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Labour
Paris Paloma Lyrics


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(One, two, three)

Why are you hanging on
So tight
To the rope that I'm hanging from
Off this island?
This was an escape plan (this was an escape plan)
Carefully timed it so let me go
And dive into the waves below

Who tends the orchards?
Who fixes up the gables?
Emotional torture
From the head of your high table
Who fetches the water
From the rocky mountain spring?
And walk back down again
To feel your words and their sharp sting?
And I'm getting fucking tired

The capillaries in my eyes are bursting
If our love died would that be the worst thing?
For somebody that I thought was my savior
You sure make me do a whole lot of labor
The callous skin on my hands is cracking
If our love ends would that be a bad thing?
And the silence haunts our bed chamber
You make me do too much labor

(You make me do too much labor, labor)

Apologies from my tongue
And never yours
Busy lapping from flowing cup
And stabbing with your fork
I know you're a smart man
(I know you're a smart man)
And weaponize the false incompetence
It's dominance under a guise

If we had a daughter
I'd watch and could not save her
The emotional torture
From the head of your high table
She'd do what you taught her
She'd meet the same cruel fate
So now I've gotta run
So I can undo this mistake
At least I've gotta try

The capillaries in my eyes are bursting
If our love died would that be the worst thing?
For somebody that I thought was my savior
You sure make me do a whole lot of labor
The callous skin on my hands is cracking
If our love ends would that be a bad thing?
And the silence haunts our bed chamber
You make me do too much labor

All day, every day
Therapist, mother, maid
Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant
Just an appendage, live to attend him
So that he never lifts a finger
Twenty-four seven, baby machine
So he can live out his picket fence dreams
It's not an act of love if you make her
You make me do too much labor

All day, every day
Therapist, mother, maid
Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant
Just an appendage, live to attend him
So that he never lifts a finger
Twenty-four seven, baby machine
So he can live out his picket fence dreams
It's not an act of love if you make her
You make me do too much labor

The capillaries in my eyes are bursting (all day, every day, therapist, mother, maid)
If our love died would that be the worst thing? (Nymph then virgin, nurse than servant)
For somebody that I thought was my savior (just an appendage, live to attend him)
You sure make me do a whole lot of labor (so that he never lifts a finger)
The callous skin on my hands is cracking (twenty-four seven, baby machine)
If our love ends would that be a bad thing? (So he can live out his picket fence dream)
And the silence haunts our bed chamber (it's not an act of love if you make her)
You make me do too much labor

Overall Meaning

In "Labour" by Paris Paloma, the singer discusses a seemingly unhealthy relationship in which the partner has become controlling and demanding. The lyrics paint a picture of a partner who expects the singer to do everything for them, while also emotionally manipulating them. The opening lines question why the partner is so desperate to cling onto the singer, despite clearly seeing them struggling.


The chorus repeats the idea that the singer is doing too much labor for the relationship, physically and emotionally. The metaphor of the capillaries in the eyes bursting suggests literal strain on the body, demonstrating the toxic toll of the relationship. The singer also points out that despite their partner being someone they initially thought of as their savior, they have now become a source of emotional and physical labor, causing the singer to feel like they are cracking under the pressure.


The second verse introduces the idea of a potential daughter and how the partner's behavior would continue down the family line, causing the same emotional torture for generations. The final verse discusses the perpetuation of traditional gender roles, highlighting how the singer feels like they are being treated as nothing more than a servant, performing labor all day, every day. Overall, the song can be seen as an exploration of toxic relationships and the emotional burden they can place on individuals.


Line by Line Meaning

Why are you hanging on So tight To the rope that I'm hanging from Off this island?
Questioning why the person is tightly holding onto the rope of their escape plan


This was an escape plan (this was an escape plan) Carefully timed it so that we'd go And dive into the waves below
Confirming that the situation was an escape plan and it was executed with precision


Who tends the orchards? Who fixes up the gables? Emotional torture From the head of your high table Who fetches the water From the rocky mountain spring? And walk back down again To feel your words and their sharp sting? And I'm getting fucking tired
Asking who takes care of things while the person is emotionally tortured and constantly belittled, feeling exhausted from all the labor


The capillaries in my eyes are bursting If our love died would that be the worst thing? For somebody that I thought was my savior You sure make me do a whole lot of labor The callous skin on my hands is cracking If our love ends would that be a bad thing? And the silence haunts our bed chamber You make me do too much labor
Expressing the physical toll and emotional exhaustion of being in a relationship where the person feels like their worth is only in their labor and questioning whether the relationship would be better off ending


Apologies from my tongue And never yours Busy lapping from flowing cup And stabbing with your fork I know you're a smart man (I know you're a smart man) And weaponize the false incompetence It's dominance under a guise
Pointing out the uneven distribution of apologies and the manipulative behavior of the other person who uses their intelligence to make the person feel incompetent and maintain power


If we had a daughter I'd watch and could not save her The emotional torture From the head of your high table She'd do what you taught her She'd meet the same cruel fate So now I've gotta run So I can undo this mistake At least I've gotta try
Acknowledging the potential harm to a hypothetical daughter if the relationship continued and the urgency to escape and undo the mistake of staying in the relationship


All day, every day Therapist, mother, maid Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant Just an appendage, live to attend him So that he never lifts a finger Twenty-four seven, baby machine So he can live out his picket fence dreams It's not an act of love if you make her You make me do too much labor
Listing the roles and expectations placed on the person as a result of the relationship, feeling like an object that serves the other person's needs and desires without regard for their own well-being




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paris Paloma

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@shotoxx7608

Let's talk about it, please allow me to add my two cents in this conversation. Maybe something to think about.

