She was raised and resides in Portland, Maine. Stokes started playing piano at age 8 and started songwriting at age 9. She is the second youngest of four children; she has an older sister Madeline Haze Curtis, a younger sister Gem Stokes, and a brother Oliver Curtis. At 14, Stokes enrolled in the Maine Academy of Modern Music. She graduated from Falmouth High School in 2019.
Stokes worked with producers such as Tony Berg, Brian Kierulf, and Gerard Lange. She was signed to Atlantic Records in 2019. During interviews, Stokes has said that Cat Power, Lorde, Adele, Regina Spektor, Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, Kendrick Lamar, Moses Sumney, Feist, Isaac Brock, Thom Yorke, Fiona Apple, and Adrianne Lenker are major musical, vocal and lyrical influences.
From her official website:
Rocks skipping across the water, aimless and endless summertime drives, hearts broken for the first time, and new beginnings flicker into focus like old Polaroids in the music of Genevieve Stokes. The 19-year-old Portland, ME singer, songwriter, and pianist enlivens lush alternative pop with details so vivid you can practically grasp them. She simultaneously echoes the nostalgic bliss of an oceanside afternoon and the anxiety of an uncertain crush set to a soundtrack of lo-fi piano bliss. The lifelong musician developed this sound back in high school. In between classes, she recorded on her phone, edited in Garage Band, and uploaded over 50 songs to Soundcloud, beginning with “Little Houses” during her sophomore year. These early compositions informed her creative DNA. Ultimately, Genevieve’s senior project and a performance video she uploaded via YouTube caught the attention of her management in 2019. After amassing over 7 million streams independently and receiving acclaim from Complex, Earmilk, OnesToWatch, and Lyrical Lemonade who called her “a storyteller, capable of painting her feelings into a cohesive and presentable work of art,” she welcomes everyone into her world on the 2021 Swimming Lessons EP [Atlantic Records] led by the single “Surface Tension.”
running away
Genevieve Stokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was always running away
You hit me out of nowhere
Will you stay?
So conflicted
This shit doesn't make sense
I was lifted
Want to feel limitless, but there's nothing left
Just a sorrow that I can't dissect
Your eyes were filled with emptiness
I wish that I could miss them less
But that's overdue, never opened up
What you got to lose?
I wanted you
I still want you bad
Something that I never will have
Couldn't see you coming
I was always running away
You hit me out of nowhere
Will you stay?
And you're nothing but the things that I tell myself
Something's telling me that you know me well
But maybe I just see what I want to see
The feeling's killing me
And I'm nothing but the things that I tell myself
Lie and think I'm special just like everybody else
But something in the water has been tempting me
You float so easily
Couldn't see you coming
I was always running away
You hit me out of nowhere
Will you stay?
Couldn't see you coming
I was always running away (couldn't see you, running)
You hit me out of nowhere
Will you stay?
Be brutally honest
Just like you promised
Are you running away?
Be brutally honest
Is this what we wanted
Or are we running away?
Away from love
I'm scared of love
Away from love
I'm scared of us
In Genevieve Stokes's song "Running Away," she speaks about a situation where she was caught off guard by someone who unexpectedly came into her life. As she was always running away from relationships and emotions, she struggles with the mixed feelings that come with it. She feels conflicted and unsure of what to do with the new feelings she has for this person. She wants to feel more and be limitless, but there is nothing left and a sense of emptiness within her that she cannot shake. Despite the person being the very thing that she desires, she ultimately cannot have them.
The song talks about the feeling of being stuck and conflicted in a relationship. The person she longs for is one that she cannot have, and there is a feeling of sorrow and emptiness. The lyrics show a deep longing and desire for something that cannot be and the pain that is felt as a result of it. The chorus of the song is a plea for the person to stay and not leave her running away again. It speaks to the idea of missed opportunities and wondering what could have happened if things went differently.
Line by Line Meaning
Couldn't see you coming
I wasn't expecting you to show up in my life
I was always running away
I tend to avoid things that challenge me or make me vulnerable
You hit me out of nowhere
You came into my life unexpectedly and made an impact on me
Will you stay?
I want to know if you're committed to me and are willing to stick around
So conflicted
I'm feeling confused and uncertain
This shit doesn't make sense
I don't understand what's going on
I was lifted
I was feeling happy and positive
And now I'm just on the fence
I'm unsure about what I want or how I feel
Want to feel limitless, but there's nothing left
I want to feel like anything is possible, but I feel like I've hit a dead end
Just a sorrow that I can't dissect
I feel sad, but I don't understand why
Your eyes were filled with emptiness
I could see that you were feeling hollow inside
I wish that I could miss them less
I want to stop thinking about you, but I'm finding it difficult
But that's overdue, never opened up
I should have been more honest and open with you, but it's too late now
What you got to lose?
You don't have anything to lose by being honest with me
I wanted you
I was attracted to you
I still want you bad
I still have strong feelings for you
Something that I never will have
I know that I can never have a relationship with you
And you're nothing but the things that I tell myself
My perception of you is based on the stories I've made up in my head
Something's telling me that you know me well
I feel like you understand me on a deeper level
But maybe I just see what I want to see
My interpretation of our connection might be influenced by my desires
The feeling's killing me
I'm struggling to deal with my emotions
And I'm nothing but the things that I tell myself
My self-image is based on the stories I've created in my mind
Lie and think I'm special just like everybody else
I try to convince myself that I'm unique and important, even though everyone is
But something in the water has been tempting me
I'm drawn to something I know is not good for me
You float so easily
You seem to be able to handle things with ease, whereas I struggle
Be brutally honest
Please tell me the truth, even if it hurts
Just like you promised
I need you to follow through on your commitment to be truthful
Is this what we wanted
I'm questioning whether we're really meant to be together
Or are we running away?
Are we both avoiding getting close to one another?
Away from love
I'm scared of getting hurt in a romantic relationship
I'm scared of love
Love is intimidating and makes me feel vulnerable
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alejandrohernandezjacobo9006
The whole world should know how talented you are
@ilazoidis4329
yesss
@babythug9026
Yes
@kashawilliams3438
Tbh 🗣
@multifandom2882
This looks like a fairytale scene, her beautiful voice, and everything is stunning
@zqqxyy
Thank you to the random commercial that brought me to this amazing song
@marthasanchez934
😅 same here !
@auroralee3934
We are seeing the beginnings of a legend right here!! ❤️
@Emmymills
You are just so underrated, I hope one day people see your talent. <3
@blacksabbathmatters
You say underrated, but every song is exactly the same,...all dirges with the same feel/tempo, construct.