Cruel
•5x15• St. Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forgive the kids, for they don't know how to live
Run the alleys casually cruel
Cruel, oh
Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?
For you could want that, too
So they took you, and they left you
How could they be casually cruel?
Cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?
If you could want that too, then you'll be happy
You were the one waving flares in the air so they could see you
And they were a zephyr, blowing past ya
Blowing fastly so they can't see ya
Cruel, cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
Cruel, cruel, oh
In "Cruel" by St. Vincent, the singer addresses the idea of people being objectified and used solely for their physical appearance. The song suggests that society places immense pressure on people to have a certain appearance and to fit into a certain mold of beauty.
The opening line "Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?" highlights this pressure, as the "bodies" in question are being desired and sought after by everyone. The subsequent lines "Forgive the kids, for they don't know how to live, Run the alleys casually cruel" suggests that even young people are impacted by these societal pressures, leading them to behave in callous and uncaring ways towards others.
The repetition of the word "Cruel" throughout the song emphasizes the negative consequences of societal expectations around physical appearance. The line "They could take or leave you, So they took you, and they left you" implies that people are valued only for their appearance and once it doesn't meet the societal expectation, they are abandoned or disregarded.
Overall, "Cruel" is a commentary on society's obsession with physical beauty and the negative impact it can have on people.
Line by Line Meaning
Bodies, can't you see what everybody wants from you?
People only see you as a means to an end
Forgive the kids, for they don't know how to live
People are ignorant and don't know how to treat others with kindness
Run the alleys casually cruel
People can be cruel in even everyday situations
Cruel, oh
Repeated chorus emphasizing the theme of cruelty
For you could want that, too
People can become just as obsessed with what they want from others
They could take or leave you
People don't care about you as a person but rather what you can offer
So they took you, and they left you
People will discard you once they've gotten what they wanted
How could they be casually cruel?
Questioning how people can be so insensitive to others
If you could want that too, then you'll be happy
People falsely believe that obtaining what they want from others will bring happiness
You were the one waving flares in the air so they could see you
You were trying to get attention and validation from others
And they were a zephyr, blowing past ya
People only paid attention to you for a fleeting moment
Blowing fastly so they can't see ya
People quickly moved on and forgot about you
Cruel, cruel, oh
Repeated chorus emphasizing the theme of cruelty
Cruel, cruel, oh
Repeated chorus emphasizing the theme of cruelty
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Anne Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marten W
"It depends ..."
"It depends ..."
"It depends ..."
"Like ..."
"Like ..."
"Like ..."
No straight answer
Omfg.
😠😠😠
Again the emptiness is haunting ...
💀💀💀
THEREAL JoshuaCaleb
In my experience, i was always "not enough of something" for them. I realized later that i wasn't was "hot, or handsome" enough. I realized that just being kind and honest wasn't enough. So i got a good job. That wasn't enough. So i started working out. I've always been skinny, but i found out that I wasn't tall enough now.
I'm 6ft tall, i guess i'm short now?"
But that's neither here nor there as i finally at age 35 (i'm 40 now) found a woman who thought i was hot, thought i was tall enough, thought i made enough money, and genuinely cared about me.
What sealed the deal is my sister and my parents liked her, which was a first. I then realized i was just going after the wrong girls and looking in the wrong places.
We're now married, have a beautiful daughter and my wife makes more money than i do now lol. It finally worked out for me.
GodlordBazi
I did some kind of experiment once on Tinder.
See, I'm average looking (I guess), and people usually like my kind of humor. That's two things you as a female can see based on pictures and the description. Now there's some things you can pobably guess when checking those two things. Wealth is one of them and I'm considered wealthy in one of the richest countries in the world.
For this experiment, I designed my profile like I would if I wasn't already married and was looking for someone to spend my life together. I chose pictures of myself in my natural habitat, of me doing things I like, hanging out with people I like and just enjoying my life. I put some jokes in my description, a list of things I hate and another one of things I like and no word about what I do for a living or my financial situation whatsoever.
At the end of the month, I concluded step 1 of the experiment with 52 likes. This was actually more than I expected, but you know, a litte boost to one's self-esteem usually doesn't hurt too much.
For step 2, I changed the whole profile. I postet pictures of me in front of my house, in front of my car, of local politicians congratulating me with no context about the reason for that, of expensive restaurants I hate visiting and I wore suits in pretty much all of those images. In my description I wrote what I do for a living, what I have achieved so far in my life and what I plan to do next.
I'm pretty sure, if I went on with the experiment for two more days, I would've gotten past the 300-likes-mark.
That's almost 6 times as much as in the first part. So guys, if a girl tells you that money isn't important to them, remember that she could be telling the truth, but it's 6 times more likely that she's not.
Shane Divix
Great content, thanks!
So here's an observation.
ALL men want a girl who is attractive (subjective) first and foremost
They will certainly settle for other qualities (submissivdness) over beauty but their initial driver is attraction.
Submissiveness is the 2nd most ;)
Similarly, women's most basic and fundamental driver, to feel secure, drives them to seek up.
Despite all their success in the free market (relatively), they seek up.
They also settle for other qualities (subjective) like an overall "good" man.
Looks and "goodness" are 2nd for women but they may scarcely admit looks.
You have witnessed a decently handsome man with a woman for whom he would appear to be outside her realistic reach.
It's more rare to see a good looking girl date someone for whom she ought to be outside his reach.
Whenever you do see it, either beauty or money or both are the drivers.
Anyway, we should learn to forgive each other and let the naturally occurring love, develop.
We need each other
I love you all
Best wishes
Dref0r
If I had a dollar for every female that found me unattractive, they would eventually find me attractive
Brandon Henry
HAHAHAAAAAA
thegamewin100
Unlimited money glitch
Daniel
Got me
Andrei Cocor
Next shot is for you my friend. Cheers
Wilder Cross
💯
Bryon Slatten
Please re-interview these 8 women in ten years and see how their dating lives went. That would be epic.
jaime vega
Put an apple track on them while your at it!
redmanticore
its not rocket science. women who have annoying, hurtful, negative energy personalities are very often serial singles.
hohoho bobobo
Cats calling