Lyrically, the narrator of the song has lost his orientation because of a dying relationship. He uses the sea as a metaphor to describe his feeling that he is drowning. Mr. Probz attributes the song's success in part to its honesty. He told Digital Spy: "I think everybody could place themselves in those words one way or another. It doesn't matter if it's friendship or a relationship or whatever. I think everybody could. It's just honest. If you keep it simple and honest then people are gonna relate to it. I hope, I don't know. It depends on the person who's listening. For me, I think that's one of the reasons."

The song includes a number of metaphors to illustrate the idea of being overwhelmed by a person's presence (feeling like drowning). The very first line of the song is 'My face above the water/My feet can't touch the ground'. This metaphor implies that the singer is struggling, and has no control (because his feet are not on the ground) but also shows that he is able to survive it because his 'face [is] above the water'. Mr Probz then uses the metaphor of waves to once again show that he is being overwhelmed.

Later the song gives the listener more information about why he is feeling this way: 'I can see the sands on the horizon every time you are not around'. So when she's not around he can see solid ground ahead, the shore, which implies that the feeling of almost drowning comes when she is around; it is her presence what makes him feel so overwhelmed, so confused and vulnerable.

But towards the end of the song we learn that the real cause of this drowning feeling is not really the woman, but his difficulty to relate to her, to express his feelings, to reach to her. All his struggle is because he is trying to connect, but he doesn't know how: 'I wish I could make it easy to love me, but still I reach to find a way'. The singer cites himself as the troublesome cause of problems in his own romantic life.

'I'm looking for the right words to say'; anybody who has been in love understands finding the right words to say becomes an act of desperation when love is not reciprocated.

Waves are a suitable metaphor, because they leave those treading water in a constant upward and downward motion, much like the emotional experience of love. Especially at the beginning (first chorus) the voice of the singer goes up and down, creating the effect of coming and going, like waves, which happens to be in itself a strong illusion for a man being drifted along by the waves. Struggling to hold on to a relationship is no easy battle. That’s what Mr. Probz is trying to comunicate with the reference to 'pulling against the stream'.

Mr Probz uses a lot of repetition of the words 'wave after wave', 'drifting' and 'pulling against the stream' to reinforce the imagery of waves repeatedly hitting against him, even though he is trying to escape. The repetition also gives the listener a sense of helplessness as the song ends with him 'drowning' in the constant 'waves' of emotion, with no way out.

So at the end of the day, this is a song about trying to stabilize a shaky, though still meaningful, romantic relationship.