As a Lit student currently torturing herself by studying for a masters, I think I might dig this even more than the actual song. This is my jam haha :)
this was so interresting to watch i loved the contrast in the song between the inside of the lyrics, but also between the color of the music itself and the chaos of the pictures a cute song about fucked up love story and mental health, my kind of jam ♥
I've always thought of the song as like a metaphor for mental health problems trying to take over your life but then you find that one person who becomes a safe haven in a way. Like the one who gets you to breath when you're lungs fail you or a solid rest when you haven't slept for days. Everything could be a wreck but you have that one person who makes everything feel okay.
I think the original intention of the song already tackles that very well. Having been in a relationship like this with a mental illness, it does feel like that. You feel safe, like you've finally found a home where where you can breathe and not worry because you have this person that's always there for you and being with them makes everything better. _"Safe from the world though the world will try"_ But eventually, your mental health catches up with you. Because this person makes you feel more secure than you've ever felt before, the thought of losing them is very scary. And because of your mental health issues, that thought will start to intrude in your head more and more the longer the relationship goes on. And then, you remember something's wrong with your brain and that it could ruin relationships. _"Oh I'm afraid of the things in my brain"_ At first, you don't let it bother you because it will never happen since you're both so happy. _"But we can stay here and laugh away the fear"_ This song reminds me of the transition between the very good stage of the relationship to the part where you become dependent on your partner and it starts to become toxic.
I've always thought of it this way too. I thought it was so reassuring and sweet and warm. It's really interesting to see the different interpretations, and I love Dodie's, but I think I'll keep this one.
I love how dodie made the song, but I kinda always thought it was love coexisting with mental illness instead of mental illness being the parasite breaking down love. I thought it was like "intertwined" was how you thought you were then "free" was how they made you feel and "can you drink all my thoughts" was like venting instead of toxic, and "laugh away the fear" was how they made you feel, how you had always been anxious or depressed, or depersonalizing and then all of the sudden this person makes you feel happy and good and laugh. I thought "you create a rarity of my genuine smiles" was also confirmation on that, that they make you feel wonderful, unlike how you always fine confined to your depressed state.
Thats how I'll always interpret it because its more personal to me, and I love it that way. Thats what I like about dodies music is that anyone can interpret it differently to fit their situation. I love how dodie made it tho, and had a suspicion it was that way. Of course I dont like the video, although very well done, I just feel like its more lovey dovey, and mental illness. I dont doubt her having mental illness, I do as well. Its just I am in love and have my feeling represent my interpretation.
I'm super late, so I apologise, but I thought the exact same thing! Instead of it being toxic and harmful, it's soothing and healing. With a mental illness, it's hard to be alone but even harder to be with someone else because you think you'll drag them down with you. That you're the toxic part- as Dodie is open about being mentally ill, you can see her standpoint in how she would feel as a counterpart. Others can feel that, instead, the person wants to help and do their best to help them with their illness, especially when it gets worst, as most mental illnesses have ups and downs when you have it.
i did find the song sort of unsettling when i first listened to it and i wasn't sure why, but i now understand the cleverness and subtlety of the lyrics to create that feeling of unease in what appears to be a simple, nice love song. dodie, you are such a talented songwriter (poet, even), and i absolutely loved hearing your interpretation of this song after having watched the music video. you are so incredible and such an inspiration to me! i love you!
oh, if all artists and creators were so open to different (and valid) interpretations of their work! Great video :) I love your explanation, and the fact that you speak so openly about mental health
My meaning This song is about an unexpected crush on my best friend. "skin, heat. Hair in your mouth, feet touching feet," A fantasy about us being together, in my head. "Oh you, and I. Safe from the world though the world will try" We're safe from the accusations that we're dating, though the world will try to push us together "oh, I'm afraid of the things in my brain" I'm afraid of these fantasies, Because if we date our best friendship will be ruined. "but we can stay here and laugh away the fear" We laugh about people saying we're dating or together, (the fear) becuase "we're only friends" and "that could never Happen!". "numb, fine." Feeling numb, knowing the fact we'll never be together. Telling people I'm fine when they ask if I'm okay. "You create a rarity of my genuine smiles" I used to be able to laugh and joke with you but now it's just not the same. Struggles with telling you or keeping it secret are getting the best of me. "So breathe, breathe with me" It's you telling me to breathe now, because you can tell something's wrong. You try to help me through it. I respond to you with, "Can you drink all my thoughts? Becuase I can't stand them" I tell you that I have thoughts that are getting the best of me, you tell me I can talk to you anytime but I can't, can I? "Intertwined, free" We are so immersed in each other's lives, yet we are also both single. "I've pinned each and every hope on you, I hope that you don't bleed with Me" I've now tried to subtly tell you I like you, hoping you catch on, but I realize now that I don't want these fantasies to hurt you the way they hurt me.
with "you create a rarity of my genuine smile" i was always confused as to whether it meant the other person made them smile when they never really smiled at all, or that the other person made their smile a rarity in the first place, like it was the other person making them smile less
i still don't get the meaning tho. when i first heard the song i was so impressed because i thought it meant you create my genuine smiles even when it's impossible for me to smile. but i guess i'm wrong..?
the way i always took the song was probably more romantic than the music video interpretation. for the first line "skin, heat, hair in your mouth, feet touching feet" i always thought of a couple, or even best friends, cuddling on the couch during a cold wintry night, with fluffy sweaters, a warm drink, and a crackling fire where they are warming up their chilly toes. the next part is just her (i always saw the song being by a girl but it's probably just cause you sing it lol) saying how with them she feels okay. i saw the song having to do with mental illness aswell, and the girl is constantly being battered by the world, but with this person she feels sane, like herself, just.. /okay/. happy even. "i'm afraid of the things in my brain, but we could stay here and laugh away the fear" being with someone dear to you can often ease anxiety, and sometimes just people's presence can give a bit of help to one's head. "Numb, fine," is not so much a lie whereas she feels numb but also it's okay. this person isn't a cure for mental illness, it just feels ever so slightly lighter to be around them. "you create a rarity of my genuine smiles" and "So breathe, breathe with me" kind of go together. i think every person struggles in their own ways, so maybe the girls love/friend has his own monsters. and those lines to me are her trying to reassure like 'i love you, you bring me smiles. and for once they are true smiles. so you've got this. just breathe. i'm doing it, so you can too" but perhaps then anxiety gets the best of her. this friend is stronger than she is, so in order to escape her head she, admittedly wrongful, desires for them to take it away. "Can you drink all my thoughts, cause i can't stand them" and the oooh's are similar to what you, Dodie, said, but it's just kind of them alone and not as happy as the beginning (not dark like the music video ahah) but they both ache. "intertwined, free," they are together, and might be a little sad, but together they can fight off the world and slowly feel okay again. but together is their only solace, and there they do feel free. "i've pinned each and every hope on you, i hope that you don't bleed with me" We often place a lot on people that are like our remedy. like friends that end up not feeling the same way about you (almost like 'She') or celebrities who you get to meet and don't live up to the fairytale our minds create. The girl has practically her life pegged on this person, because unfortunately they are her happiness, and she so desperately hopes her head doesn't cause them to ache too. 'please don't let them fall where i am' and the repeated chorus is different than the first time "i'm afraid, of the things in my brain" this time may not be anxiety so much as the rash impulse of sabotaging friendships and relationships because you're scared of them leaving. the brain is a silly thing sometimes, isn't it? "But we... could stay here... and laugh away the fear" that person loves her, and they won't leave, they are strong, they won't fall. it sorta goes back to the first scene. they're okay together, and together they will fight off the world and monsters that come with it. yeah! sorry for this massive comment, but that's my interpretation of it!! it's great to see other people's version's!
