| Troye Sivan – Swimming Pools Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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Definitely one of Sivan’s most underrated songs in my opinion. “Swimming Pools” completed his 2015 “Blue Neighborhood” album, although it was added as a bonus track which is probably why it hasn’t gained as much attention as some of his other songs. The album, in my opinion was really split into 2 types of songs: sad, reminiscent songs about emotional detachment (or lack thereof), and dreamier songs that gave the listener a sense of distant autonomy. Swimming Pools falls into the later category. The song first starts off with the repeated phrase: “I’ve been running, running, run.” This opens the scene by giving the listener an image that’s already in action. The speaker has been doing something that requires him to be running which automatically puts a question in the listener’s mind: is he running away or towards something? First Stanza: Here we see that the speaker’s goal is to get to “empty swimming pools” but there’s something in his way. He calls it a “wave” which matches the watery theme throughout the song. The significance of what he means by reaching empty swimming pools is introduced as the mental state of essentially getting over someone. He knows he has to stay strong and “plant” his feet in order to be successful in detaching the lifestyle or person that the speaker was in that phase of his failed relationship, or he’ll fall back into a desperate cycle. This is what he know he can’t outrun. Next Stanza: The lighthouse here serves as a guidance pointing him in the right direction, but he has to fight through the wave first. The significance of the wave is hinted in the line about draining out things (and person) that he used to find comfort in. His goal is different than it used to be, and it requires him to purge every last part of the person he was to get to ground zero again. Last Stanza: Here he’s basically saying that confronting his attachment to his former lover will tempt him back and drain any confidence/assurity he had to move on. He has to convince himself that life will be better once he gets through this. The song continues and ends in a way that commences the race between the speaker and those temptations. He sings “empty swimming pools” several times before repeating “I’ve been running” many more times to visualize the process of seeing his goal and striving to achieve it; the mental strife taking more effort than the actual end goal. We leave the speaker running from the past to propel himself forward to a better future. |
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| Harry Styles – She Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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@[helmutfork:45298] this is a reply to you since there isn’t an option to reply directly to your message. I apologize for replying so late, I just got back to my account today. I can see where you’re getting the idea from, which is one I hadn’t thought of before. Mostly I can see the connection in the part where he says “she’s the first one that I see, and I don’t why, I don’t know who/where she is” since it can be interpreted as an emotional disconnect between the man and this woman he sees (“the first one”), probably regularly. The fact that she “lives for a memory” can be seen as his fantasy of the past. And the part that talks about why he can’t tell his mates about this woman may also go along with the idea that the emotional disconnect is too complicated or personal for the man to share with others. Personally, I always thought that “She” was representative of a concept or something non-material. The line that really convinced me was “And he’s thinking of you, like all of us do”. He’s connecting this greater meaning that applies to everyone, and then goes on to talk about how this man has a burden weighing on his mind while he’s going through the routine of his mundane life. The part where “he takes a boat out, imagines just sailing away” makes me think that he’s trying to escape because he believes he can only fulfill this desire if he gets away from his present version of life. But truly, that is the point of the song. He is thinking about something that he can’t have in the present. His image of ‘her’ is the one he desires, whether it be a fantasy of an alternative life or a partner that he used to know. He knows that “she” is an unreachable ideal, which completely goes with your interpretation that his partner may have done something that changed their relationship to the point where he can only dream about the person she once was. The amazing thing about music is that it speaks to each person differently. I might have thought of this the same way you had if I had gone through some of the things that you described. |
