Nick Davies maps a love that never lands on “Parallel Lines”
A quietly devastating ballad about loving someone you'll never be with — and choosing, instead, to be a friend.
“A perfect metaphor sustained — love acknowledged, partnership refused, friendship offered with grace.”
In “Parallel Lines,” Nick Davies trades grand orchestral gestures for something far more intimate: a quiet, aching confession wrapped in melodic simplicity. The song explores the kind of relationship many people experience but rarely articulate — the one defined not by conflict or closure, but by permanence without possibility. Davies captures that paradox with disarming clarity. From the opening moment — someone crying in the night, terrified of never finding “the one” — he subtly flips the emotional lens, revealing his own silent struggle: he's lost sleep too, but for a very different reason.
The metaphor at the heart of the song is beautifully sustained. Parallel lines… the same in every way, but never mind becomes both diagnosis and resignation. Davies understands that love doesn't always translate into partnership, and he avoids melodrama in favor of honesty. Instead of trying to force a romance into existence, he offers something purer: unwavering friendship — “faithful, good, and true.” Musically, the piece moves with the gentle inevitability of its imagery, gliding forward without ever converging. The effect is haunting.
What makes “Parallel Lines” stand out is its emotional intelligence. Davies resists the fantasy that love alone can reshape the world; he accepts that some connections, no matter how deep, are meant to remain parallel. It's a heartbreaking realization delivered with grace, tenderness, and a surprising note of peace.
The LyricsAs filed by the artist.Read →Close ↑
You cry to me at night frightened that you might not find the one If only you could see There've been nights I haven't slept because I'm not accepting what we are and what we'll always be Parallel Lines who's paths will never meet or intertwine The road is bittersweet for parallel lines Usually, I'd fight If I thought I might have half a chance, But I'm a conscious man Something in the soul keeps us from controlling who we love and who we never can Parallel lines The same in every way, but never mind Life prefers we stay as parallel lines Don't get me wrong, I'll fight for friendship 'til I'm blue, But if this song unearths a love you never knew, Then I'll be there with you, faithful, good, and true, and right where I belong Parallel Lines the same in every way, but never mind Life prefers we stay as parallel lines who's paths will never meet or intertwine The road is bittersweet for parallel lines Love has blossomed plenty of times Never once for parallel lines No matter how much any heart pines, It's not enough for parallel lines
Lyrics for “Parallel Lines” by Nick Davies· Published with the artist's permission
Send us your single, EP, album, or music video.
More modern rock/pop reviews
The full archive →Nick Davies — “A Blink of an Eye”
A vicious, Bond-esque takedown of a social climber, delivered with British bite and zero appetite for redemption.
Nick Davies — “Opening Act”
A self-aware, vaudevillian romp about the unsung hero of every live show — written by someone clearly thrilled to be on the bill.
Nick Davies — “The Young Musician”
A vulnerable, autobiographical piano ballad in which Nick Davies thanks — by name — the music that saved him.