Boy Harsher is an American electronic / darkwave duo, formed in 2013, that … Read Full Bio ↴Boy Harsher is an American electronic / darkwave duo, formed in 2013, that produces gritty dance beats infused with ethereal vocals, creating a sound that is eerie, intense and incredibly danceable. Gus Muller of Reconss develops the underbelly of sound with minimal beats and grinding synths, where Jae Matthews whispers, screams and chants on top. Together, the music created is somewhere between dance, trance and confessional storytelling. Boy Harsher draws heavily from cinema, theatrics and graphic design to tailor the band's visual imagery; Matthews and Muller both have a background in filmmaking. They have likened the band to the movies Body Heat and Lost Highway, latter of which was directed by David Lynch, a professed influence on the band. Matthews has expressed appreciation for various female vocalists, including Nico, Circuit des Yeux, Alison Lewis of Linea Aspera, Chelsea Wolfe and Zola Jesus, whereas Muller named Sleep Chamber, Suicide, DAF and Yello as early musical influences on Boy Harsher.[4] Gearwise, Muller mostly employs synthesizers and samplers, stating that he "tries and borrows as much [instruments] as he can for recording."On the band's minimal instrumentation, he said: "I’m obsessed with how successful the minimalism is with 80s music. It’s really a masterclass of what can be done with a drum machine and a couple of synths. A "half-functioning" Roland Juno-106 was used extensively on Lesser Man EP; their live set features synth lines sampled into an Akai MPC, as well as backing tracks. The band has amassed a cult following since their formation.

The Look You Gave
Boy Harsher Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you go
I will be
All alone

What′s left of you
Is left in me
In this home

I close my eyes
And I can
Almost see:

The look you gave
When you
You ran from me

The way you call
The way you walk
You walk in me

Believing you
Is leaving me
When I bend

And all the boys
And what they say:
You're on your own

And I know
I know
It′s been done

I close my eyes
And I can
Almost see:

The look you gave
When you
You ran from me

I wanna know
I wanna know
Where you've been

You're coming home
You′re coming home
Just tell me when

I need to know
When I will be -
By your side

I close my eyes
And I can
Almost see:

The look you gave
When you
You ran from me

Close my eyes
And I can
Almost see:

The look you gave

When you
You ran from me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Boy Harsher’s song The Look You Gave convey the feelings of despair, loneliness, and confusion that consume the singer after their significant other leaves them. The first two lines of the song, “When you go, I will be, all alone,” establish the central theme of the song—the fear of being left behind. The singer is grappling with the fact that their partner has abandoned them, and all they have left are the memories of their time together. The lines “What’s left of you is left in me, in this home” emphasize the emotional and psychological impact of losing a loved one.

The chorus, “The look you gave when you ran from me,” is powerful because it encapsulates the pain of being left behind. The singer is left to wonder why their partner left them and what they did wrong. They are haunted by the memory of the last moments they shared with their loved one. The lines “Believing you is leaving me when I bend” suggest that the singer was willing to change for their partner, but ultimately their efforts were not enough to make the relationship last.

The line “And all the boys and what they say: you’re on your own” adds an interesting layer to the song’s themes. The singer is dealing not only with the loss of their partner but also with the judgment of those around them. The pressures of masculinity and societal expectations further add to the singer’s feelings of isolation and abandonment.

Overall, Boy Harsher’s The Look You Gave is a poignant reflection on the pain of losing a loved one and the struggle to move on from that loss.

Line by Line Meaning

When you go
When you leave me

I will be
I will be left alone

All alone
Without anyone else around

What′s left of you
The remains of your presence

Is left in me
Remain with me

In this home
Within this place we shared

I close my eyes
I shut my eyes

And I can
And I am able to

Almost see:
Nearly imagine

The look you gave
The expression you showed

When you
When you were

You ran from me
You left me behind

The way you call
The manner in which you speak

The way you walk
The style in which you move

You walk in me
You are a part of me

Believing you
Trusting you

Is leaving me
Is causing me to be abandoned

When I bend
When I am vulnerable

And all the boys
And all of them

And what they say:
And whatever they have to say

You're on your own
You are alone in this situation

And I know
And I understand

I know
I am aware

It′s been done
It has already happened

I wanna know
I would like to understand

Where you've been
Where you have been traveling

You're coming home
You are returning home

Just tell me when
Give me a date of your arrival

I need to know
I must comprehend

When I will be -
When I will finally happen to be

By your side
By your presence

Close my eyes
Shut my eyes

Writer(s): Augustus Muller, Jessica Matthews

Contributed by Nolan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Matas Janulaitis

4y↑47

When you go
I will be
All alone

What's left of you
Is left in me
In this home

I close my eyes
And I can
Almost see:

The look you gave
When you
You ran from me

The way you call
The way you walk
You walk in me

Believing you
Is leaving me
When I bend

And all the boys
And what they say:
You're on your own

And I know
I know
It's been done

I close my eyes
And I can
Almost see:

The look you gave
When you
You ran from me

I wanna know
I wanna know
Where you've been

You're coming home
You're coming home
Just…

All comments from YouTube:

Georgios Raftelis

2y↑26

I saw them live in Athens yesterday. Such an emotional concert. During the Encore, Jae announced that the tour has to be cancelled, as her mom is sick, then this song came on and the audience cheered and applaused, while she was crying singing to this. This hits me personally, as I recently lost my mom and the lyrics are so heart-wrenching and on-point about loss. At the end, she threw to the audience the setlist and handwritten lyrics of some songs, and I got The Look You Gave. I will frame it and put it on my wall. Love you Jae, thank you for your art and the moments you give us. Wishing the best for you and your family, Love from Athens <3