I took the song as being in a toxic or unhealthy relationship, so the happier lyrics were what other people saw or the outside view of a relationship and then the more grungy lyrics represented the thoughts going on and what other people don't see, so the two opposite words show this more. I also though it might have been about someone who's using another person in the relationship. "Laugh away the fear" could be interpreted as one person isn't happy in the relationship however they can't get out so trick themselves into thinking they like this relationship because they can't see the alternative :) Idek I'm obsessed with this song and theses were just my thoughts when I first heard it :)
Full marks, pal! I'd add some food for thought, that your use of the contrasting words at the start of verses is an especially human verbal device. Opposed meanings don't necessarily contradict each other - it shows that you can, indeed, feel both intertwined and free, which seems ironic, impossible, magical, etc. It reflects how human beings are full of contradictions, and it's exactly that sort of paradox that makes the best writing - exactly that! TLDR: People love paradoxes
This is why I want this song to be my first dance song. It is so REAL and straight to the point that our mental orientations may conflict with each other but in some unique way it works and it makes our relationship undeniable.
Dodie, as you mention the idea of having to drink away the thoughts poured and the general theme of how mental illness affects a relationship, it reminded me of the French concept "folie a deux" which means "madness of two." This is based around the concept that someone with a mental illness can give a significant other/friend/etc their illness just by being around the person and exposing them to the various effects of it. Just a thought :-) P.S the only way I know what any of that means is due to the fact that Fall Out Boy has an album called "Folie a Deux" and I wanted to know what it was. Woops.
I notice you touched a lot on the musical implications of tone but nothing (understandably as it was Sammy's vision) of cinematography. So here's a shot by shot analysis of the music video in essay format. Basically I just felt like writing an essay since I haven't used my english degree that much. Anyway you can read it in the replies of this comment if you want. (Poured this out in a couple of hours, debated going more in-depth but it's already 2000+ words and I mean you get the point).
The music video starts with the perfectly aligned and centred shot of a pink crisp doll house. Already a key implication of this video is clear. The alignment of the shot is wanting everything to be perfect. The depiction of these lyrics are portrayed by barbie dolls. Similarly to how children will play pretend by playing House, where they have the perfect little family. Dodie's lyrics go on to suggest that she acts like everything is fine while crumbling inside due to her mental illness, singing line such as “laugh away the fear”. As well as language, the lighting and colours in the music video play a crucial role as they get darker and darker to match the tone of the unfolding doom of the relationship. The first word we hear is “skin”, which is a little odd as it is presented as a stand alone sentence, providing the scene of pure visuals for being intertwined. Letting itself nicely fall into this very visual representation of the lyrics portrayed within this video. The word itself combined with the following “heat” suggest an intimate and vulnerable scene. This can be seen as an array of cute and touching imagery, while when we read deeper perhaps more likely a very vulnerable state of being intertwined with another and sharing you body and thoughts with them. Again the lyrics “You and I”, may seem sweet on the surface, but the pacing is rather sporadic as there are a lot of pauses that don't flow with the music this suggests that there is something under the surface that’s not quite right. Showing their relationship may be a facade, hidden under language with lovey-dovey connotations. We see the word choice change and begin to reveal some deeper truths about the authors feelings with the line “Numb. Fine”. She sings numb quickly as if stating it but not addressing it, much like the word itself it is sung numbly. Then she changes to “fine”. Fine is higher pitched, like one would say if they were lying, it is also more drawn out to suggest that she is stressed saying this as she knows it’s not true. But most likely feel societal pressure to act fine and not speak openly about mental illness. Dodie goes on to sing “Safe from the world, though the world will try”. Implying that the she is hiding from her problem by consuming herself in her partner’s arms, this suggests co-dependancy. This is shown with a shot of both dolls eating lunch at the dining table. Which first of all is not something we often do as this generation tend to eat on the couch while watching TV, showing the idea of a supposedly perfect life. Perhaps not her ideal but society’s ideal vision of a relationship. The shot cuts to the doll house again as soon as the word “though the world will try” are sung, showing that them hidden inside their doll house (their relationship) and intertwining themselves in each other, is actually using one another as anchors to numb their pain. Perhaps only from the authors perspective she sees herself as the one destroying the relationship ultimately from dependancy and wishing away all her problem onto her partner. “Drink all my thought because I can’t stand them,”. The words drink and stand are very crucial here as they convey sense of urgency that he (assuming the partner is a he, based off the video) must consume her thoughts and bear the weight for her or she cannot stand and function. [Continued in the replies]
This second shot of the doll house is meant to show that they can hide from the world but the “world will try”, proving that just because you can't see the outside problems doesn't mean it’s not still an issue. Eventually numbing the pain will only make it worse when she finally comes to face it. Which can be seen at the end of the video. This shot also provides a notifier for a shift in time to dusk, in this case showing that the further the relationship progresses the further it’s cracks begin to show and break them apart. Especially sense this is shown through dolls the progression will be much faster in their time (as children will depict their entire life in three minutes, much like the song’s length). As the doll’s lives progress together, the next shot shows the video to start taking a darker turn which has been hinted at in the lyrics and the abnormal erratic pacing of the musical notes. Barbie’s brain is shown protruding through her head while “I’m afraid of the things in my brain”, plays over the video. This shows that over time she begins to show him more and more of her inner thoughts. There is pain in her voice as she draws out the notes but then it quickly switches back to a more happy tune when she sings “but we can stay here and laugh away the fear”. “Fear” is always very drawn out when sung. It is clearly a very important word in the message of the song. Almost every time Dodie sings it however, it builds up only to stop and fall back to simple strumming., immediately changing the tone. This further proves how the author is unwilling to confront her fears properly and instead concerns herself with the cute parts of being with her partner instead of their real underlying issues they have. A lot of which is because of her unwillingness to admit any real problem. The word fear is also uses in in hand with laugh in this line. This is not the first instance of contrasting language, as well as the changing pace, the juxtaposition of these words mirrors the ever changing stability of the mind’s ups and downs when