Under his own name, he started his career with DIY self-releases on Bandcamp and began building up an audience with his label debut, DSU (2014), released on Orchid Tapes to critical acclaim from various publications. He later signed with Lucky Number, who reissued his earlier releases, Rules and Trick (2012). In 2015, he signed with Domino Recording Company and released his sixth studio album, Beach Music. He followed it in 2017 with Rocket, which received further acclaim and recognition. Giannascoli's eighth studio album, House of Sugar, was released in 2019, and his ninth album, God Save the Animals, was released in 2022.
Bug
Alex G Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
no pain for my gain
callin my cellphone
no time for that shame
a yes man
you know i love you back kid
but i skid
i never knew ya
you know i got your back kid
but i fib
im flyin through ya
and when you go there
you stay there
bug in the crosshair
you stay there
a fuck brain
just tryin to get himself paid
but behave
a big pain
but love him all the damn same
bug in the crosshair
The lyrics of Alex G's song Bug seem to be about a person who is trying to distance themselves from someone who has caused them a lot of trouble. The lines "He doesn't know me no pain for my gain," imply that the person is not going to let anyone cause them pain anymore, even if it means missing out on some benefits. "Callin my cellphone no time for that shame" suggests that the person is trying to avoid any contact from the problematic individual.
The lines "a yes man you know I love you back kid but I skid I never knew ya" show that the person used to be supportive of the other individual, but now they are realizing that they really don't know them at all. "Bug in the crosshair" seems to mean that the person is seen as a target, possibly due to the trouble they have caused. The lines "you stay there" suggest that the individual is not wanted by the person singing the song anymore.
The lines "a fuck brain just tryin to get himself paid but behave a big pain but love him all the damn same" show a sort of inner conflict within the person singing the song. They still love the troublesome individual despite their actions, but they are aware that they need to distance themselves for their own well-being. The song seems to be about conflicting emotions and the difficult decision of cutting someone off when you still care about them.
Line by Line Meaning
He doesn't know me
The person being addressed doesn't have a personal relationship with the singer.
no pain for my gain
The singer does not want to endure hardship to achieve success.
callin my cellphone
The person being addressed is attempting to contact the singer via phone.
no time for that shame
The singer is not interested in engaging in any behaviors that may be seen as shameful.
a yes man
The person being addressed is someone who always agrees with others, particularly the singer.
you know i love you back kid
The singer appreciates the affection shown towards them by the person being addressed.
but i skid
The singer has reservations about this individual despite their positive attitude towards, and past experiences with, them.
i never knew ya
The singer did not know the person very well before interacting with them.
you know i got your back kid
The singer is in support of, and ready to defend, the person being addressed.
but i fib
The singer is hiding something or lying about their true feelings towards the individual.
im flyin through ya
The singer is going through the motions with the person and not fully present or engaged in the interaction.
and when you go there
A hypothetical statement implying a certain course of action taken by the person being addressed.
you stay there
The person being addressed should remain where they are after following through on the aforementioned action.
bug in the crosshair
The person being addressed is being targeted, possibly in a negative way or as a potential threat.
you stay there
The person being addressed should remain where they are after following through on the aforementioned action.
a fuck brain
The person being addressed is not intelligent or competent, and possibly even foolish or reckless.
just tryin to get himself paid
The person being addressed is solely focused on making money, and perhaps neglecting other important aspects of life.
but behave
The singer is urging the person being addressed to act appropriately or responsibly.
a big pain
The person being addressed is a nuisance or burden to deal with.
but love him all the damn same
Despite the individual's shortcomings, the singer still cares for or has affection towards them.
Contributed by Jayce W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@matthewgarnier7701
He doesn't know me
No pain for my gain
Callin' my cellphone
No time for that shame
A yes man
You know I love you back, kid
But I skid
I never knew ya
A yes man
You know I got your back, kid
But I fib
I'm flyin' through ya
And when you go there
You stay there
Bug in the crosshair
You stay there
A fuck brain
Just tryna get himself paid
But behave
A big pain
But love him all the damn same
Bug in the crosshair
@bunnydrinkingsomemilk4526
I think I spotted a connection.
In Alex G's music video for "Kicker", we see two young children, a boy with brown hair & a girl with short hair. The boy is seen visiting a hospital patient who is covered in bandages, who proceeds to gift the child a box with a heart printed on the top, containing a mess of hair which tangles in stop motion. The boy is later seen spying on the girl, but before he is able to engage with her socially, he is consumed by the box's magical spook hair.
In this video, we see an adult male displaying childish vibes through his unkempt hair clothing as well as an adult female with a similarly casual style. The two share a bed & the male is later seen visiting a burn victim, who gifts him an origami piece. The male proposes to the girl, but cancelled as he slides the ring off her finger.
I think the boy from Kicker was encouraged to seek love by his injured relative. He finds a girl that he likes, but because he is not prepared, his heart / that weird hair junk stops him in his tracks.
He grows up, reunites with the girl, one night stands and finds himself seeking guidance from the same relative from before. He is given another talisman which he uses to pursue the girl romantically... but because he is still not ready, he steps down.
@adamgergich96
Alex G is on Domino now?
Cool, hopefully he starts getting the recognition he deserves! Fantastic tune.
@Neosuburban
Such a good song. I love the circle of chords.
@breebennet897
Just seen Alex g at a bar in Iowa city and got kicked out for throwing up on a girl still awesome and a great artist he talked to me and my friends.
@jala1081
Alex g threw up on a girl? Or you did?
@jala1081
Alex g threw up on a girl or you did?
@pdtheowl9292
@Ja La top 10 questions scientists still can't answer
@scooter12e
Gabe's?
@_FiDeLCAsTrO_
Who threw up!???? Just tell meeeeee
@sandrinfernandes5435
É, Sr Sandy, você será minha companhia por um longo tempo, te descobri na felicidade e hoje em diante irei te ouvir na tristeza.
@PHANTASTIKMUSIK
I am saddened by the fact that I am only now discovering your gorgeous music.