First of all, I'm grateful that your emotional maturity doesn't release in a form of hatred towards your dad, but rather it releases as a form of compassion and sympathy for your mom that she wholeheartedly deserves.

But maybe consider this: What if that was the life she wanted? And her reward is simply her children's acknowledgement, which may I assume she got plenty of. That's the ultimate "trophy". She did a little extra, and therefore you love her a little extra.

Many people's love language is act of service. Furthermore, what you are describing as "an ideal relationship" is nothing more than co-dependency which on paper seems reasonable but in practice it's sickening & miserable. Love isn't about equality, love has nothing to do with the way chores are divided. and once you have found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, trust me you don't have time to spend thinking about how many days in a row you had to make dinner. If you are complaining about chores being divided unequally, you are not in love.

It doesn't matter who takes the trash out, or does the dishes. All of them could be done by one person. What matters is whether healthy foundations for the relationship is set.

Imagine you dad complaining about him doing "100% of the plumbing, 100% of law mawning and most of the driving on family trips" since he moved in with your mother.

When was the last time your father received a little gift of appreciation? Such as a bracelet, a mug or even flowers(yeah)? When was the last time he had the whole check covered by your mother(or you, if you are employed) in a restaurant? Did you guys celebrate father's day last year if so what have you planned for this year? The last time you kissed or hugged him? Asked for his advice or listened to what he had to say?


In my opinion once you move past the feminine rage, that is based on trivia things you'll be able to love and be loved.



@solarchaotica

I feel like it does depend on the person. But as someone who is afab, it's easy to pick up fears relating to your sex growing up.

I absolutely feel the hell out of this song. Because I saw the situations depicted in this song.

The contexts of my feelings changed over the years. But growing up I absolutely felt fear of ending up in these situations.

It eventually switched to feeling the fear of being the toxic guy in relationships that I saw so much of growing up once I realized that I don't have to be a woman just because I'm afab (this just wasn't a common concept I even started hearing about fully until my later teen years)

But regardless of gender, many afabs do grow up being taught to be responsible for households

(this doesn't start as an adult).
.

And socially this is an experience closely linked to your sex, because this is something that commonly starts being taught well before we have full knowledge of gender as a concept.

Like, it being uneven with having girls do housework and help with cooking and looking after younger family members, when this expectation isn't pushed on boys of the same age.


I can't and won't try to speak for people at the other end of this, because it's not my place and I don't have their experiences

But I feel like this kind of socialization negatively effects everyone involved



@CrystalizedTofu

VENT WARNING (Have a nice day and remember to drink some water <3)










My dad gaslights and manipulates me so that I'm under his control, just like my mom. He feels entitled to love and only loves the attention I can provide and my teen body. He cheated on my mom with a 19 year old girl at work when he was 40. I was 10, only 9 years younger than her. He's constantly trying to make himself seem like the victim and my mom seem like an evil witch. The worst part is that my mom has to endure so much worse. I can't bear to see her go through all this pain and suffering, and I've tried to help her get out of this abusive relationship. That backfired, and now I'm scared that she doesn't see me as a daughter anymore but as a therapist. I learnt about so many horrendous things that made me want to throw myself out of the window, but I never told her to stop because I thought that was selfish of me and that I don't deserve to to acknowledge my suffering because she suffers a lot more. One time she said that my 2 other siblings are her pride and joy, and I'm just someone she can talk to. It hurts. I felt like an emotional trash can for both of my parents. I'm now 15 and I've broken out of his control. I'm still a minor so I can't move out but I try to distance myself from him as much as I can. I forced myself to hate him and not show my fatherly love for him. This is probably unhealthy but it was the better choice. I got the courage to tell my mom how I felt and how it's not my place to be her therapist as her daughter and that she should get an actual therapist instead. She stopped telling me about all those things but whenever she starts talking about it again I immediately leave the room. I still love my mom and always will. She wasn't perfect but she was the one to raise us and give us all of these opportunities. I'm not there yet, but I'm taking recovery one step at a time <3



All comments from YouTube:

@thevibeguide

Where are you listening from? 🌎🌍🌏

@darkraven2004

South Africa

@ddelixatw

italyy

@MahaLakshmi-wn1fy

singapore

@ESMagicalChannel

Brazil! 🙋‍♀️🇧🇷

@thedeeprot

UK

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@Bryna..

The best part of this song it starts so soft but as it goes on, you hear the anger come out. The line about saving the daughter is haunting

@katienielsen7715

I bawled my eyes out while staring at my daughter watching her sleep while listening to that line.

@danigodbout3306

This is going to sound bad but im glad i had a miscarriage when i was with my abusive ex because if it was a girl, i wouldn't want her to go through what i did.

@leahholaway9872

I think it starts soft because we usually try telling the problem before we escalate.

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