metalling ill. Simultaneously the shot changes to the two dolls in bed together naked, showing that while they are literally intertwined limbs their thoughts are becoming intertwined as she relies on him more and more for comfort as they hide together, they nakedness conveying the vulnerability of sharing themselves with each other. The lighting has changed to a dim yellow in this shot, only centred around the dolls. This lighting choice conveys that they are only consumed by each other and ignoring the rest of their environment that is in the dark around them. Barbie’s hair and face are covering Ken’s face (the male doll). Perhaps in an effort to show that her thoughts are the dominant force in their relationship. The doll house is then shown at night time with the dark lighting and yellow light emanating from the windows. This could suggest a brain not being able to turn off as all the lights are still on. Night is also the time when a lot of issues you can ignore in the day by keeping yourself busy can come to the forefront of your mind when you have to sleep but can’t stop thinking. The dimly lit lighting with green tones, focused mostly on the doll only show her consumed by her thoughts yet again and she ends up cutting off all her hair. This is a common conception of breaking down and wanted a change. Possibly she is also wanting to rid her head of so much weight when her thoughts are weighing her down. However while this is happening Dodie sings “Numb. Fine”, showing that even when falling apart she refuses to act acknowledge that she's anything but “fine”. You can hear in her tone that she is numbing herself to her full emotion. But this does not last long as the anxiety begins to build again with, “Breathe, breathe with me”. The repetition of the word breathe shows its significance as she needs him to be with her, intertwining themselves further. Dodie catches her voice for breath, this hasty need or breath likely co-insides with that of a panic attack for which she needs him to calm her down. The author pleads her partner to “drink all my thoughts ‘cause I can’t stand them” As her voice beings to climb, blood begins to poor on Ken and the room he is in on his own, obviously symbolising all of the writer’s thoughts being splashed on him all at once, drowning him in her sorrow. Meanwhile Dodie sings calming “oooh”s and “ahhh”s. This contrasting nature gives an eerie yet very effective tone in showing the problems of her illness and how they can be damaging to her partner when she expects so much from him. Yet she still pretends that everything is fine by singing like nothing is wrong. The next lines are “Intertwined; free”, indicating that she feels much better now that she has gotten all of her worries off her chest and projected them onto him. Off her chest is shown quite literally as Barbie is seen with bits of her flesh missing from her body. As she opens up more to him and exposes her thoughts, she feels more “free”. The choice of words one after the other, further implicate this idea of by being connected to her partner she feels free. The scene that shows on “free” is a wide shot of flesh-less Barbie sitting at the dining table but this time she is by herself. She now feels free but Ken does not feel that same way as he is not in the shot because he is consumed by all of her issues now instead. “I've pinned each and every hope on you” is another literal depiction, where Ken is in the bedroom with multiple pins stuck into his head that consume his face entirely. “I hope that you don't bleed with me" shows a shot showing Barbie bald and battered with blood, proving that although she felt better in the moment she is still sick and shows the constant cycle of her repetitive negative thoughts taking their toll on her. The bald hair from before conveying mental breakdown. There is also a huge signifier for depression in this shot as Barbie can only be seen through a dimly lit circle. Much like depression when experiencing it, it can be almost impossible to see anything past your own dark hole of abyss. Everything outside the circle is complete blackness. Now her negative thoughts are also taking a toll on her partner. The blood of her thoughts has already knocked Ken over from before as it shows him falling from the impact but cuts to another shot with the lyrics change. This portrays that he is falling but the relationship has not yet completely broken. Her fears have also been eating away at Ken, as his skull is seen where face should be. He is alone. While Dodie sings “I’m afraid of the things in my brain”, there is pain in her voice and when she finally sings “but we can stay here and laugh away the fear, she seems to have given up on the facade by her tone, knowing that she is only fooling herself. This fits well with the climax of the songs as it shows the end of their relationship begin to crash and fall. In contrast to earlier shots, the line “but we can stay here”, shows that Barbie is the only one on the bed without Ken despite, the author singing “we”. She has isolated her partner from herself, and without his help she begins to crash. It then changes to Barbie on the floor again with no hair and covered in blood once more. This high angle shot implies that Barbie has no control over her situation any longer. A strip of light is focused on the doll while her surroundings are hidden in darkness. Showing that while she can pretend everything is fine in the previous shot, in the end she begins to relapse again and finally this results in her burning up, literally, as the dolls are set on fire. First Ken, then Barbie. Ultimately the relationship was doomed from the start in her eyes and this is finally shown as they both burn up together - intertwined. The co-dependant relationship has taken it’s toll on both of them. The last word we hear is “fear”, proving the significances of this emotion in dooming their relationship. Arguably the anxiety of screwing up the relationship is what may have doomed it in the first place. The last shot (excluding the credits) is the dollhouse burning up too, signifying that the author’s idea of playing pretend is now over. She can now start to see the mess her mental illness has made. While everything is burning in fire, Dodie continues to sing and hum almost as if she has accepted her fate. Perhaps she sees a little comfort in things playing out like she assumed they would, reaffirming her self-doubt in her ability to love properly. Even as they burn up they are still smiling because they are dolls. I like to think that now they have accepted the end of their relationship but continue to smile through the pain as it is the only thing they know how to do. The very last thing we hear is “mm-hm” further showing the singer’s acceptance in her reaffirming tone that she is breaking down and no longer trying to pretend otherwise.
when you got to the part "intertwined ; free" and talked about how the ep is called 'intertwined' i thought you should name the next one (or album ???) 'free'. idk it just sounded like a cute idea it my head, especially if they're very contrasting with their content
60ShadesOfKiera I HOPE SHE NOTICES THIS COMMENT OMG. It could also contrast with her mental illnesses too. I'm not saying she's completely free from her mental illness but she has mentioned on her snapchat that things are getting better with therapy and stuff
I interpreted it like they were too deep in the messed up relationship- possibly abusive- and the 'scared of the things in my brain' was her getting ideas that actually this isn't right but she brushes them away and 'laughs away the fear' because she doesn't want it to be true. I love this though, also this is the hardest thing to do in English exams! I always forget quotes that would actually prove my point when I'm writing but I'm pretty sure you make a better example than miss hardy brown and miss mapes!
