The Less I Know the Better

I think the song is about suppressing the feelings of jealousy after a break-up, when both try to date new people and usually one of them (in this case the guy) still has the hope in retaking the relationship or at least there are remains of sexual attraction for her he cannot control

I imagine the next scenario. He goes somewhere with friends (a party, an event) and by coincidence he sees his ex-girlfriend with someone else. Someone tells him "they left together", he "runs out to go and get her" (impulsively he insists in finding out if she is indeed dating someone, even though they have ended the relationship) When he goes out, he sees her "holding hands with Trevor" (the guy she was with, he must be familiar to him, cause he knows his name). This affirms she is interested in someone else.

If you still feel attracted to your ex-girlfriend and you see her flirting with someone, it might be "not the greatest feeling ever". After that, maybe writing some other day, she suggests him to overcome the situation and let her go: "pull yourself together". She wants him to date someone else and to stop following her: "You should try your luck with Heather"

Then he heard "they slept together" and that breaks any hope to get her back. He finds out that "the less I know the better", because that makes him feel sexually frustrated and jealous (Maybe I deduce this from the ideas in the videoclip).

But he still has her in his mind and cannot forget her. He may still have feelings for her and suffers while imagining her with the new guy, "Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side. No surprise when you're on his shoulder like every night. Oh my love, can't you see that you're on my mind", Maybe temporally he resignates: "Don't suppose we could convince your lover to change his mind\ So goodbye".

She still gives him some small hopes, cause she doesn't want him to feel bad: "It's not now or never\ Wait 10 years, we'll be together". And he agrees in waiting: "Better late than never. Just don't make me wait forever".

Then he points out how good he was doing after the break-up until that incident, when he saw her with Trevor by chance: "I was doing fine without you. 'Til I saw your face -now I can't erase- giving in to all his bullshit. 'Til I saw your eyes turn away from mine". He considers the guy like a dumb ass. He's in this state of anger and compares her to the person she used to be when they were together: "Is this what you want, is this who you are?"

He feels obsessed and try to question why Trevor wants her, if she only wants to use her:: "Oh, sweet darling, where he wants you". She considers, it's stupid to save the relationship like a superhero, saying silly things, when she has the possibility to move on, "Come on Superman, say your stupid line".

I think I could quite relate to the lyrics of the song, cause a week ago at a party I saw my ex-girlfriend with some other guy(we were together for 3 years). We had broken up months ago, but I felt intruded when I saw her flirting in the same place where friends and I were. I found out I still had some feelings for her (or at least I still feel attracted to her). After that incident I couldn't sleep one night, feeling jealous, wondering if the guy is better than me and so on. There was an impulsive that plays with your mind and makes you find out about her. I had the feeling that "the less I know the better", but some stubborn part of me was still insisting in convincing her of coming back.

The current lyrics are pretty off.

My take is that there's no previous relationship ("I was doing fine without you", "wait ten years we'll be together"). The speaking voice fell for the girl. Her name is not Heather, Heather is another girl he himself or a friend suggests he should try his luck with given that the girl he likes is with Trevor. The girl likes him too, but not as much as Trevor, who seems to be a stronger, more flashy, sweet-talking and imposing guy ("come on superman, say your stupid line" and the fact he's a gorilla in the video). She potentially understands that the main character might be a better fit for her in the future ("it's not now or never, wait ten years we'll be together"), but she's too much into Trevor at the moment. All the main character can do is waiting while trying not to be jaelous. There seem to be some element of disappointment and maybe resentment at the end ("is this what you want? is this what you are?") and a feeling of being bullshitted.

Someone said they left together I ran out the door to get her She was holding hands with Trevor Not the greatest feeling ever Said "Pull yourself together You should try your luck with Heather" Then I thought they slept together Oh the less I know the better The less I know the better

Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side No surprise when you're on his shoulder like every night Oh my love, can't you see that you're on my mind Don't suppose we could convince your lover to change his mind So goodbye

She said "It's not now or never Wait ten years we'll be together" I said "Better late than never Just don't make me wait forever" Don't make me wait forever Don't make me wait forever

Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side I don't suppose you could convince your lover to change his mind

I was doing fine without ya, 'til I saw your face, now I can't erase it Giving in to all his bullshit Is this what you want, is this who you are? I was doing fine without ya, 'til I saw your eyes turn away from mine Oh, sweet talking where he wants you Said come on superman, say your stupid line Said come on superman, say your stupid line Said come on superman, say your stupid line

This interpretation is about the new video-clip that came out November 29th. youtu.be/sBzrzS1Ag_g

This song is about a one-sided love story. There are 3 people involved- Heather (The girl), Trevor (The guerrilla), and our Hero (He's imagination). Our Hero and Heather are attracted to each other, they had a "thing" (probably sexual) in the past, that made the hero fall in love with Heather (1:13). The problem is that Heather is in a relationship with Trevor, and wants to stay in it. The hero is picturing Trevor as a wild barbaric animal- A gorilla. The rejection makes the hero want her even more. He can't get Heather out of his head and gets bummed that she's with Trevor instead of him. He knows that Trevor uses her, and tries to convince her that she's better with him then with Trevor. She says to him "It's not now or never" -Meaning that the fact that they can't be together now, doesn't mean they can't be together somewhere in the future. He replies- "Just don't make me wait forever." At (3:25) You can see Heather dancing with the gorilla's hand wrapped around her, as in she's "tied up", or "taken" , literally.

