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I Grew Up
Austin Burke Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ou looked me in the eyes, and said I wasn′t ready
Didn't check every box off for your daddy
It′s not me, it's you, just that typical
Kinda thing that you say when it gets too heavy

You thought you knew it all, 'cause you were just a little older
Talkin′ bout how all your wild days were over
When you graduated, said congratulations
But I only said it ′cause I wasn't that sober

Look at you now
Goin′ out
Actin' like you′re still in a college town
Keep a new guy
Or a couple around
I bet you don't tell ′em
That you're four years out
Out of UK
You think it's ok
To act 21
When you′re 28
Said I wouldn′t grow up
When we broke up, but here's the thing
I grew up
And you stayed the same

I figured by now that you′d have your own family
Two kids in the back of that new Mercedes
But you're still ridin′ round that beat up
That we were making out in the back seat of
You're in a bar ′bout all of your Instagram stories

Look at you now
Goin' out
Actin' like you′re still in a college town
Keep a new guy
Or a couple around
I bet you don′t tell 'em
That you′re 4 years out
Out of UK
You think it's ok
To act 21
When you′re 28
Said I wouldn't grow up
When we broke up, but here′s the thing
I grew up
And you stayed the same

You stayed the same

You're still doin' that same thing
Hangin′ with the same crowd
Still pourin′ them same drinks
Makin them parents proud

Look at you now
Goin' out
Actin′ like you're still in a college town
Keep a new guy
Or a couple around
I bet you don′t tell 'em
That you′re 4 years out
Out of UK
You think it's ok
To act 21
When you're 28
Said I wouldn′t grow up
When we broke up, but here′s the thing
I grew up
And you stayed the same

You stayed the same

Overall Meaning

The song "I Grew Up" by Austin Burke is a reflection of how people change and grow up over time but there are some who remain stuck in the past. In the first verse, he talks about a girl he used to date, who broke up with him because he was not ready for the next level in their relationship. She claimed that it was not her, but him who wasn't ready, which was a cliché way of ending things according to Austin. The girl thought she knew it all because she was a little bit older than him and she had already graduated. He only congratulated her because he was not sober at the time. The chorus reveals that the girl is still acting like a college student, despite being four years out of university, claiming that it is okay to act 21 at 28. Austin reflects that when they broke up, she said he wouldn't grow up, but the irony is that he has grown up while she stayed the same.


In the second verse, Austin tells us that he had expected his ex-girlfriend to have moved on to start a family of her own, but she had not. She is still riding around in the old car they used to make out in the back seat of, and hanging out in bars, posting on Instagram like a college student. Austin looks at her life and sees that she is still doing the same things with the same people, pouring the same drinks, and even making her parents proud by staying the same. The chorus repeats again and again how she is still acting like she is in a college town and keeping a new guy or a couple around, yet Austin knows that she is four years out of university and should have moved on. He has grown up, while she remains the same.


In summary, the song is a blunt portrayal of an ex-girlfriend who has not grown up, while the singer has. It captures the idea that time moves on and people grow up, but there are still those who seem to stay stuck in their past.


Line by Line Meaning

Ou looked me in the eyes, and said I wasn′t ready
You judged me and found me inadequate.


Didn't check every box off for your daddy
You had a checklist of requirements and I didn't meet them.


It's not me, it's you, just that typical
You blamed the breakup on me, but it's really your fault.


Kinda thing that you say when it gets too heavy
You use a generic excuse to justify ending the relationship when it becomes difficult.


You thought you knew it all, 'cause you were just a little older
You acted like you were wiser simply because you were slightly older than me.


Talkin′ bout how all your wild days were over
You acted like you were done with your partying days, but you still engage in them.


When you graduated, said congratulations
You gave me empty congrats when I graduated because you weren't really invested in our relationship.


But I only said it ′cause I wasn't that sober
I only congratulated you because I was under the influence of alcohol and didn't really mean it.


Look at you now
You look different from when we were together.


Goin′ out
You are socializing and having fun.


Actin' like you′re still in a college town
You are behaving like you're still in college, even though you're older.


Keep a new guy
You are seeing someone new.


Or a couple around
You may be seeing multiple people at the same time.


I bet you don't tell ′em
You don't disclose your age and that you're out of the college age bracket.


That you're four years out
You have been out of college for four years.


Out of UK
You are not currently attending the University of Kentucky or any college for that matter.


You think it's ok
You feel it's acceptable.


To act 21
You are acting like you're 21 years old.


When you′re 28
Despite being 28 years old.


Said I wouldn′t grow up
You expected me to never mature or change.


When we broke up, but here's the thing
When we broke up, I proved you wrong.


I grew up
I matured and changed.


And you stayed the same
You haven't grown or evolved since we broke up.


I figured by now that you′d have your own family
I expected you to have started a family by now.


Two kids in the back of that new Mercedes
I imagined you with two children in a new Mercedes car.


But you're still ridin′ round that beat up
You continue to drive the same old car we made out in.


That we were making out in the back seat of
That car holds memories of us making out in the backseat.


You′re in a bar ′bout all of your Instagram stories
You are sharing your life on Instagram posts at a bar.


You're still doin' that same thing
You haven't changed your ways.


Hangin′ with the same crowd
You are still socializing with the same group of people.


Still pourin′ them same drinks
You are still drinking similar alcoholic beverages from back in college.


Makin them parents proud
You're still trying to gain your parents' approval.


You stayed the same
You haven't changed at all since we broke up.




Writer(s): Austin Burke, Thomas Marc Archer, Brandon Day

Contributed by Bentley J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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