That's such a unique take on it! But yet it works so well! :D So, the "Safe from the world, Though the world will try" is others in her life *try*ing to show her the truth of the relationship. (?) And "I've pinned each and every hope on you, I hope that you don't bleed with me" is her tying her life around him and hoping she doesn't make him feel bad/bleed like her. (?) I hadn't thought about that before, listening to it again with that in mind! XD
I am both in my final year of an English Lit degree and very mentally unwell but in love. This song pretty such sums up me in love too, and I interpret it very much as you wrote it. I have analysed it a bit further and thought I’d add some things I picked up on that you didn’t cover in the video. I am not in any way musically inclined so this is language-based analysis. The form of the song is particularly poignant to me in that there is a sense that something is building and growing. The first two lines of the song are just one word, and one syllable, each: ‘skin’, ‘heat’. The following two lines grow: they are four syllables long, creating a kind of pattern: 1,1,4,4. However, all of the words except one: ‘touching’ are monosyllabic. ‘Touching’ stands out from the rest of the verse. It breaks the pattern, and our expectations. It is out of kilter. This reflects the something that is out of kilter in the mind of the persona. The fact that it is ‘touching’, that stands out is also interesting. In that it represents both physical touch and has a connection to emotion. When something is ‘touching’, it pulls on our heart strings. This song is very much about touching each other and connecting emotionally, as well as physically. The second verse begins with two syllables and two words in the first two lines, much like how the first verse begins with one syllable. The pattern is then, 1,1,4,4, 2,2. This contributes to the sense of growing or building anxiety. The next line progresses to four syllables and words: ‘safe from the world’. This follows our expectation created from the previous verse, leaving us with 2,2,4. We expect the next line to also be four syllables long, but once again the pattern is broken with a five word line: ‘though the world will try-’ (also a broken sentence as Dodie pointed out). Like in the persona’s thoughts, patterns and expectations are not being followed and are broken. Also, ending the verse on a longer sentence emphasises that building anxiety/fear. This sense of building and growing brings us to the even longer line: ‘Oh, I’m afraid of the things in my brain’. The music builds with this. There is a sense that it is a climax. The previous rhythm being monosyllabic and each line being relatively short, allows for this to be truly emphasised. And it is important to our argument that it is all about mental health. This line is repeated later. It is important. Almost the point around which the whole song pivots. There is though, for me, perhaps due to my personal circumstances, a sense of optimism in here. The lines 'Safe from the world', and 'laugh away the fear' are ultimately positive, if with neurotic connotations. Although the relationship is unhealthy in terms of dependency: there is a sense that the pair love each other, and that the foundation of the relationship is good. After all, they are able to create genuine smiles. No matter how rare the smiles are, their presence in the relationship is important. It is not entirely unhappy/toxic/unhealthy. The pair cannot solve each others issues but only support each other. It's kind of fucked up. But the love really is there. The final thing I just have to pick on is the lines: 'I've pinned each and every hope on you I hope that you don't bleed with me'. The rendering physical of the emotional is just glorious. I don't even need to analyse it. I just wanna say well done and thanks to Dodie for putting how it feels into words. This reminds me of the line in Sick of Losing Soulmates: 'I can finally see you're as fucked up as me'. This realisation that your other half isn't superhuman and might break under the weight of your mental health is terrifying. I don't know what to do with the realisation. But that it isn't just me kind of helps. This song is basically one of my favourite and most relatable pieces of art. Thank you Dodie. I've been watching your videos for about 6 years and I am utterly in awe of what you have gone on to create.
Maya Wow You're really smart and it is making me rethink of academic studies. I tend to forget that it can give you better weapons to articulate your opinions and to understand others
WOAH DUDE! This was intense but very in depth. I agree on the relation between the line "as fucked up as me" and "I hope that u don't bleed". Both are portraying that one person of the relationship is leaning on the other even tho neither are perfect. Again I am really astounded by your analysis! I hope Dodie sees
I thought basically the same thing? I imagined a couple, one of which has an unstable mental health, but convinces themselves that they're "fine", that the partner will help them to block out those thoughts. Over time, the thoughts start to build up, and the main character starts to doubt their capability of containing them, but they try to keep a happy front. Soon enough, the main character bursts out ("I can't stand them!") , dragging down the partner with them. But when the partner recovers from the ordeal, the main character is left to suffer in silence and again wait for the break down to happen, while being "intertwined" with their clueless partner.
Dodie, I had previously had a mind-movie of a romance that was dissaproved of by "the outside," maybe friends, parents, or just generally a not excepting society. At the beginning, the unspeakable thought of the world taking them apart causes the lyric, "try-" to be cut off, they need each other as they truly have no one else: Oh you And I Safe from the world Though the world will try- The couple was overcoming it by spending time with only one another thus causing them to become rejects in the eyes of everyone else. Gradually, this decided need for only each other becomes restlessness of being stuck together and fear of what would happen if the relationship were to come apart, "I've pinned each and every hope on you I hope that you don't bleed with me." As one falls slowly out of love with the other, he/she realizes that they want to move on, yet is unable to because there is nothing left for them in the society that pushed them away, "I'm afraid of the things in my brain But we can stay here And laugh away the fear." They are only free when they are intertwined.
That's actually sort of similar to what I thought. I sort of interpreted it as sort of the lovers finding peace with each other amidst the chaos and anxiety from "the outside" in a similar way.
LOVED THE SONG TO BIIITTTSS!! Had it on Repeat *ALL DAY* today lol. Thank you so much for the breakdown if the song. Please also do one for Sick of Losing Soulmates. It is, by far, my favourite song EVER (emoji). Thank you. Hugs
Mossa Meme She has done a video of an explanation and tutorial about the song - it isn't line by line like this one but it is similar. If you just search 'Dodie Clark sick of losing soulmates' and scroll done a little you'll see it x
i interpreted the song almost the other way round! i saw it as someone who has been struggling alone for a long time with mental health problems but they have this other person who, for short periods of time, makes the pain and hurt wash away, or at least softens the voices of anger and fear for some time. and as the two people grow closer these fleeting periods of security and safety are elongated and drawn out, and the person experiencing these issues feels as if they have finally found a safe haven, and instead of living in a constant nightmare with tiny flashes of hope and peace, the entire situation has been flipped on it's head, and they are living in a world of maybe not happiness exactly but of support, security, love and serenity with brief patches of terror and confusion that are much easier to control when they do crop up.
Maybe all the techniques we learn in English really are worth it! Whenever we analyse a poem/play/novella I always think we overanalyse. Don't get me wrong, I love doing it but does a 'blue curtain' really suggest the author is attempting to portray a 'blue' and depressing atmosphere? It's nice to see a modern artist like you actually come out and show us that the techniques you learn in English really does pay off!