The meaning of the sentence that repeats (the name of the song), is that our hero doesn't want to know what Heather and Trevor are doing Together. (2:11) The Less I Know The Better.

I think this song is about the strength of sexual lust in teenagers and how it is an overpowering force that dominates relationships at an adolescent age. The meaning of the song is definitely stronger and slightly different if you watch the music video. As an adolescent myself, it's really obvious that in social situations, sex is at the forefront of the mind of both girls and guys. This is not true for all, however. This sex drive overpowers relationships at an age when everyone is losing their virginity and trying to be cool. the song's meaning can be applied universally to all relationships, but it is especially relevant to young social dynamics.

The protagonist represents a boy desperately in love, wanting not just sex, but her company as a partner ("can't you see yourself by my side"). He feels frustrated and restricted by the distraction that sex is for his love.

The most potent symbol in the music video is the gorilla. I think the gorilla represents the primordial instinct within all of us (especially teenagers), which is sex. The girl is absorbed by this instinct, represented in the scene where the big hand of the gorilla takes her away and also when she does a gorilla dance (perhaps a metaphor for sex, the thing he probably shouldn't know about.)

Anyway, the story is of a frustrated boy, who we assume to be rational and interested in an emotional and two-sided relationship. He can't access her though, because sex with Trevor (the anonymous symbol of a sexier male than him) is more exciting for her adolescent mind. It's possible that even she recognises that her teenage sex drive is too powerful to resist, and that she actually wants a more rational and caring partner: she decides to put off stability in her relationship until "ten years" later when sex isn't the most important thing for her.

This frustrating restriction is best symbolised by the gorilla hand costumes in one of the shots, which suggests her body is inaccessible, consumed by sex with Trevor.

As a teenager myself looking for a partner, this music video and song is relatable - I've met a few girls who I really like, but I get the sense that access to them is restricted by their sex drive and possibly some sort of feeling of expectation to have sexual relations with the hottest guys possible?

Like the protagonist, I really just want to get to know a girl, but at a young age they aren't interested in an emotional connection with anyone.

Anyone agree or relate?

What if... the lyrics are not what we think? Watching the video and reading between lines I came with an idea. He was in love with this pretty girl, they have their short relationship and when he confesses his love for her she confesses something else, she was not born a woman.

So who is Trevor? And what about the gorilla in the video? Well Trevor was her name when she was born, the gorilla is his 'masculine' side. That's why she is 'always' with him, is something she just can't leave behind, and the guy in love feels upset, confused and angry, finally he can't deny that he still loves her besides her past and gives himself some courage to accept his feelings. 'Come on superman say your stupid line'. Watching the video with this idea gives you a whole different meaning.

So lemme break it downs for y’all cause there’s a lot of confusion (not disregarding anyone’s opinion)

So this boy is definitely in love with a girl that is obviously never going to come around. (“It’s not now or never, wait 10 years we’ll be together”) He is so consumed and overwhelmed of his hurt by her that he thinks that this kind of manipulation is okay (“better late than never, just don’t make me wait forever”) it then repeats a couple of times to represent that he knows he is going to be waiting forever but it’s in the back of his mind, atm.

He and she definitely had a relationship where they were maybe talking and being sexual. Probably while her and “Trevor” are on a break. He confesses his love for her and she doesn’t know if she really wants him but likes his sexual attention and sort of puppet master feel she has over him.

While they’re out together she might have bumped into her lover. They might have chatted and he asked her to come back to him. (“Someone said they left together, I ran out the door to get her”) he probably see’s that she’s long off with “Trevor” while they were holding hands in “love” and therefore leaves him with (“Not the greatest feeling ever”) because he doesn’t understand how it changed or happened so quickly.

He may text her or see her later, and he confronts her about it. Her being manipulative and knowing that he’s literally head over heels and will never man up tells him (“Pull yourself together. You should try your luck with Heather”) which he actually considered. Up until she too had slept with “Trevor”. That also kills his confidence because it shows a lack of empathy in her personality. She’s the one who said go chase her instead but maybe to get Heather off the sent of her man in the first place. Leaving him to think (“Oh... the less I know the better”)

He might have a dreamed or conjured up thought as to how she should see them which is why he asks the question (“Oh my love, can’t you see yourself by my side.”) but also in his addiction to “his drug of love” there’s a downside and a realization that keeps him in this cycle.

