Sam Ryder - Up Down Lyrics (2025) | Song Meaning

Up Down Lyrics


[Verse 1]
Can't keep away from each other, no matter what we try
I look for you in the sparkle till nothing's left in sight
You say I'm dead to you, baby, but you can never lie
Your lips keep bringing me back to life

[Pre-Chorus]
Blame it on the heartache
Blame it on the ring
Blame it on the feelings no one can explain
I still got your number, and I ain't got no shame
If it's not too late

[Chorus]
Are you up, and are you down?
I need somebody if you need somebody to love right now, yeah
Well, I'm out on your side of town
Are you up, and are you down?

[Post-Chorus]
Yeah, mm

[Verse 2]
There's so much I wish I could say to you
But my heart ain't in the right place, baby
Now my car's back in your driveway, baby
And I don't know what I should blame it on

[Pre-Chorus]
Blame it on the heartache
Blame it on the ring
Blame it on the feelings no one can explain
I still got your number, and I ain't got no shame
If it's not too late

[Chorus]
Are you up, and are you down?
I need somebody if you need somebody to love right now, yeah
Well, I'm out on your side of town
Are you up, and are you down?

[Post-Chorus]
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you down? Are you down?
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you up, and are you down?
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you down? Are you down?
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you up, and are you down?

[Bridge]
Try to keep my feet on the ground
But I'm a fool for you know
It's like a fire that keeps on burning
Try to keep my feet on the ground
But I keep coming around
I keep coming around

[Chorus]
Are you up, and are you down?
I need somebody if you need somebody to love right now, yeah
Well, I'm out on your side of town
Are you up, and are you down?

[Post-Chorus]
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you down? Are you down?
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you up, and are you down?
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you down? Are you down?
Are you up? Are you up?
Are you up, and are you down?
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Up Down Song Meaning (Sam Ryder)

Meaning and Emotional Core

In "Up Down", Sam Ryder opens a window into the outsized fluctuations of longing and connection that follow a relational knot that can’t quite untie. From the first line, “Can’t keep away from each other, no matter what we try,” the song hooks into that magnetic pull between two people who have declared they’re done, yet somehow still keep circling each other’s orbit.

The Symbolism of “Up” and “Down”

The juxtaposition of “up” and “down” in the chorus functions less like a clever phrase and more like the emotional pendulum the protagonist is caught in. “Are you up, and are you down?” becomes a question not just of the other person’s availability, but of the speaker’s own readiness to be seen, to be loved, to be returned. The tautness of being “out on your side of town” adds geography to hurt — the physical place overlaps with the emotional distance.

Emotional Conflict and Honesty

Throughout the verses the speaker wrestles with shame (“I still got your number, and I ain’t got no shame”) and self-awareness (“my heart ain’t in the right place”), acknowledging their own role in this loop. The ring, the heartache, the feelings “no one can explain” — these are symbols of love gone awry, of vulnerability they can’t quite shake off.

Artistic Context

Though there’s no publicly confirmed back story for this specific track, it clearly fits into Ryder’s broader artistic shift: moving away from the grand stage-anthem territory of his Eurovision era and toward more grounded, introspective songwriting. It suggests a chapter where he isn’t just playing the singer with a big voice, but the singer with a big heart — grappling with messy emotions, not hiding them.

Listener Connection

At its core, Up Down is about that state of suspended hope — hoping you’ll hear from someone, hoping they’ll need you, while simultaneously questioning what you really want or need. The post-chorus repetition (“Are you up? Are you down?”) becomes hypnotic, echoing the mind-loop you fall into when nights are long and texts go unanswered.

Conclusion

For listeners, the appeal lies in its relatability. Most of us have stood outside someone’s door — literal or figurative — wondering whether we’re welcome, and whether we’ve made a mistake by pressing pause. Ryder invites us into that place of uncertainty and still holds space for the possibility of reconnection.

In Up Down, Ryder doesn’t offer a clean resolution — he offers presence. In doing so, he reflects a mature pop songwriter’s willingness to linger in the gray zone, and to admit that sometimes the most honest path is simply showing up, even when it hurts.
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Sam Ryder Latest Songs

  1. Olympic ’89
  2. Heartland
  3. Suffer In Silence
  4. Burn It Down
  5. Up Down
  6. Electric Marine Blue
  7. Eyes On You
FAQ Section
Who sung the song "Up Down" by Sam Ryder?
The song "Up Down" was sung by Sam Ryder.
Who wrote the song "Up Down" by Sam Ryder?
Sam Ryder, Federico Vindver, Jacob Kasher & Jesse Fink.
Who produced the song "Up Down" by Sam Ryder?
FEDE.

Music Video


Song Details

Artist: Sam Ryder
Album: Heartland
Genre: Pop
Language: English
Released: October 17, 2025