With the example of the blue curtain, I really think a lot of the time it depends on context. If the scene is otherwise quite cheerful, then the connotations of "blue" as miserable is probably unintentional. If, on the other hand, a character is feeling down in the scene, the writer may well have intended to portray that atmosphere through the colour of the curtains. Overanalysis is fun! What's actually written on the page is just the tip of the iceberg :)
Grace Platt there's also the John Green philosophy of books (and other art) belonging to their readers. What the writer intended is always a good interpretation, but in the end (no offense artists/writers) it really doesn't matter what they intended. If you got something out of it, then the art served its purpose, regardless of what it was you got out of it. That's just one way to think about art but I like that when you take interpreting into your own hands and don't put yourself in a box, it's impossible to underanalyze or overanalyze
Joshua Coombes What I said was literally just an example but I completely get where you're coming from! I absolutely love literature and annotating text but even my English teachers tells me that sometimes we can overanalyse text unnecessarily and get the completely wrong message from it.
SammietheAverageGirl It's so odd to hear this called the John Green philosophy haha. In literary criticism, we refer to this as the Death of the Author!
i'm no joke supposed to be in class (i'm online schooled) and when my mom said to go work on language arts i was like "no, i'm already doing that" to which she replied "no you're just watching dodie again" and i tell her "it's pretty damn close to language arts at this point, guess when this video is over i can just move on to algebra" so long story still pretty long if you believe hard enough that your favorite youtuber will somehow be your substitute teacher or some shit, it will happen eventually
I'm online schooled too and I felt like I was just doing a lesson for AP Lang, no joke. She used a lot of the same language I do when analyzing pieces (hey College Board, it'd be great if you could have us analyze a dodie song please and thank you)
Who needs school when you have a Dodie (Also I read your username like the lyrics in intertwined "Intertwined, free" but "intertwined, Blake," MOVE I AM TRASH)
i always thought of the song as a person with mental health in love with someone. they rely on the other to listen to them & help them work through extreme situations (like breakdowns). it's a love song to me, but a live built on pain. i guess i kinda relate to that. ps: i personally view the singer & the (singee?) person being sung about as girls
My interpretation was that the world was in a chaotic state and the things around them were terrifying. The lovers were haunted with horrible memories but chose to block it all out to spend their last moments together in a state of ignorant bliss.
Before seeing the video, I had regarded the song as mostly just romantic and sweet, and I'm not particularly sure why, because I tend to read everything as having dark undertones...maybe I just wasn't paying any attention. After the video though this more distorted angle just seemed so completely obvious! I very much believe in the idea of the 'death of the author'; in any art, a writer's personal intention does not really matter, since a piece of art means something different to everyone who consumes it, however this was fantastic and you explained it so precisely! It makes sense if you wouldn't want to do this kind of thing for your other songs, (you did say 'just this once') but I would love to see more things like this if you wanted, because this definitely gave me new appreciation for Intertwined :-)
Can i just say I LOVE THIS SONG My interpretation of it when I first listened to it was that it was written as a sort of out there love note to the writer's crush. I thought that they had mental health issues and that had led them to overthink and obsess to the point where they only believed they'd feel fine again if they were in a relationship with this person. Some of the "sweeter" lyrics in the song are them trying awkwardly to sell themselves to their crush in the hopes their feelings will be reciprocated. As we move through the song I feel the writer becomes more and more desperate for the other's love, and as we leave the first 1 or 2 verses it feels like they're panicking. Maybe, that they now fear this will not happen as they imagined and they will never be happy. The line "pinned all my hopes on you, I hope that you don't bleed" is them confessing to their crush (probably a good friend who has shown them kindness) that they feel desperate and don't know how else they'll be happy, but also care for their crush and don't want to blame them for their incoming breakdown. Perhaps the use of juxtaposing words like "intertwined, free" indicates that although the writer thinks otherwise, they have little idea of how a relationship would actually work with this person, and that their imagined indulgence is impossible to recreate. Overall, I see the song as a letter to a crush, or even possibly to Love as a concept, asking for the one thing missing from their life. After all, in the writer's eyes, if this is the only thing they don't have compared to their friends, if this doesn't fix them then they must surely be truly broken.
After watching this, I went back and watched the music video, and it is so cool to see how now that I'm thinking about this meaning of the song, the video seems so different to me
See, I am in love with the 3 dimensionality of it all. Your drawing out of all the thread used in this song has put even more concepts into perspective. But, for me, as it is art, I had a different point of view, also it can be confusing and I'm pulling out what going on in my brain. Sooo, this may be a BIT long. Sorry. The beginning of the song; "Skin, Heat, Hair in your mouth, feet, touching feet," gives me a warm and comforting feeling of cuddling, not necessarily romantic, maybe platonic, or even the little cuddles you would have with your mum as a child. The warm, kinda drowsy blanket was draped over me through the the entirety of the song, the whole thing could be interpreted quite literally or metaphorically. "Oh you, and I, safe from the world, though the world will try," this part, for me, really sealed the sense of an intimate moment under a blanket. Two individuals being 1, them ignoring the rest of the world, and its tribulations. "Oh, I'm afraid, of the things in my brain," This one, yes, does give me a sense of mental illness, but also, (again, for me, specifically) not completely, as everyone's a bit mad {a bit of madness is key lol} and that sort of wrapped (I'm not speaking for anyone else) us in sort of a sense of relativity, how down inside, there's a storm constantly brewing. "but we can stay here, and laugh away the fear." This is a comforting thing of nervous laughter and how the 2 of them are sort of held together by laughter and underlying pain. "Numb, fine" This is sort of a road block in the relationship, where one of them is distancing themselves due to internal turmoil. "You create a rarity of my genuine smile," This definitely means a lot to me, as a fake smile to satisfy others is so prevalent in my life. Showing that the main focus character is getting quite attached to the person, almost seeing them the main source of fleeting happiness and doesn't want them to leave. "Breathe, breathe with me" Basically saying that they want the partner to not panic as they pour themselves out to them. "Can you drink all my thoughts, cause I can't stand them," This is definitely the breaking point of the song, where you breakdown and are kind of begging that source of happy to stay, to understand, and to take in everything they're saying, because the things happening inside of the brain is too much for them to handle. "Intertwined, free. I've pinned each and every hope on you, I hope that you don't bleed with me" This is where it's one of them fearing that they haven't shared too much of the darker pits of their soul, and hoping that it won't overwhelm the partner. And then the warm blanket is placed again on our heads and lulled to sleep with the repeated verse of being afraid of the things in their brain. ART ART ART Thank you for creating such a beautiful piece of art.
same! i was reading through all the comments/explanations and this is the only one that describes exactly what it felt like to me. i couldn't put it into words myself.