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| The Neighbourhood – Female Robbery Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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This song really just expresses a deep desire to be wanted. The song begins with the depressive image of a house in which the narrator is watching TV. The role of the “TV'' here is really important to the fantasy because it essentially sets it up by acting as a reality check. Television not only shows us the outside world, but an idealized one too. It shows him what it looks like to be loved. Whatever the narrator saw on the TV made him realize that he “has nothing”, meaning ‘no one’, and his hunger for affection awakens. The first line either says “I think I found hell” or “help”; neither changes the idea that the narrator has come to the realization that their current state of neglect is unbearable and that he believes there’s only one solution for it. He may have said “I have nothing in this place for me” to alternatively mean that he knows that he has no redeeming qualities that would be deserving of love. He feels undeserving and knows that he cannot earn the affection of another person because that would require him to create something in his character that is not there to begin with. The narrator now believes that there is no realistic way he could ever be wanted. So he imagines a fantasy (“I watched it all in my head”) where someone defies the rules of logical attraction and desires him anyway. They are depicted as a thief because, like stealing, to want him is to break the rules of common sense. This is why they leave all of the valuable things in his house and go straight for him. They have no other ulterior motives. Later it says “they know just about everything” because the criminal knows about all of these negative qualities that the narrator has, and still chooses to desire him unconditionally. The chorus, “please don’t let the police know anything”, is his cry of desperation. The TV has shown him an ideal world, and now that he’s had a taste of it, he could never go back to his lonely state. This is why he gets on his knees and prays for the impossible - someone (a “felon”) to want him. Then the next stanzas are a continuation of his fantasy. In it, the criminal is obsessive over him. They knew he “would never run” from their affection. The bit about them not shooting him additionally shows that the criminal needs him just as much as he needs them. The last line, “I think I found love” parallels the first line because it shows how the narrator has finally found love in this fantasy where he both desires and is desired. Note: I haven’t seen the music video, so this is just my interpretation based on the lyrics and the song alone. Also I explained it with male pronouns only because the singer is male. The narrator could actually be a woman, as suggested by the title. |
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| Harry Styles – She Lyrics | 3 years ago |
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There’s a lot more to this song than what meets the eye. The extended music solos, the far-away vocals, and the emphasis of the music and the lyrics over the sound of singer’s voice are subtly uncharacteristic elements of Harry Styles’ music. There are a lot of ways this song can be interpreted but this is how I personally understand it: Let’s look at the first stanza: “Nine in the morning The man drops his kids off at school And he's thinking of you Like all of us do Sends his assistant for coffee in the afternoon Around 1:32 Like he knows what to do” Right away the narrator introduces the duality of the subject’s life. With that one powerful line (“and he’s thinking of you…”) the conflict is casually mentioned, almost like a second thought. The rest of this stanza just establishes the small details of his life that gives us a picture of why the coexistence of his desire for this other person could drastically disrupt his life. For example, we can assume that this man is socially successful. He has a high enough position in his career that he can afford an assistant to do menial tasks for him. He has more than one child that he dutifully takes care of. The mention of time stamps here (“nine in the morning” and “1:32”) as well as the fact that his assistant “knows what to do” further show that his life is dictated by routine and order - in other words, he is secure. The part of this verse where it says “like all of us do” sticks out almost as much as the line before it. It suddenly draws the narrative out of 3rd person into first person, because the narrator wants the audience to understand that there is an overall significance very early on in this seemingly normal story. The message applies to all of “us” as we will see. Chorus: “She (she) She lives in daydreams with me (she) She's the first one that I see And I don't know why I don't know who she is (she, she)” Here, the speaker switches from a narrator’s voice to the man’s first person voice. We are literally breaking away from an overview of his life to his inner thoughts. The object of the man’s desire is made more tangible now that we know that it is a woman - “She”. The first three lines further establish that this person is always on his mind. We know that he finds comfort in her because she is present in his “daydreams”. The last two lines of the chorus imply that this woman may not even be an actual person. He doesn’t know why, where, or who she is. There are three ways “she” can be interpreted: 1. She is a woman that he is having an affair with, wether she is one person or multiple, 2. She is the woman he secretly desires to be or the personification of his sexuality, and 3. She represents an escape into the care-free life he could have had. Whether “she” is sexual, personal, or spiritual freedom, the concept represents the thrill and surreality that a different life could offer him. “He takes a boat out Imagines just sailing away (away, away) And not telling his mates (not telling his mates) He wouldn't know what to say (wouldn't know what to say, to say)” This verse shows how the man’s responsibilities and the structure of his life make it impossible for him to pursue his secret desires. He’s considering leaving