“The story is pretty directly in the lyrics honestly, but that’s because of the fact that in the session I had my brought my journal and I was pulling direct quotes that I’d written down when I was angry or sad or whatever about the relationship. The song itself, when it kind of unfolded in the way it did, I had only had the first two lyrics figured out and then I got in a session with Sarah Aarons and Joel Little who are two heroes of mine and it still feels like a weird fever dream that I was ever in the same room with both of them at once and even more of a fever dream that they touched anything that has to do with my music. When I got in the room with them, we just got into a conversation about the story behind the song and their ability to actively listen in a way that challenged me to think even deeper than I already had is what helped develop the story because it really is such a direct recounting of the situation but I credit them entirely for being able to get that out of me.”
21
Gracie Abrams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Almost tried to call you, don't know if I should
Hate to picture you half-drunk happy
Hate to think you went out without me
I'm sorry if you blame me, if I were you, I would
Thought you'd see it comin', but you never could
I still haven't heard from your family
But you said your mom always loved me
Sometimes I go blurry-eyed
Small talk and you tell me that you're on fire
Lights on and it's black and white
I couldn't stay forever
I see the look in your eye and I'm bitin' my tongue
You'll be the love of my life when I was young
When the night is over
Don't call me up, I'm already under
I get a little bit alone sometimes and I miss you again
I'll be the love of your life inside your head
When the night is over
Don't call me up, I'm already under
Audrey said she saw you out past twelve o'clock
Just because you're hurtin' doesn't mean I'm not
If it doesn't go away by the time I turn thirty
I made a mistake and I'll tell you I'm sorry, "Sorry"
Sometimes I go blurry-eyed
Small talk and you tell me that you're on fire
Lights on and it's black and white
I couldn't stay forever
I see the look in your eye and I'm bitin' my tongueYou'll be the love of my life when I was young
When the night is over
Don't call me up, I'm already under
I get a little bit alone sometimes and I miss you again
I'll be the love of your life inside your head
When the night is over
Don't call me up, I'm already under
Gracie Abrams's song "21" is a haunting ballad about the pain of nostalgia and regret. It's a song about growing older and moving on from past mistakes, but also about the fear of losing someone you love because of those mistakes. The lyrics are introspective and emotional, and the melody is melancholic, creating a sense of longing and sadness.
The song begins with the singer lamenting the fact that she missed her lover's twenty-first birthday. She's back home, feeling restless and unsure whether she should call him or not. She hates to think that he went out without her, and imagines him half-drunk and happy, which only adds to her feelings of guilt and regret. She apologizes for missing the birthday and worries that he blames her for it.
As the song continues, the singer reflects on how things have changed between them. She's become distant and their relationship has suffered as a result. She sees the love in his eyes, but she can't express how she feels. She knows he'll always be the love of her life, but she's resigned herself to the fact that they can't be together anymore. The chorus repeats the same refrain: "When the night is over, don't call me up, I'm already under." It's a heartbreaking line that suggests that the singer has already given up on the hope of reconciliation.
The second verse introduces another character – Audrey – who saw the lover out past midnight. The singer is still hurt by the breakup, but recognizes that her lover is hurting too. She vows to make things right if she can, but acknowledges that sometimes apologies don't fix everything. The bridge repeats the melody from the chorus, but with a more intense and emotional delivery. It's a powerful moment that emphasizes the singer's pain and vulnerability.
Overall, "21" is a beautiful and poignant song that speaks to anyone who's experienced the pain of lost love. It's a reminder that even when things don't work out the way we want them to, the memories and feelings linger on.
Line by Line Meaning
I missed your twenty-first birthday, I've been up at home
I wasn't there for your 21st birthday but I haven't been doing anything interesting either.
Almost tried to call you, don't know if I should
I thought about calling you but I'm not sure if that's a good idea.
Hate to picture you half-drunk happy
It makes me sad to imagine you having fun without me, even if it means you're not completely sober.
Hate to think you went out without me
It upsets me to imagine you going out without me.
I'm sorry if you blame me, if I were you, I would
If you're blaming me, I understand why and I'm sorry.
Thought you'd see it comin', but you never could
I expected you to understand why I couldn't be there, but I guess you never really did.
I still haven't heard from your family
I haven't heard anything from your family since your birthday.
But you said your mom always loved me
You told me that your mom had positive feelings about me.
Sometimes I go blurry-eyed
Sometimes my eyesight becomes blurred due to emotional distress.
Small talk and you tell me that you're on fire
You make small talk and act like everything is great, even if you're not really feeling that way.
Lights on and it's black and white
Everything seems clear and straightforward, yet it still feels empty and dull.
I couldn't stay forever
I couldn't keep things going the way they were forever.
I see the look in your eye and I'm bitin' my tongue
I notice the way you look at me and I hold back from saying what I really want to.
You'll be the love of my life when I was young
I once thought you were the love of my life when we were younger.
When the night is over
When the night comes to an end.
Don't call me up, I'm already under
Don't contact me because I'm already emotionally overwhelmed.
I get a little bit alone sometimes and I miss you again
When I'm by myself, I sometimes become overwhelmed with missing you.
I'll be the love of your life inside your head
In your mind, I'll always be the love of your life.
Audrey said she saw you out past twelve o'clock
Audrey informed me she saw you out late.
Just because you're hurtin' doesn't mean I'm not
Although I understand that you're hurting, I'm also hurting because of it.
If it doesn't go away by the time I turn thirty
If these feelings don't go away before I turn 30.