So my ex actually chose this as "our song", a concept which I am adverse to in its conception because music, to me, should be enjoyed as a wholly personal experience, and not ascribed arbitrary value within a relationship, but hey, he did, and I'm here talking about it. Anyway, he chose this song for us because he thought it was super cute and romantic, and I suppose I accepted that because why not? I like this dude. Cut to now, having broken up, and looking back onto the relationship with untinted vision, I see how truly manipulative and toxic the whole relationship was. Not to get too far into it, but we had no honest concepts of each other as individuals, let alone together, and are much better people independant of each other. Watching this breakdown, and seeing the music video really hit me because it was exactly the situation with the relationship. It was foreshadowed; predetermined, almost. Ultimately, he chose the perfect song, unbeknownst to the two of us, perfectly fitted, in tone, and intention, as we eventually drove each other away with a series of events akin to a Lemony Snicket novel.
this is easily one of my favorite videos dodie has ever made; it seems to bare more venerability than even some of her more blatant mental health videos while also providing a lovely clapback to all those assuming they know exactly what she means by everything she writes. there's a certain beauty in songwriting and writing in general that allows the author to convey thoughts in a way that is either more glamorous or more metaphorical and causes the audience/listener to feel their own interpretations of the writer's emotions or experiences. i feel like the video for intertwined perfectly represents all the discordant word choices and the very obvious desperation dodie seems to sing with in the recording and every live performance i've heard, though i'll admit i totally misinterpreted it until the video was released. the song and the video are truly works of art and i commend dodie, sammy and all the others involved for bringing the words to life.
this is so interesting! to me, the song was about desperate dependability on the partner, but also deep love. it was about the narrator praying that the partner would be able to support them without being dragged down too. but in my head, it wasn't dark and twisted, but just loving and desperate. like an internal battle in the narrators head about whether to maintain this potentially toxic relationship, for the partner's sake. now that I've heard your explanation, I can definitely see where you're coming from with the music video.
I always interpreted as a song about the struggles of being in a relationship when you are mentally ill. Also the line "I've pinned eache and every hope on you hope that you don't bleed with me" goddamn I relate to that shit so much. THE WHOLE SONG GODDAMN I RELATE
goddamn I adore my boyfriend so much but it's incredibly hard not to get too attached and not to feel like I can't live without him or to get so so insecure that it drives me crazy. It really is a constant struggle and something that you absolutely have to actively work on as to not harm eachother.
I love the song and I kinda got the meaning the first time, but it was nice to delve deeper and really know every bit of the song. Despite absolutly loving the song, I didn't really like the video. Not becouse the video didn't portray my inperpretation, but becouse I dislike dolls and melting of faces and such. I get why they chose dolls (something happy, euphoric and childlike) and wrecked them, but those kinds of things really don't do my brain any favors. I get intense nighmares and all it does is bring me back to the weird gorey dreams. - On a lighter note, I bought a ukelele today and I'm currently learning to play Adored by him (Intertwined is next on the list). So that made me happy and bouncy and i feel content with life.
This is exactly why the video is such a good one to me. They transform something naive and childish to an weird and uncomfortable moment. The oppositions joy/fear , good health/ mental illness and love / hate are pictured just so right ! The discomfort you experienced watching it is wanted (I think). That was the point. I understand why you can be disturbed by the message of the content they've made but when you direct a film/music clip or any type of art you want people to react to it. In my opinion this video is not here to please people's eyes but to show them a fuck*d up interpretation (which fits really good with the song btw). I hope you'll learn many things with your uke, peace. (English is not my native language and I hope you understand what I wanted to say).
OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS MY INNER ENGLISH LITERATURE STUDENT FOUND SO MUCH JOY LISTENING TO YOU DISCUSS ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL LYRICS I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW
This video was so fucking satisfying to me, oh my goodness. I'm addicted to reading people's interpretations of songs, so to be given an in-depth meaning breakdown from the SONGWRITER is like Christmas to me lmao
the video definitely fit with the song perfectly in my opinion. maybe it's just my love for gore and slightly demented things with a sweet and beautiful undertone, but this was executed so well. i definitely got the feel of an unhealthy relationship where both people involved are fronting (the unchanging, permanent faces of the dolls really helped that). i love dodie and her work so much as well as sammy's; i'm looking forward to the beautiful things that will come.
Wow I was feeling these thugs whilst listening to the music but now I know why, this delicately crafted work is so much deeper than Once thought thank you 💛
i interpreted intertwined very similarly to your meaning! the style of the lyrics and music are a bit reminiscent of my writing style, where i mask dark themes with contrasting language. it tends to confuse the person reading it but gives them an "ah-hah!" moment when it all comes together. i think because i too struggle with mental health issues, this specific meaning was almost immediate for me, especially paired with that phenomenal music video! congrats on your ep love 💖
I always thought of it as if the relationship is in the early "honeymoon" phase of bliss and joy and the person is anxious about going deeper and discussing their mental health. They want to stay in the little perfect bubble but can't stand keeping their thoughts to themself. I agree with the dependance of sharing the load of the mental illness. However, I also think that they're conflicted about thinking they want to be treated the same as before and laughing it off as no biggie vs. the deep yearning to find someone that truly understands them.
I knew, the first time I heard the song, that there was something a little bit "off." It was/is beautiful, but not a happy-go-lucky love song. Actually, I found it a little creepy, and I think that's why I liked it so much. With this explanation, I think that I'll enjoy listening to it even more
well, english isn't my first language and I heard that song a while ago, so I didn't really understand everything that was said. But to me, it feels like a very cold winter day where two lovers just stay cuddled together in bed. I definitely got, that mental illness or at least "normal" anxiety (the one that everybody experiences once in a while) played a part in this. I love this song so much oh god
If you got a B in English Lit A Level with that sort of analytical skills, how the hell do you get an A or even an A*? Do you actually have to be the examiner or the author... I mean right now you're at an advantage but still. I'm glad I only took physics, maths and history in the end because this is way out of my league.
Your results video got recommended to me about half an hour before I watched this for some reason and I have a great memory for incredibly random things and it finally paid off
I'm taking English literature GCSE at the moment and /a lot/ of the marks come from remembering large amounts of quotes and knowing a lot about the historical context behind a piece of writing which is where most people lose marks, (don't know about Dodie I'm not her examiner lol). If you want to know anything else, just ask :)
Kat Rose thanks for the offer but I took my GCSE's a few years ago and I know just how much of it was memory. It would have helped my mark if I had read the books I had been studying. I highly recommend reading the books before the exam. I could talk at length about how that system punishes creativity and personal interpretation is thrown aside for set themes and ideas set out by examiners but a RU-vid comment is not the place to have that kind of discussion
Damn Dodie, that was a hecking wonderful analysis. As much as you live for the discussion on art I live for art that is so full of meaning and imagery and well thought through like you just explained aaahhh frigging amazing!!!