everything behind, but he knows he can’t because he has people (“his mates”) to answer to. And he knows his explanation would not be accepted. Chorus again “Lives for the memory A woman who's just in his head (just in his head) And she sleeps in his bed (his bed) While he plays pretend (pretend) So pretend (pretend)” Here again, the narrator tells us that the man is living a double life. While he pretends to be a happy husband/father/worker every day, he simultaneously suppresses his true identity/desires. But he cannot deny how he feels, which is why he saves his desires for his thoughts and bed, both of which are private places a person can feel secure in. The chorus repeats two more times before the song ends with a long, dreamy guitar solo that leaves the audience without a resolution to this man’s dilemma. Styles was probably inspired by his own experiences when writing this song. Everyone knows that Harry Styles was launched on to the world stage at a very young age because of One Direction’s global success. We’ve heard from the other ex members that they had trouble figuring themselves out during that time because they were so young and they were under a lot of pressure from their management and the world. But aside from the details of his personal life, Styles makes it clear throughout the song that self discovery is a human experience. An average working man and a famous pop singer can relate to the same internal conflict while being worlds apart. That’s my interpretation :) |
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| The Neighbourhood – No Grey Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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Essentially, this song is about the corruption that comes with getting too much fame and money too fast. Let’s look at the first stanza: “First things first, I don't wanna be forgotten Even worse, I don't wanna be alone But if it all stops today, I'll probably say I didn't waste a minute when I'm finished” The first line introduces the dilemma: his desire for the spotlight that comes from some deep-seated longing for appreciation. However, he also knows that in order for him to reach that level, he will have to face it alone, as people tend to become divided into the 2 categories of fans and haters when a person rises to fame. He then says that if his life or his success were to stop abruptly, then he would reflect upon his past actions as necessary and satisfactory because he would still have met his dream of making a ton of cash and becoming an icon. He tells himself that being alone is worth the recognition. “Brand new faith and I'm ready for the camera's mention And all I pay and my money and my damn attention Didn't get me the deal, got me to feel How you would hear my sentence when I'm finished” These lines elaborate on the idea that the narrator is willing to do whatever it takes to receive praise and fortune, describing his dedication to the goal as a “new faith”. However, the pursuit of these things doesn’t let him get the “deal” - obtain fame/money permanently, and now he is stuck in the loop for the next ‘hit’ of fame/money. This idea is expressed in the last line when he says that it makes him feel like how hearing the end of a spoken sentence feels: you don’t know what the next sentence is, or even if there is a next sentence, but you are waiting for it nonetheless. “You could do it for the money, money, money But the money makes them all the same Everything's sunny but the sunshine fades away Everything's black and white, no grey.” The chorus really sums up the whole song. He says that you can do unique things for money, but once you get into it you turn into every other slave of wealth: going to extremes to get more money and fame. The narrator compares the highs of being rich to sunshine that “fades away”. “No grey” means that there is no happy place in the middle. Once you’ve got a taste of fame, you can’t come out of it without an addiction to it. In his mind, either he is euphoric in the limelight or he is nothing without it. “Pitch black frames, you can see me when I wear my lenses And all they say is I'm fake and I don't get offended And when push comes to shove I'll show enough I didn't need to listen when I'm finished” Here the narrator says that he doesn’t hide his shallowness and the front he portrays in order to be popular. Sunglasses are mentioned here because they are the stereotypical symbol of being “cool”. He admits he is fake and that people think he has thick skin, but he also says that when “push comes to shove” he’ll react in a very emotional way. This shows that the narrator is still a person, however he’s very fragile because of his addiction. The last line can be interpreted as the narrator trying to comfort himself by saying that he doesn’t have to listen to criticism because eventually he will reach a level of fame and fortune that it won’t matter. “You're insane, what you said when I explain the game plan Nothing's changed, except a little more change in my hand Now I don't mean to brag, life was in fact Non-witness shows of women, it's not finished” The first part of this stanza describes a part of an exchange between the narrator and someone he told his future plans to. This person thinks he is in over his head, but he insists that his plans to get more famous/rich are, essentially a continuation of what he had been doing before, except now he has more money to invest in his future success. He then says that it will be worth it because his current life consisted of lots ‘one on one’ time with multiple women (non-witness shows are when a person convicted of a crime gets the option of having a hearing without witness to affirm or deny your story), which is something he can afford with all of his fame/fortune. This shows that the narrator is thirsty for any kind of affection to fill his deep-seated need for appreciation. “It’s not finished” is where he declares that he doesn’t want this high life to stop, which is why he must do crazy things to continue his pursuit of it. (Chorus again) “You ended up with gold but it started as a dream If I get cold put some honey in my tea I used to be broke, now there's money in my jeans I was broke now there's money in my jeans I was broke now there's money in my... hmph I was broke now there's money in my jeans” In this bridge, we really start to hear the regret in the narrator’s voice. He starts by saying that he originally rose to fame because of his dream, but now he is a wreck for money. In the second line he says that if he becomes bitter or feels lonely, he just needs another sweetly sickening shot of being in the spotlight. His situation is so dire that he relies on the spotlight to keep him from feeling “cold”. He reflects bitterly that he should be content because he is making a lot more than he used to. He repeats that last line three times to emphasize the idea that his addiction to fame/money has made him irrational, since logic says he should be happier now, but he’s not. The chorus repeats again in a sad temper, leaving the narrator without a solution to his destructive desires. That’s my interpretation :) |
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| The Neighbourhood – Reflections Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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Here’s an interpretation: Essentially, this song is about one sided love that stems from things outside of actual love. I’ll refer to the person (lover/ex lover) that the narrator is singing to as ‘person 2’. Let’s look at the first stanza: Where have you been? Do you know when you're coming back? 'Cause since you've been gone I've got along but I've been sad Clearly, we can see that the narrator mourns person 2’s emotional or even physical distance from him. This can mean that even when they see each other every day, it’s not the same as it used to be because person 2 simply isn’t themself. Their mind and heart is somewhere else. It can also mean that person 2 no longer sees him because of lack of interest or they want to avoid him. It is possible that the narrator has committed some irrevocable injustice against person 2 in the past, so they purposely distances themself to avoid getting hurt. Something of this nature is hinted later in the song. I tried to put it out for you to get Could've, should've but you never did Wish you wanted it a little bit More but it's a chore for you to give With this stanza, we can read the attitude of the narrator, which to be of one that wants things to go back to how they were before: raw and full of passion. He says he had put his whole heart out for person 2, but they never took it. He wishes that person 2 wanted him and would genuinely give their own heart to him, instead of it being a “chore”. He thinks that person 2 feels obligated to respond to the narrator, only because they feel bad, which goes along with the idea that their indifference to him is caused by waning interest. Where have you been? Do you know if you're coming back? When the narrator asks if person 2 knows when their coming back, he implies that he knows that they are making the conscious decision to continually leave him hanging. The narrator also further expresses his sickening desperation for person 2 by shamelessly asking for the next time he’ll see them. Chorus: We were too close to the stars I never knew somebody like you, somebody Falling just as hard I'd rather lose somebody than use somebody Maybe it's a blessing in disguise (I sold my soul for you) I see my reflection in your eyes Here, the narrator starts to say that he senses that the relationship he had with person 2 was too good to be true from the beginning (being “too close to the stars”). In the chorus, the narrator acknowledges his obsession with recreating happier times with person 2. He insists that he is still just as in love with them as he was from the start (“falling just as hard”) before claiming that he doesn’t intend on using person for his own benefit, meaning that he believes he truly cares about them. When the narrator says that ‘it’s a blessing in disguise’, he reflects on the idea that it may be good for him to acknowledge that person 2 no longer wants him even though he gave them everything. Rightly so, he sees his own reflection in their eyes because he realizes that he is really trying to attain a personal redemption by pursuing this dead relationship. He doesn’t see person 2 anymore, but rather his own weakness in his need for them. Next stanza: I know you're sick Hoping you fix whatever's broken Ignorant bliss And a few sips might be the potion Now the narrator goes back to his thinking that person 2 needs to come back to him. When he says that person 2 is sick, this could imply that he had done something that hurt them or made them feel worse than they already were some time in the past. He, in his sick desperation, then suggests that person 2 should take drugs to forget about it and be happy with him again. This shows that the narrator is so desperate to have person 2 with him again that he is willing to sacrifice their feelings. (Chorus) Next