I made a mistake and I'll tell you I'm sorry, "Sorry"
I made a mistake and I'm willing to apologize for it and say 'sorry'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gracie Madigan Abrams, Joel Little, Sarah Paige Aarons
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sofaar9119
I missed your twenty-first birthday
我想念你的21歲生日
I've been up at home
我在家剛醒來
Almost tried to call you, don't know if I should
幾乎快試著打給你，不知道該不該
Hate to picture you half-drunk happy
討厭想到你半醉開心的畫面
Hate to think you went out without me
討厭想到你出去卻沒約我
I'm sorry if you blame me if I were you I would
對不起，如果你怪我，如果我是你我會
Thought you'd see it coming, but you never could
以為你會看到它的到來，但你永遠無法
I still haven't heard from your family
我還沒有從你家人那兒聽說
But you said your mom always loved me
但你說你媽媽總愛著我
Sometimes I go blurry-eyed
有時我睡眼惺忪
Small talk and you tell me that you're on fire
閒聊中你跟我說你正火熱
Lights on and it's black and white, I couldn't stay forever
燈亮了，如此清晰，我不能永遠留下
I see the look in your eye and I'm biting my tongue
我看到你的眼神，我咬我的舌
You'd be the love of my life when I was young
當我年輕時你是我一生的愛
When the night is over
當夜晚結束
Don't call me up I'm already under
別打給我，我已經睡了
I get a little bit alone sometimes and I miss you again
我有時感到孤單而再度想你
I'll be the love of your life inside your head
我將成為你內心深處一生的愛
When the night is over
當夜晚結束
Don't call me up I'm already under
別打給我，我已經睡了
Audrey said she saw you out past twelve o'clock
奥黛麗說她看到你12點以後出門
Just because you're hurting doesn't mean I'm not
只因為你傷人不代表我沒有
If it doesn't go away by the time I turn thirty
如果在我30歲時事情仍未過去
I made a mistake and I'll tell you I'm sorry
我錯了，我會向你說對不起
"Sorry"
“對不起”
Sometimes I go blurry-eyed
有時我睡眼惺忪
Small talk and you tell me that you're on fire
閒聊中你跟我說你正火熱
Lights on and it's black and white, I couldn't stay forever
燈亮了，如此清晰，我不能永遠留下
I see the look in your eye and I'm biting my tongue
我看到你的眼神，我咬我的舌
You'd be the love of my life when I was young
當我年輕時你是我一生的愛
When the night is over
當夜晚結束
Don't call me up I'm already under
別打給我，我已經睡了
I get a little bit alone sometimes and I miss you again
我有時感到孤單而再度想你
I'll be the love of your life inside your head
我將成為你內心深處一生的愛
When the night is over
當夜晚結束
Don't call me up I'm already under
別打給我，我已經睡了
@chalkwarrior5542
I was trying to find a song my mom was listening to, but I found this.
The most honest feelings you can have when something just... Didn't work out. They didn't betray you or anything, it just... Faded out. My crush from the day I first met him kinda just faded out at the end of year 2. A year later and he said he knew I had a crush on him and I panicked. Now HE has a crush on ME and I don't know what to do because our relationship has faded out and I found someone else. I keep on saying "Maybe now isn't the best time" because of the quarantine and a lot of stress I've been having. I don't want to hurt him or our friendship, but lord knows I'm gonna have to tell him the truth that I just don't love him like that anymore and think that we should move on from that crush I had when I was 9 or 10. It's been 3 or 4 years, and I don't think we click as well anymore.
Hey Step Hen, ya dork (in a good way, you're awesome), if ya see this...
Sorry bro.
Edit, over a year later: The person in question is now a she, and she still feels the same way about me. I keep experiencing "5-minute crushes" as I call them, where I develop a crush that doesn't last more than a day out of the blue, regardless of if I like the person that way or not. Apparently, I'm romantically lonely. She's been in my life for over 5 years now and has a heart of titanium. I lightly brought up something that was troubling me (she asked why I was wearing a binder and I simply said I was uncomfortable with my chest from time to time) and her reaction was to hug me. I know I can't be in a relationship right now, I have a lot to focus on in life and I need to work on not pushing those close to me so far away. I wish I wasn't in such a foggy mental state, because right now, I can't really see a proper future with anyone I know right now. Sometimes I can't even see a future in general, I have almost nothing to give me a clue as to what path I'll take. I know I'm not ready for this sort of thing at all, but I don't want to hurt one of my closest friends. It's just that: she's a close friend. It's hard to see her as anything more. Maybe someday, but for now it hurts to think about it. In fact, last year, sometime in August or September, I had a full-blown panic attack because I thought too hard about her liking me. I guess I'm just scared of hurting her.
@LoveLifeLyrics
Thank you so much for your support!
@Janom35
I love this song ❤
@JustAshiiee
This is the most underrated song I’ve ever heard.
@makayla6708
Quite literally I’m like lagging trying to comprehend this
@evelynflores8549
@@makayla6708 wdym? it makes perfect sense🤨
@NotPeachy_100
@@evelynflores8549 yeah this is the perfect song I’ll agree one of the best
@evelynflores8549
@@NotPeachy_100 i agree. it’s an amazing song to vibe to😎
@ItsJennyC8
actually it is literally incredible
@bernadettepiano9012
This song feels like one of those scenes in a coming of age movie where the main character is just sitting in the car while this song is playing in the background
@kaitlynxrose1348
Or a Taylor Swift moment 😂