated into two chunks and yet harry doesn't stop once between them to ask his partner the question. he doesn’t communicate.

but then, right when the climax is about to hit, he finally asks it. and the second he does, everything goes quiet. the music mellows and becomes the same sunshine-y rhythm as the beginning of the song.

and i think that's the whole point of the song. when you don't communicate (don't ask that question) in the more chaotic aspects of your life, there is a high chance that your relationship's engine will fail. its like harry has realized this because he doesn't try bringing up the small concern in how the engine sounds. he hears it, despite how obviously he's trying to keep his quickening voice calm and soft, and thus checks in with his partner.

and then does it again, and again.

COMPARISONS:

fine line, track 11:

this song can have a plethora of different interpretations, all valid. however, keep driving reminds me a little of fine line because i interpret both of them as inspections of his relationship (and life in general).

fine line is a slightly chaotic dissection between the extremes of his relationship like the really high & really low, while keep driving is about the in-betweens, like the memories, the inside jokes, the small and simple routines specific to him and his partner.

despite the difference in his approach to inspecting his relationship in both songs, the basic acknowledgements remain the same:

“we’ll be a fine line”/“small concern with how the engine sounds” - implying the imperfections of his relationship, that perhaps come with an instability and concern at times.

“we’ll be alright”/“we’ve held darkness and withheld clouds, should we just keep driving?” “it’s all good, hey you” - acknowledging that despite the issues, they’ve overcome bad things before and they’re gonna be okay.

“you’ve got my devotion”/“I will always love you” - assuring that above everything else, the good and the bad and in the in-between, there is an unwavering commitment.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

keep driving is a beautiful observation of a long-term relationship, layered in history and an endless stream of memories and absolutely drenched with commitment, love, and partnership.

the many different parts of life; the domestic, exciting and chaotic times are all shared within the comfort of one car on the same journey. there has been troubling experiences between them in the past, and there is small worries about longevity as anybody in a longtime relationship has experienced, worries that are perhaps not entirely in their control.

however, above all of that, there is something else. something that starts the song and ends it to. a willingness to make things work and continue being in this relationship together. there is communication that stops the chaos, the loudness, the potential failures. there is a softness to the narrators voice as all this happens, indicating the precious nature of the relationship itself. there is a reassuring admission of his endless love for his partner when he tells them he will always love them. there is a heart-fluttering playfulness in the way he greets his partner by saying hey, you.

all of these things, when combined together, make the reality of a long-term relationship. a reality that isn’t sugarcoated by poetry or prose or flowery metaphors, but is real and raw and existing and beautiful.