stanza: So close, so close Yet so far away (so far) I don't know (I don't) How to be solo (no) So don't go, oh, no, just stay You and I were bright, shooting through the sky daily (yeah) Lighting up the night, wasn't always right, baby (mhm) Yeah, every time that we realised it's crazy And you save me The narrator knows that although person 2 may not be physically distant, their heart is far from his. He also knows that he needs person 2 because he doesn’t want to go back to life without the comforts they bring. He tried to convince person 2 and himself that things should go back to how they were because back then, their love was aflame (“lighting up the sky”) and they kept him sane and happy in his lowest moments. He essentially wants that sense of security again. (Chorus) Last stanza: Yeah, I brought same ones too I know you're tired, I know you're tired Just say it, I agree with you Yeah, sick of all the poison in me What did I do wrong for me, babe? Uh, I see myself in you, I see myself in you, baby I see myself in you, alright, I sold my soul for you I see myself in you, maybe you should too He ends the song in a conflict, without a real resolution. He responds in a one sided conversation, saying that he agrees that person 2 is “tired” of him and their relationship, while also speaking to himself (“what did I do wrong for me”) because he believes that he is suffering more from person 2’s indifference to him than they are suffering by being in a relationship with him. The narrator repeats this idea, the truth that his need for person 2 has everything to do with his own need for security that he can’t create himself (“I see myself in you”). When he says that maybe person 2 should also see themself in him, he means that he wants them to understand his need for them in one last effort to get them back. All in all, it’s a pretty sad song. That’s my personal interpretation :) |
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| The Neighbourhood – Devil’s Advocate Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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This song is essentially about the duality of the opportunity and responsibility of maturing. I think this song was written about either the members of this band specifically or someone in a similar position as them. Bottom line is that fame and fortune certainly changes things. Firstly, a “devil’s advocate” is someone who raises opposition against a resolve for the sake of debating about the soundness of said resolve. In this song the devil’s advocate argues for a conservative life and warns of the fast paced one that the narrator currently has. Let’s look at the first stanza: I trade the whip out for a bike, uh Designer for some Nikes Switch the stripper for a wife Black tie for a white tee, uh I've been moving lightspeed, lightspeed, lightspeed, lightspeed Lightspeed, lightspeed, lightspeed, lightspeed Here we can clearly see the contrast between the possible opportunities that the narrator’s successful career has given to them. He can afford to transport himself by ‘whipping’ the horses that pull his car (which represents his ability to successfully hurt others for his pleasure), he can afford designer shoes, and he can afford regular sexual services. The ‘black tie’ represents the pleasure-indulging lifestyle that he currently has as opposed to the simple life that the devil’s advocate wants him to have: the ‘bike’, ‘Nikes’, ‘wife’, and ‘white tee’. When he says that he has been moving at ‘light speed’, he means that all of these new opportunities to live a high end life were recently made available to him. This can also mean that this lavish lifestyle has given the narrator a fast-paced, interesting life. The next stanza: Look, I don't want to try Keep it cool like iced tea So if I seem shy It's 'cause you seem so shiesty Sellin' what you buy, buy, buy Just a product of the '90s If you close your eyes, uh That's where you'll find me Now the devil’s advocate continues with a personal attack on the narrator. He says that the narrator shouldn’t take the risks that a fast-paced life has, but he should instead have a ‘chill’ one (represented by iced tea which is a common beverage among mild people). He calls the narrator ’shiesty’, which means to be immoral or doing things selfishly at the cost of others. The devil’s advocate proceeds to give examples of instances that make the narrator a hypocrite or a fraud, like saying that the music (or other media) he produces is basically a copy of the music he listens to. When he says that the narrator is just a ‘product of the 90s’, he means that he (someone I assume grew up in the 90s) is really nothing special to be living the lifestyle that he has, and that if he continues, then he’s just doing what any irresponsible 90s kid would do with too much money. Then the devil’s advocate says that underneath, the narrator probably secretly desires a simple life away from all of the lights. He could also be saying that the narrator cannot escape the argument the devil’s advocate is making. It’s always there in the back of his mind. Chorus: I'm the devil's advocate You don't know the half of it Good luck tryna manage it If a god is a dog, and a man is a fraud, then I'm a lost cause In the chorus the devil’s advocate obviously introduces himself, as well as connects himself with the narrator. The devil’s advocate is essentially just the other voice inside the narrator’s head. He also says that the narrator’s life of fame and indulgence is hard to manage as will see in the next