The realization being she’ll never see him as a real boyfriend he was just a rebound. So he in this realization maybe gets off the “love drug” and thinks or tells her (“Don’t suppose we could convince your lover to change his mind?” “So goodbye”) and this could also mean that he himself doesn’t look as good or is as “Trevor” probably is, and he knows this.

Time passes and he’s finally starting to heal and realize what’s been happening maybe even growing stronger. Until he sees her again and he’s completely triggered by seeing her still with “Trevor” someone he knows is just as much as a bullshitter as she is. She maybe even gives him that glare that’s says “Hey! I’m still in control don’t you forget it.” But ignores his existence while toying with his emotions.( “‘Til I saw your eyes turn away from mine.”) He wonders if she’s always been like this and asks (“is this what you want, is this who you are?”)

I’ve read different interpretations of the last line (“Come on Superman, say your stupid line.”) could be that hopeful feeling when something goes wrong in Trevor and the girls relationship and she goes running back into his arms yet starting this vicious cycle over again.

Or that hes givin up and is finally over the bullshit and will probably never let this girl get in his way again.

This is about a love that went wrong. The couple has obviously broken up and now the guy is hearing all these rumors about what she's up to, who she spends time with and what she like now. He doesn't want to hear it, but can't help it. Hence, the less I know the better. Ignorance is bliss in this particular situation. He wants to get back with the girl, and he thinks he might have a shot until he notices her ignoring him. He's surprised that the girl he once loved would now be with some stereotypical jerk "eating in to all his bullshit". In the end he reduces the new guy to the stupid pickup line he used on the girl.

I think she's married or in a committed relationship, and she keeps leading him on. He just sticks around with the hope that she'll leave him one day.

From the girl’s perspective I love this song because sometimes you get the feeling they are idolizing you and you can’t reciprocate, and instead of taking advantage of them and though you may like them, there’s just too much going on with you to really be with them right now

It’s like when you are disillusioned with the idea of “the one” and you meet someone who isn’t

I think the song is about suppressing the feelings of jealousy after a break-up, when both try to date new people and usually one of them (in this case the guy) still has the hope in retaking the relationship or at least there are remains of sexual attraction for her he cannot control.

I imagine the next scenario. He goes somewhere with friends (a party, an event) and by coincidence he sees his ex-girlfriend with someone else. Someone tells him "they left together", he "runs out to go and get her" (impulsively he insists in finding out if she is indeed dating someone, even though they have ended the relationship) When he goes out, he sees her "holding hands with Trevor" (the guy she was with, he must be familiar to him, cause he knows his name). This affirms she is interested in someone else.

If you still feel attracted to your ex-girlfriend and you see her flirting with someone, it might be "not the greatest feeling ever". After that, maybe writing some other day, she suggests him to overcome the situation and let her go: "pull yourself together". She wants him to date someone else and to stop following her: "You should try your luck with Heather"

Then he heard "they slept together" and that breaks any hope to get her back. He finds out that "the less I know the better", because that makes him feel sexually frustrated and jealous (Maybe I deduce this from the ideas in the videoclip).

But he still has her in his mind and cannot forget her. He may still have feelings for her and suffers while imagining her with the new guy, "Oh my love, can't you see yourself by my side. No surprise when you're on his shoulder like every night. Oh my love, can't you see that you're on my mind", Maybe temporally he resignates: "Don't suppose we could convince your lover to change his mind So goodbye".

She still gives him some small hopes: "It's not now or never Wait 10 years, we'll be together". And he agrees in waiting: "Better late than never. Just don't make me wait forever".

Then he points out how good he was doing after the break-up until that incident, when he saw her with Trevor by chance: "I was doing fine without you. 'Til I saw your face -now I can't erase- giving in to all his bullshit. 'Til I saw your eyes turn away from mine". He considers the guy like a dumb ass. He's in this state of anger and compares her to the person she used to be when they were together: "Is this what you want, is this who you are?"

He feels obsessed and try to question why Trevor wants her, if she only wants to use her:: "Oh, sweet darling, where he wants you". She considers, it's stupid to save the relationship like a superhero, saying silly things, when she has the possibility to move on, "Come on Superman, say your stupid line".

I think I could quite relate to the feelings, cause a week ago at a party I saw my ex-girlfriend with some other guy(we were together for 3 years). We had broken up months ago, but I felt intruded when I saw her flirting in the same place where friends and I were. I found out I still had some feelings for her (or at least I still feel attracted to her). After that incident I couldn't sleep one night, feeling jealous, wondering if the guy is better lover than me and so on. There was an impulsive that plays with your mind and makes you find out about her. I had the feeling that "the less I know the better", but some stubborn part of me was still insisting in convincing her of coming back.