Ben Howard – Keep Your Head Up lyrics

I always associated keep your hair long with Samson in the Bible who when he kept his hair long was really strong but when he cut it off he got weak. I think he's trying to say you should stay strong and not just give up and cut your hair off, a.k.a. lose your strength.

The song is about inward Journey. The journey into what Carl Jung described as the Shadow. Some people refer to that part as the subconscious. The song is about reflection . When he saw the old friend, the friend recognized his growth for he had done the inward Journey of himself and become his true self.

Absolutely this is about love lost and not finding it with anyone else. "oh i said i had been away" is that place we go when we are sad after losing love and ourselves for awhile. The song is about the hope you need to keep searching for and waiting for. I love the line "oh eyes like wildflowers". Such a beautifully vivid image of the colors of one's eyes. I can fully envision this in my lover's green eyes. Such a beautiful song and talented artist.

Change vs Not Changing.
Growing apart from people.
And or Growing apart from yourself having been/being so invested mentally, emotionally, physically or all of the above as well as investing time into Someone, Something or a Relationship. The trials, time & energy, bumps in the road, rough patches, of trying (climbing a mountain) versus getting there just to, when all said & done, turn around (turn in the tide) and walk back down the mountain (which is much easier than climbing up, perhaps even, to a degree, finding relief in it. Even tho it seemed possibly wasted or for nothing since to just go back to where started at in first place. Or from before. It still seems he's having some sort of eye opener, and feeling comforted (wind so soft on my skin, sun warm upon my side) in the conclusions/resolutions he's found, he thought he'd be happy doing what he done before, to see that it was himself, his old self or previous self or just true self, and being good enough for himself, he was really needing when he'd been looking to other things before instead. He probably felt helpless & hopeless at certain points, then is reminding to stay strong even in difficult dark times and/or through life's changes, to not lose faith and stay true to who you are. Not letting things get the better of you, keep your mind set in your own ways.
Having been away, was reflective of where he'd been that was contrary to his true self and wants and values, neglected himself and what he really needed and had changed in uncomforting ways, then seeing an old friend that had faith in him and knew who he was, and therefore believed in him as a person. To rise above and come back stronger after having hit rock bottom so to speak (id said id been away, oh and he knew the depths I was meaning) how far low you can go negatively and fall/hit bottom before turning your steps around for the positive. : I'm happy to have you home. " Asin back to his roots, his old true self. He knew he was strong enough and happy, proud he did it and was back. A real positive overall better change back to/For the Good. Stay strong, don't lose hope no matter how difficult or far off it seems, youll make it through, keep ur heart strong, mind set in your ways, don't lose touch with who you really are and feel and everything you stand for. Keep ur hair long, don't let circumstances, people or things have a negative impact on you to where your drastically changed from because what makes you makes you. Keep yourself.

For me, its about a guy who misses someone he loves so much that it affected him negatively. He was trying to look for answers why they cannot make it right again only to find out he was weak. So he was telling or giving advices base on what he realised to the person he loves to start being strong. No matter how its going to be even if they will stay together or not she gotta not lose herself bec. He will always adore her/love her, will remember her the same. He hope that they will both stay the same and feel the same, actually. Bec change cqn be bad sometimes. Also he realised that he missed someone so much that when he saw a friend smiled at him he felt better again and then he started singing the chrous again to stay strong n never lose hope.