stanza. However the last two lines of the chorus are purely the thoughts of the narrator. It can be interpreted to further mean that if he decides to continue and become a “god” he will become cheap in nature in that lifestyle (as the devil’s advocate warns), but if he decides to follow the devil’s advocate’s advice and become a “man” he will eventually become a fraud or untrue to himself. If he lives a simple life, he knows that he is only doing it for namesake and not because he truly wants to. 3rd Stanza: 22's on the ride (ride) Bring me back a five piece (five) Same ticket for the rent, yeah But I split it with a dime piece, uh Married to my friends They don't always like me I stay together for the kids, uh I gotta do the right thing “22s” is a type of pistol that the narrator brings with him as he travels. It is understood that his high-risk lifestyle requires him to have one. A “five piece” is slang for a five piece drug that he asks or possibly demands someone to give him through intimidation. “Same ticket for the rent” probably means that he can choose to live where he wants because he has money and power. The song then considers the duality of his fast-paced life and the life the devil’s advocate wants him to have, thus the “dime piece”. In this low-risk aspect of his life he would have friends that he suspects doesn’t like him because he doesn’t fit in with them because of the high-risk aspect of his life as opposed to the relaxed one he shares with them. The narrator then considers the other struggles of having a normal life, such as issues with a wife and having to be a family man against his wishes. Last stanza: It ain't right for me Is it right for you? If you're missing me There is one thing to do Here the narrator finally says that he has decided that he isn’t going to live a ‘responsible’ life because it’s not right for him. He then turns to his devil’s advocate to say something like: “did you really think that life was best for me?” The last two lines leave us at a sort of cliff hanger. It could be interpreted many different ways but I personally think it that the narrator is telling the devil’s advocate that if he gets utterly lost in all of the fame and risk, then “there is one thing to do”: start this argument all over again. That’s my interpretation (: Just a note: I have not heard The Neighborhood’s explanation of this song. This is just my personal opinion. |
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| The Neighbourhood – Wires Lyrics | 4 years ago |
| @[lulilinda:37410] It was fun reading this because you seem pretty enthusiastic about this interpretation | |
| The Neighbourhood – The Beach Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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I think this song is a lot more than about figuring out where two people stand in their relationship with each other, but essentially that’s what the song is about. We can take a look at a deeper analysis to read between the lines, something you must typically do when listening to one of this band’s songs. The first stanza: If I told you that I loved you Tell me, what would you say? If I told you that I hated you Would you go away? Here, the narrator introduces some of the many questions he has with whoever he is singing about. We’ll call them “person 2” because they are exclusively referred to in the second person. So the narrator first states his own uncertainty of what both him and person 2 thinks about their relationship, which could be romantic or just a really close bond. Another thing we can see is that the narrator genuinely wants to move forward and define this murky relationship with person 2, which is why he is speculating the answers of these two questions. Now I need your help with everything that I do I don't want to lie, I've been relying on you Fallin' again, I need a pick-me-up I've been callin' you friend, I might need to give it up These lines tell us that the nature of their relationship from narrator’s end. He clearly needs person 2 in their life for what can be interpreted as selfish reasons. Because he relies on person 2 so much, he doesn’t think he can really call them ‘friend’ for all they do for him. The chorus: I'm sick and I'm tired too I can admit, I am not fireproof I feel it burning me I feel it burning you I hope I don't murder me I hope I don't burden you If I do, I do Here the narrator relays the stress and confusion he feels between him and person 2. He knows that person 2 is also struggling with being connected to the narrator. He knows that he is either too needy or a bad friend/lover that he will soon damage both himself and person 2 if they continues in their confusing/unhealthy relationship. In the last bit the narrator is basically saying that the damage he will cause will be irreparable unless they both do something about it (“If I do, I do”). The second stanza: If I meet you in the middle maybe we could agree You make me feel little how you're looking at me And you can throw me shade, all it does is just cool me off First it just threw me off, now I'm just moving on Now the narrator shows us the negative traits that person 2 incorporates into their relationship. The bottom line here is that he feels inferior to person 2 because that is how they make him feel and he heavily relies them for support. The narrator is now used to feeling inferior, but he still wants to fix whatever problem they have together. Fallin' again, I need a pick-me-up I've been callin' you friend, I might need to give it up This time when he says that the