Small Talk
Briston Maroney Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

And halfway home, you caught me at the station
Struck me up with quiet conversation
It'd been months since you had set me free
Filled me in on your newfound meditation
The quiet life helped your dedication
The dreams that you loved more than you loved me

And I do not want to be cold to you
You left me no choice again

But, girl, you better act your age
Or you're gonna find yourself alone some day
Standing still in the same old place
Looking the same as yesterday
Let me let you in on a secret
You got lies, I wish you would keep them
Beside your cage with a broken lock
I'm sick of this small talk
I'm sick of this small talk

You cannot lie, not what I expected to see
You shake at every simple question
I know you more than you could ever hope I would
So take me up the stairs, saw you from a distance
With a cigarette, swore that you would quit
And what's this? A cloud that hangs over our heads

And I do not want to be cold to you
You left me no choice again

But, girl, you better act your age
Or you're gonna find yourself alone some day
Standing still in the same old place
Looking the same as yesterday
Let me let you in on a secret
You got lies, I wish you would keep them
Beside your cage with a broken lock
I'm sick of this small talk
I'm sick of this small talk




I'm sick of this small talk
Sick of this small talk

Overall Meaning

In Briston Maroney's song "Small Talk," the lyrics describe a conversation between two people who were once in a relationship. The singer is catching up with his ex-girlfriend after not seeing her for months. She talks about her newfound dedication to meditation and how it's helped her find a more peaceful, quieter life. The singer acknowledges that he doesn't want to be cold to her but feels like he has no choice because of the lies she's told him in the past. He warns her to "act her age" so she doesn't end up alone one day, stuck in the same old place and looking the same as she did before. The song ends with the singer expressing his frustration with the small talk and how tired he is of it.


The lyrics are about the struggle of communicating with someone you used to be close to but have drifted apart from. The singer seems to be trying to keep things civil while also feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and frustration towards his ex-girlfriend. He knows her better than she thinks and can see through her lies, but at the same time he's still drawn to her and wants to understand her better. The line "girl, you better act your age" suggests that she's been acting immaturely or perhaps recklessly, and he's warning her that she needs to change her behavior if she wants to have a successful relationship in the future.


Line by Line Meaning

And halfway home, you caught me at the station
You came across me on my way home, stopping me in my tracks


Struck me up with quiet conversation
You started a conversation with me in a gentle tone


It'd been months since you had set me free
It had been several months since you broke up with me


Filled me in on your newfound meditation
You explained your recent interest in meditation


The quiet life helped your dedication
The peaceful lifestyle you adopted helped you focus on your goals


The dreams that you loved more than you loved me
Your aspirations were more important to you than our relationship


And I do not want to be cold to you
I don't want to be harsh towards you


You left me no choice again
You put me in a difficult situation once more


But, girl, you better act your age
You should behave in a more mature way


Or you're gonna find yourself alone some day
You may end up being lonely if you don't change your ways


Standing still in the same old place
Stuck in the same situation for a long time


Looking the same as yesterday
Not showing any signs of growth or improvement


Let me let you in on a secret
I want to share something with you


You got lies, I wish you would keep them
You have been dishonest, and I wish you would not continue to be


Beside your cage with a broken lock
Next to your enclosure with a broken latch


I'm sick of this small talk
I'm tired of engaging in trivial conversation


You cannot lie, not what I expected to see
I didn't anticipate that you would be unable to tell the truth


You shake at every simple question
You tremble when asked basic questions


I know you more than you could ever hope I would
I have learned more about you than you thought I would


So take me up the stairs, saw you from a distance
Lead me up the stairs, as I had initially seen you from afar


With a cigarette, swore that you would quit
Smoking a cigarette while claiming that you were done with it


And what's this? A cloud that hangs over our heads
Something is troubling us and affecting our relationship


I'm sick of this small talk
I'm fed up with having superficial conversations




Contributed by Vivian Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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:

@user-ys3vc7lj5c

And halfway home, you caught me at the station
Struck me up with quiet conversation
It'd been months since you had set me free
Filled me in on your newfound meditation
The quiet life helped your dedication
The dreams that you loved more than you loved me

And I do not want to be cold to you
You left me no choice again

But, girl, you better act your age
Or you're gonna find yourself alone some day
Standing still in the same old place
Looking the same as yesterday
Let me let you in on a secret
You got lies, I wish you would keep them
Beside your cage with a broken lock
I'm sick of this small talk
I'm sick of this small talk

You cannot lie, not what I expected to see
You shake at every simple question
I know you more than you could ever hope I would
So take me up the stairs, saw you from a distance
With a cigarette, swore that you would quit
And what's this? A cloud that hangs over our heads

And I do not want to be cold to you
You left me no choice again

But, girl, you better act your age
Or you're gonna find yourself alone some day
Standing still in the same old place
Looking the same as yesterday
Let me let you in on a secret
You got lies, I wish you would keep them
Beside your cage with a broken lock
I'm sick of this small talk
I'm sick of this small talk
I'm sick of this small talk
Sick of this small talk



All comments from YouTube:

@Sean-yd4mi

How is this guy not exploding in popularity?

@fanaticalbrit1685

Soon brother, soon

@eavaav3766

I know, hopefully more recognition will come soon because these songs are great!

@legoistealtruiste8874

I just discovered him at the wallows concert in Paris tonight. Him and his group were absolutely amazing i hope he's going to bliow up too :)

@deanlarson8347

@RJ no complexity, depth, or soul. I just saw The Glorious Sons live, I don't understand how THOSE guys aren't bigger

@Rose-dp5dx

@RJ Seriously dude. You were hating on the last video Caroline. If you think his music is basic then go ahead and try to make some yourself. You really have no right to accuse someone else's hard work as basic and repetitive.

14 More Replies...

@jakeferree534

arguably one of the best and most underrated music artists out there right now. Just listen to those lyrics. He cuts right to the heart of the subject with bluesy pop riffs that make you say,"Why the fuck isn't this guy a household name?" Keep killing it Briston.

@caitb9328

I agree ❤

@johnretherford3778

this prechorus is phenomenal, he’s such a visionary.

@joestarman3853

What's that tune from?

More Comments

More Versions