When first listening to this song when it was first released it thought nothing of the lyrics and chose to focus on the beautiful harmonies and music. After a while of listening I started to imagine the song as a mental battle between a person's logical and truthful feelings and the sweet denial of "everything is going to be fine". I personally think the music video was perfect for the song and truly represented the incredible harmonies and strumming are a mask of happiness to cover the pain behind the lyrics. I absolutely love all of Dodie's music however this song along with She are my favorites since I can so closely relate to the interpretation I have of both songs.
i kinda did what dodie did Skin- mask for loved one Heat- intimate moment Hair in your mouth- “ Feet touching feet- “ Oh you- admiring other person And I- comparison of them to you Safe from the world- happy, in a bubble, away from the bad Though the world will try- People are negative but can’t pop said bubble Oh, I'm afraid of the things in my brain- Can’t share feelings, stuck, carries skin theme But we can stay here- still in bubble And laugh away the fear- use mask to hide fear and laugh it off Numb- mask wearing down Fine- lies, common answer when not actually fine You create a rarity of my genuine smiles- mask failing, bubble wearing down So breathe- keep calm Breathe with me- help get through tough time Can you drink all my thoughts?- distract me, extract thoughts = no problem 'Cause I can't stand them- going insane, losing it, breaking Ooh, oh- time passing, or really just a filler, a break O-oh, oh, oh- “ Intertwined- back to intimate moment like start Free- careless, out of tough time I've pinned each and every hope on you- negative connotation, dependence I hope that you don't bleed with me- Brain skin theme, ties into sols bc of the lyric “i can finally see you’re as f*cked up as me” I'm afraid of the things in my brain- back to where we started But we can stay here- still in bubble And laugh away the fear- ends in denial of fear Hmm, hmm- sad, sinister vibes Hmhmm- humming implies being closed off whereas oh’s are open Dodie giggles *in EP Intertwined on iTunes and Spotify now lil spon for ya* - can deduct that there is underlying happiness, or dodes is just gigglin who knows amirite
i was one of those peeps who, despite loving the creativity behind the video, still feels it doesn't match up to how i felt about the song - and i honestly think that's so interesting that the way i listened to and what i felt about the song was so far from what the creator had intended like *WOOAAHH ART MAN* tho ofc i do really see sammy and guy and the team really did match up to how you wanted the song to feel and what you wanted to portray - but it's still so different to how i see it and that 👏 is 👏 so 👏 interesting
i listened to the song and thought of all those horrible mornings i didnt want to get out of bed and wanted not to be here, and thought of the times people had said kind words to me or told me i deserved love and it had made me hold on a little tighter - in a way i guess that that IS unhealthy to depend on others and so has that darker undertone - but for me it was a sleepy and gentle reminder that even if you're sad af there will be people, maybe also even sad af, to hold yout hand and open your curtains and help you make breakfast dodie's version is about romance masking the true festerimg disturbing realities of mental illness underneath, whereas mine was about acknoledging the issues and confronting them with someone else to stand by you? i guess? and despite that's that's very removed from your intentions, it's still what it means to me and i like to listen to it thinking of that
the video gave me so many feels and so many emotions and i felt so much love for you and your work and you're my inspiration and ugh i'm just so proud of you and i'm sorry i'll stop rambling...
She says "definitely". She's trying to stay neutral in her analysis by saying "perhaps more likely" directly before that, but as the writer and with a humorous tone, she's not-so-subtly implying that there really isn't another way to interpret this part in her opinion.
Maybe this is just me projecting, but I've always thought of this song as a sad song, an unrequited song. "Pinned each and every hope on you"...I've been prone to putting all of my future plans on one person's shoulders even when I know they don't feel the same way. I put on my rose coloured glasses and fall into a dream world until all I can think about is said person and our perfect little love story with our perfect little house and our perfect little family. Sometimes this will happen a couple of sentences in. I spend so much time obsessing, wasting my time, my thoughts, my words, my energy, on people I don't even know. Going into it i know it's unhealthy but I can't stop indulging. It feels like there's a tug of war happening inside my brain; my rational side trying to save me by tearing down the walls, my disillusioned side unable to swim to the surface of the sickly sweet molasses. So this song sounds like someone trapped in the illusion of perfection, trapped by the idea that everything will be alright if they just love me, someone slowly losing all identity. While "the world" and "the things inside my brain" are trying desperately to get them out, trying to get them back.
I would highly recommend Spike Jonze's film Her! I don't know if you've seen it but it seems your style, and it has a similar theme. It's a larger story hiding underneath/blending with a love story.
When I first saw the videoclip, I felt super weirded out, even unconfortable, because it was no way how I imagined/pictured it. But then I re-watched it a few more times, and when I finally understood what you wanted to say, I fell in love. This video of you going a bit further and explaining it more just makes me fall in love even more. I'm so proud of you, dodie. You're such an amazing artist. You create such deep art, and anyone can see how much effort you put in it, and for that I will be forever grateful, and forever proud. Yo inspire me SO MUCH, and I couldn't be more proud to call you my idol. Thank you, I love you.
I first thought of the song as a sweet cute love song, but the lyrics to me suggested dependability on a certain level. I thought of two lovers, one with mental health issues with a neurotypical partner. Although they're not in the best mental place, they still appreciate their partner's efforts to be supportive. Perhaps they haven't been able to open up to others or trust others before so this one neurotypical person that lets them in is highly depended on. They depend on the touch and warmth of skin, the freedom they feel with the other. They open themselves up to them, pinning their hopes on them like their hopes of getting to a better place. I didn't view it as a song about a toxic relationship, but more something from a place of vulnerability. Your skin is bare, you bleed, you can't trust your own thoughts. But you've found someone that helps you hope, that can ease the burden of your thoughts, and helps you through the rough spots. So it's a little bit of a sweet love song, but a bit darker too.