term ‘friend’ cannot be applied to person 2, he means it in a more negative sense. Maybe as a ‘tormentor’ instead of as a support. (Chorus again) Bridge: Swim with me I think I could see the beach I know what's underneath I need you here with me But we're out in the open Swim with me I think I could see the beach Just don't look underneath us I need you here with me but we're out in the open Here the narrator brings up the prospect of solving their issues and finally achieving a healthy relationship by using a beach as a metaphor for this. He says that he needs person 2 with him in order to reach ‘the beach’, but it requires them to be vulnerable and “out in the open” with each other. The narrator also tells person 2 to not look underneath them while they’re approaching the beach, which possibly represents past issues that could be brought back into their arguments and create the toxic relationship once again. The chorus repeats again, which further emphasizes the pressure of the relationship, but also acceptance if the relationship does end up destroying the narrator and person 2 entirely because they failed to figure things out earlier. That’s my interpretation :) |
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| The Neighbourhood – Prey Lyrics | 4 years ago |
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If you want a larger-than-life interpretation of this song, have I got an explanation for you! When I first heard this song, I figured it was the thoughts of “divergent”-type character who is considering talking with their lover/close friend who is turning away from the narrator’s point of view to follow the rest of the world’s. To save time on referring to lyrics, use the lyrics above as a reference. Also some parts are repeated so I’ll be skipping over them. Let’s take a look at the first stanza: Here, the narrator opens by asking their lover/friend to hear the validity of how he views the world by keeping their mind open to his his way of thinking to compare it with the world’s. He reinforces his argument by saying that he also keeps his mind open, which has helped him come to the conclusions he has. We also see that his express of his rebellious views irritates his lover/friend to some degree because he says that if they don’t want to hear what he has to say, he won’t say it, but he is burning inside with the power of his truths against “the birds” Chorus: The chorus is the most telling of the narrator’s reason for rebellion. The birds here represent both the worldly/society’s and the grand majority’s enforcement of their rules that make people think in one certain way. I personally thought this was about self-definition because the narrator says that he wants him and his lover/friend to define (“fly”) themselves before societal norms demand them to fit their mold and/or mindset (“tells us how”). He also says that they still have a chance against the birds because they aren’t as young and susceptible to their manipulation, and they know what the free-thinking world looked like before the birds spread their ideology. The narrator feels like prey because powerful forces are after his free mind. It is also interesting to note here that the narrator himself still has a foot on the edge because maybe what the birds are saying doesn’t seem all that bad on face value, as in the old saying, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. This is why he says he can’t really explain why he knows that the birds are a destructive force. The stanza after the first chorus: He adds on to what he said in the first stanza by mentioning his hesitations of trying to convince his lover/friend against the birds. The narrator knows that even if he further explains his suspicions of the birds, his lover/friend will just keep it inside and not do anything about it or even acknowledge it. This next stanza is heartbreaking: The narrator deeply cares about their lover/friend’s happiness and wishes, which is why he explains that if he doesn’t have them with him, then he’ll never be happy. And when the narrator says they will “slip” and “slide”, he means that he is willing to sacrifice his mind and his quest to convince his lover/friend to his side, to join them in the case that they decide against him and follow the birds’ way of thinking. This is why he says he’ll let his lover/friend “fly”. The last four line of the song further demonstrates the narrator’s willingness to give up in the fight against the birds for his lover/friend’s sake because he feels like he is fighting them instead of fighting the birds. I know I’m 5 years too late to post my opinion but to my defense, I only heard this song yesterday for the first time. I also connected this song with our current society’s obsession with organizing people into boxes because, as a young person, I am constantly witnessing my friends defining themselves by their zodiac sign, family history, sexuality, politics and many other things, before changing the label the next week. Some of these people even base their entire lives around one singular label. It frustrates me that while our world wants people to define themselves, it want us to immediately select some of it’s ready-made labels, when in reality, it should take one’s lifetime to have the full picture of themselves. I found that this song could be championing the idea that people should define themselves based on their own terms, as opposed to picking and choosing one of society’s boxes to sit in. Those are just my thoughts :) |
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