Sitting on the Roof of the World
by Dido

Album: Girl Who Got Away (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Much of Girl Who Got Away was written and recorded before the summer of 2011 when Dido and her husband had their first child. "I wrote everything on this album before I got pregnant,' she said. "And a lot of it was actually recorded while I was pregnant." An unmistakable optimism shines through the record, which glows particularly brightly in the loved-up redemption of this folksy, autobiographical tune.
  • Though Dido considers this to be the most autobiographical song on Girl Who Got Away, the lyrics were actually written by her brother Rollo Armstrong, who is best known for being one of the founder members of the electronic group Faithless. "It just feels so relevant to me," she told Rolling Stone. "I think that's the beauty of working with Rollo. He's the only other person who's ever written lyrics for my stuff, 'cause it sort of feels like this extension of my brain . . . I get really nicely surprised by his lyrics. I might sing them one way at first, thinking they're about this, and then suddenly it'll become about something else."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.