Good video, just sad you didn't adress the comments about it needing a trigger warning. I understand what message the video was trying to tell and I think it worked, but why didnt you put a trigger warning at the start, and do you refuse to talk about it?! From what I read a lot of people were very uneasy with the gory shots, including me. Just my thoughts. Xx
[WARNING: this comment is a looong interpretation of mine and I'm really lacking vocabulary right now cause my french-ass brain can't work] To me 'skin' is the sensation of skin touching skin so it's pleasant but then I heard 'heat' instead of warmth so I throught of discomfort. 'hair in your mouth': again discomfort despite it being cute. So I basically thought of a clumsy/imperfect , candid yet passionate relationship painted through the imagery of a sex/hug scene and also with an insight of what's going on in the "problematic" lover'smind aka future me except that I will NEVER allow myself to pin each and all of my throughs into one individual no matter how much I crave it at time. I'd rather feel them burning me inside than letting this uncontrollable dangerous fire burn the people that I care the most about. Moving on, I completely identified with the rushes of panick and desperate needs of help while you know deep down that you shouldn't do that (=be so dependant of someone and poisoning them). The way I personnaly work (and the way I saw the pb lover) is when I panick I tend to forget other's need and just want to pour everything out cause the fire inside is consuming me. The rest of the time I'm genuinely fine (well at least when I'm with my friends or traveling or at a concert -can't relate to the boy/girlfriend part oops-) like 6/10 but that's enough , that's bearable. So I think the relationship is beneficial in someways to her because when she's in their arm she feels like a lively poop (where am I going with that) still a poop but a pool in a place where she feels welcomed and wanted and loved, a poop that has the right to smile, laugh and live despite how shifty she is. And that feeling is freeing because it's like not giving a fuck of what's the world is doing and not caring about the nonsense in your head and laughing away the fears. And maybe if you would let your lover/soulmate pour water on your fire every time that it's getting out of control, then maybe it will be over one day and the fire will become a teeny tiny flame that is still sitting inside of your heart just to signify that you're a human. At the end of it all, you're still an imperfect, fantastic, complex and unique product of the universe 💙💜💖
Okie dokie here's my interpretation! Skin,(expressing maybe how the partner admires the other) Heat, Hair......(expressing love scene) Safe from the world though the world will try-(try to break them apart as a couple) I'm afraid of the things in my brain (my thoughts overpower my emotions) But we can stay here and laugh away the fear (try to distract each other from our thoughts) Numb, fine (your heart is numb for my love. Passive aggressively that's fine with me) You create a rarity of my genuine smile (I show who I truly am when I'm with you) So breathe, breathe with me (stay calm) Can you drink all my thoughts cause I can't stand them (only you can make the pain go away) Intertwined, free (I'm free from the thoughts when we're intertwined) I've pinned each and every hope on you I hope that you don't bleed with me (you are my last hope to get me to forget my thoughts. Don't turn out like me or who else will fix me) CHORUS (same stuff) That's it ❤️❤️❤️ love you Dodie but I see the song more lightly than you. I fully respect your opinion as I hope you can respect mine 😊
this means so much to me because when I initially heard the song when it was released, I heard it as the sweet love song that it's perhaps masquerading as. over the past few months as my mental health has declined, I started shutting myself off from people and began to wonder if I could form stable relationships while I was in such a dark and precarious place, and when I revisited this song as the music video was released I heard a new meaning in it. it's amazing to me that you've created a piece that not only touches on a more serious topic than typically talked about in the media, but also one that changes along with the listeners perspective. thank you so much for finding the words to describe something I'm unable to, this song has really touched me
When I first heard it I was with a person I love very much, and we both have mental health issues so I felt like it was a romantic song about being together without anxiety or bad thoughts. Now that I've seen the music video I see how much darker it could've been, and I love that so much!! It has so many different dualities and meanings and it's so so gooooodd ahh!
Also touching on the "numb/fine" lyric I felt like that could mean like even if one person in the relationship was going through a depression/anxiety attack the other person is always there to comfort them through hard times
omg yes art this song highkey resonates w/ me lol but honestly the music video perfectly depicts the song for me because at first glance you would think that it's a cutesy perfect love song like with the barbies then later shows the sort of graphic but romantic dark side and it's really interesting idk but i love this so so bloody much it's a work of art
It’s actually what I thought it was! Wow. But I’ll like to share an interpretation I had as a duet. Person A(anxious) and person B(depressed and alone). Note: By “issues” I mean anxious thoughts and the problems that happen because of them. Skin(B-craves touch) Heat(A-craves a comforting presence) Hair in your mouth(B-craves closeness) Feet touching feet(A-craves reassurance) Oh you(B-A is more importan than me) And I(A-I’m not worthy of B) Safe from the world(A-to be safe from my issues) Though the world will try(A-my issue will always come back to hurt me/us) Oh, I'm afraid of the things in my brain(A-I’m afraid of my issues) But we can stay here(B-reassurance to A’s worries) And laugh away the fear(A-we’ll laugh away the problems) Numb(B-without A I feel numb) Fine(A-we’re fine? You’re fine. I’m fine?) You create a rarity of my genuine smiles(B-only A can bring my genuine smile) So breathe(B-reassurance to A) Breathe with me(B-reassurance to A) Can you drink all my thoughts(A-can you handle and understand my anxious thoughts. All my worries about us/you/me?) Cause I can't stand them(A-I hope so, because I can’t) Ooh, oh(A & B) O-oh, oh, oh Intertwined(A-together we’re one) Free(B-free from my loneliness) I've pinned each and every hope on you(A-that you can handle my issues) I hope you don't bleed with me(A-I hope that I don’t hurt you like I hurt myself) **Then the previous analysis repeats** I'm afraid of the things in my brain(A) But we can stay here(B) And laugh away the fear(A) Hmm, hmm(A & B) Hmhmm
Wow I loved this so much! Honestly I just saw the song as a romantic, sweet song and the twistedness of it went completely over my head. I was very surprised when I saw the music video and it was pretty disturbing, especially that scene where the ken doll has all of those pins in it 😦 but after watching it a couple more times I could appreciate it a bit more and listen to the lyrics. But I still find it pretty creepy. And I think that after watching this I'll be able to enjoy it more. It was SO well done and I'm so glad that you are so happy with it. Was your first reaction to seeing it filmed? Because I would love to see that. Love you lots 💗
Also I would love to know the reason behind the choice to use Barbie dolls. I'm guessing it's to symbolize how the couple presents themselves as perfect and is in denial about their problems and to make the darkness in the video even more jarring. Also, maybe to represent innocence?
i loved this so much. hilarious/ brilliant idea to analyse your own work in the way an english teacher would, while still somehow leaving me feeling like any personal interpretation was totally valid.
Well... when I hear the song, I think of my own mental health issues... and the things that I'm scared of... for some reason it makes me think of a break down... you're trying to hold on to someone that'll lift you up... but it doesn't really interests them... I obviously take it to a personal place. I love the song and your music dodie!! Thank you
you guys are saying you can’t listen to this the same anymore because it now has a different meaning but listen. If it had meaning to you, and that meaning was important, that’s still valid. Art is an expression of who you are, it’s what you make of it that is yours. Please like this so people can see. I feel like this is important to know.
I envisioned the song in a darker theme, however the video did take me by surprise. I didn't really have any expectations for what the video was going to be, but I suppose I assumed that my take on the song being darker was incorrect and that the video was going to be less intense? I love it nonetheless but despite having no expectations on what the content of it was going to be it was definatley a twist on my assumptions 👌
