Bobby
Alex G Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bobby's just a friend of mine
He's on his back
I'm on his mind
He wakes me when he goes to work
His hands are cold
His breath is smoke

I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to

Do you forget when we first met?
You grabbed my hand
I tore your dress
I felt things I cannot express
But I lost my way
I made my mess

I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to

But I know what you're doing
I know what you're doing
I know you
I know you
I do, I do, I tell you what

I paint pictures of my heart
The colors blue and purple start
To bleed into an endless dark
It's only you, it's only you

I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to

But I know what you're doing
I know what you're doing
I know you




I know you
I do, I do, I tell you what

Overall Meaning

In Alex G's song Bobby, the singer talks about their complicated relationship with someone named Bobby. The opening lines depict Bobby as someone who is important to the singer but not necessarily romantically involved with them. Bobby is on the singer's mind, but the singer implies that they are not on Bobby's mind in the same way. The mention of Bobby's job and his cold hands and smoky breath create a sense of intimacy between them, but it also highlights some of Bobby's negative qualities.


The chorus of the song revolves around the singer's willingness to leave Bobby for someone else. They repeat the lines "I'd leave him for you, if you want me to," multiple times, suggesting a sense of desperation and hopelessness. The following verse recalls the beginning of the singer's relationship with the person they want to leave Bobby for. It suggests that their attraction to this person was strong and physical, as evidenced by the ripping of the dress. It also hints at a sense of regret or guilt on the singer's part, implying that they have somehow messed things up with this other person.


The bridge of the song introduces a new element, with the singer describing the paintings of their heart. The colors blue and purple suggest sadness or melancholy, and the bleeding into an endless dark may represent the singer's emotional pain. The repeated line "It's only you" highlights how deeply the other person has affected the singer. The final chorus repeats the same lyrics as before, with the added lines "I know what you're doing" and "I know you" creating a sense of suspicion or distrust towards the other person.


Overall, Bobby is a tuneful and poetic exploration of a complicated relationship, with the repeated lines of the chorus serving as a kind of refrain that underscores the singer's sense of longing and uncertainty.


Line by Line Meaning

Bobby's just a friend of mine
I don't have any romantic feelings for Bobby, he's just a friend


He's on his back
Bobby is lying down


I'm on his mind
Bobby is thinking about me


He wakes me when he goes to work
Bobby wakes me up when he leaves for work


His hands are cold
Bobby's hands are cold to the touch


His breath is smoke
Bobby smokes and his breath smells like it


I'd leave him for you If you want me to
If you want me to leave Bobby and be with you instead, I would


Do you forget when we first met?
Do you remember when we first met?


You grabbed my hand
You took hold of my hand


I tore your dress
I accidentally ripped your dress


I felt things I cannot express
I had strong emotions that I can't put into words


But I lost my way
I got sidetracked from our relationship


I made my mess
I messed up our relationship


I'd clean it for you If you want me to
If you want me to fix our relationship, I will do what it takes


But I know what you're doing I know what you're doing I know you I know you I do, I do, I tell you what
I see through your actions and I understand what you're doing


I paint pictures of my heart
I create art that expresses my emotions


The colors blue and purple start To bleed into an endless dark
The colors I use to express my emotions become muddled and darker


It's only you, it's only you
You are the only one who has this effect on me


I'd burn them for you If you want me to
If you want me to destroy my art, I will do so for you


But I know what you're doing I know what you're doing I know you I know you I do, I do, I tell you what
I see through your actions and I understand what you're doing




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Alexander Giannascoli

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@stevendenny5667

Bobby's just a friend of mine
He's on his back
I'm on his mind
He wakes me when he goes to work
His hands are cold
His breath is smoke
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
I'd leave him for you
If you want me to
Do you forget when we first met?
You grabbed my hand
I tore your dress
I felt things I cannot express
But I lost my way
I made my mess
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
I'd clean it for you
If you want me to
But I know what you're doing
I know what you're doing
I know you
I know you
I do, I do, I tell you what
I paint pictures of my heart
The colors blue and purple start
To bleed into an endless dark
It's only you, it's only you
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
I'd burn them for you
If you want me to
But I know what you're doing
I know what you're doing
I know you
I know you
I do, I do, I tell you what



All comments from YouTube:

@guguicrema

The violin riff on this song is really something else.

@theempire00

It makes the song 💯

@cbfire9987

I often contemplate that this violin riff might have more contributions to music than MGK

@Baz-171

Fun fact: Alex G’s partner Molly can play violin

@Blainezesty

@@Baz-171I’d hope she’s a fucking violinist

@freakpetux4452

This!!

2 More Replies...

@kennyforrester9723

The song is called Bobby and they sing "I tell you what" like 4 times. This song is about king of the hill.

@scutterboy655

its about whatever you'd like it to be. its interpretive in that way.

@bones9770

Oh. My. Lort.

@kentekuzan

that boy ain't right

More Comments

More Versions