It's funny, my impression of this song did a complete 180. Been listening to the new album and getting to know it better, and at first I really didn't like this song. The sound is cool, a lot of swagger. But I wasn't a fan of the "love song" aspect. Some key lines in the song just rubbed me the wrong way - take my money, wanting the girl to quit her job, love me for the rest of MY life.
Then I remembered that Badflower often tells stories by speaking in the first person of the character they're criticizing. Satire.
Now, the great thing about song interpretation is that lyrics can mean a lot of different things to different people. I don't think this is necessarily what the band intended, but it's what I thought of:
In abusive relationships, there's a lot of love bombing and romanticizing and fantasizing in the beginning. Abusers want their partners dependent on them and to isolate them from their friends/ families/ support systems. So asking a girl to quit her job, saying they'll pay her way, and wanting her to move away with them - can be red flags.
Then you've got the narcissism of wanting her to love him for the rest of HIS life.
Again, probably not the intention for the song. But it's what stuck out to me, and why I got the ick the first few times I listened to this song.
I think actually the character in this song is probably more on the pathetic side than being abusive. More desperate. Doesn't care if the girl doesn't love him - just wants to quell his loneliness. And if he's got money, then he's got something that might attract someone, it's one thing of value he can offer. Maybe this is a couple where both parties use each other, they both get something out of it (him company, her money) - even if it's not love.
Whatever is taken from this song, I have an easier time listening if I don't take it at face value, don't take it as a love song. And I do think the red flags in terms of abuse can be useful info, even if it's not necessarily what the song's about.
And you can probably take another different meaning from the video! Like a hopeless romantic.
It's funny, my impression of this song did a complete 180. Been listening to the new album and getting to know it better, and at first I really didn't like this song. The sound is cool, a lot of swagger. But I wasn't a fan of the "love song" aspect. Some key lines in the song just rubbed me the wrong way - take my money, wanting the girl to quit her job, love me for the rest of MY life.
Then I remembered that Badflower often tells stories by speaking in the first person of the character they're criticizing. Satire.
Now, the great thing about song interpretation is that lyrics can mean a lot of different things to different people. I don't think this is necessarily what the band intended, but it's what I thought of:
In abusive relationships, there's a lot of love bombing and romanticizing and fantasizing in the beginning. Abusers want their partners dependent on them and to isolate them from their friends/ families/ support systems. So asking a girl to quit her job, saying they'll pay her way, and wanting her to move away with them - can be red flags.
Then you've got the narcissism of wanting her to love him for the rest of HIS life.
Again, probably not the intention for the song. But it's what stuck out to me, and why I got the ick the first few times I listened to this song.
I think actually the character in this song is probably more on the pathetic side than being abusive. More desperate. Doesn't care if the girl doesn't love him - just wants to quell his loneliness. And if he's got money, then he's got something that might attract someone, it's one thing of value he can offer. Maybe this is a couple where both parties use each other, they both get something out of it (him company, her money) - even if it's not love.
Whatever is taken from this song, I have an easier time listening if I don't take it at face value, don't take it as a love song. And I do think the red flags in terms of abuse can be useful info, even if it's not necessarily what the song's about.
And you can probably take another different meaning from the video! Like a hopeless romantic.