Meaning of "Big God" by Florence + The Machine

"Big God" delves into the deep longing and pain experienced in the aftermath of unrequited love. The notion of needing a big God highlights the speaker's search for a higher power that can match the intensity and depth of their love. In these lyrics, love is depicted as something overwhelming and uncontainable, requiring a greater force to hold and fill it. The lines "You keep me up at night, to my messages you do not reply" reveal the speaker's desperation for reciprocation and the torment of unanswered affection. The juxtaposition of "the best of the best and the worst of the worst" exemplifies the contradictory nature of love, in which the object of desire can simultaneously embody the highest and lowest aspects.

The repetition of the line "You'll always be my favorite ghost" suggests that the subject of the song is no longer present, perhaps because of rejection or loss. The use of the term "ghost" implies a spectral quality, someone who is no longer physically there but still haunts the speaker's thoughts and emotions. The pain of unrequited love is further explored in the lines "Sometimes I think it's getting' better, and then it gets much worse. Is it just part of the process? Well, Jesus Christ, it hurts." These lines convey the emotional rollercoaster one experiences, oscillating between moments of hope and despair, and questioning whether this torment is a necessary step in the process of healing and learning. The repetition of "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, it hurts" emphasizes the intensity and desperation of the pain.

In the later verses, the speaker pleads for affection to rain down on them and for the mountains to be pulled down and cities dragged to the sea. These metaphors reflect a desire for emotional catharsis and a release of pain and longing. The request "Don't leave me on this white cliff, let it slide down to the sea" expresses a desire for the pain to be washed away and released, for a resolution to be found. Overall, "Big God" presents a raw and visceral exploration of unrequited love and the agonizing emotions that accompany it, while also delving into the search for a higher power to help navigate these complex feelings.