He first started uploading his instrumental music to Soundcloud in 2014 before releasing "hydroponic" on February 6, 2016, which contains Nick's vocals.
In 2017, guardin released his first official album "lacuna", which has a blend of emo with a modern hip hop sound. Earlier that same year, "Demons in My Orbit" was released, which was one of his first big hits, receiving over 20.4 million plays.
Since then he has released various singles, music videos, eps and mixtapes, along with doing many collaborations, such as with MCR's Ray Toro, Against The Current, convolk, and Sewerperson.
cliffnote
Guardin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How do you do this to someone?
Oh, as if you had no choice?
I'm drownin' in my headspace
Drivin' shockpoint like I'm Isaac Clarke in Dead Space
Two gram cone to my dome, now I'm dead, wait
I feel fine, celebratin' poppin' champaigne
Fixin' for the herb, I'm packin' purple 'till I'm stiff
Fall asleep in chairs or couches I don't give a shit
Lil' sleepy boy, I'm overlookin' on a clip
This that fuckin' cliffnote
Cliff bars suck and clifford the dog was a nympho
Breakin' 'till it fall apart, I guess you got the memo
Good bye to my hello
I was once a shade of blue but you turned to me yellow
My color palette is minimum but I don't give a fuck
Flip it 'till it's saturated, the vibrance ain't enough
Been awake for days and I'm amazed that I'm still up
Sleep is for the weak and I'm afraid of givin' up
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
In Guardin’s song “Cliffnote,” the artist explores the themes of addiction and fear of losing oneself. The lyrics depict the singer being trapped in their own mind due to drug addiction. The line “I'm drownin' in my headspace” highlights the feeling of being consumed by one’s own thoughts. Furthermore, the mention of using drugs like marijuana and taking a “Two gram cone to my dome” adds to the idea of self-destructive behavior running rampant in the singer's life.
The lines “Goodbye to my hello / I was once a shade of blue but you turned me yellow” demonstrates the effect that addiction can have on a person’s personality. The reference to colors possibly alludes to the singer’s mood or outlook on life. In the last part of the song, the repetition of “Yeah, I’m afraid of giving up” emphasizes the fear and struggle of letting go of addiction. This theme is significant as it can resonate with anyone who has faced addiction or mental health challenges. The song’s intense and emotional tone reflects the difficulties that those who face addiction must confront.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm drownin' in my headspace
I feel overwhelmed by my own thoughts and emotions.
Drivin' shockpoint like I'm Isaac Clarke in Dead Space
I feel like I'm in a constant state of stress and danger, much like the main character of the video game Dead Space.
Two gram cone to my dome, now I'm dead, wait
I've smoked a large amount of marijuana and feel the effects of it weighing heavily on me.
I feel fine, celebratin' poppin' champaigne
Despite feeling overwhelmed by my thoughts and the effects of the marijuana, I try to distract myself and feel a sense of joy and celebration.
Caught me in my zone, all alone, marijuana on my lip
I'm in my own world, enjoying smoking marijuana by myself.
Fixin' for the herb, I'm packin' purple 'till I'm stiff
I have a strong desire to continue smoking marijuana until I can't anymore.
Fall asleep in chairs or couches I don't give a shit
I don't care where I end up falling asleep, as long as I can sleep.
Lil' sleepy boy, I'm overlookin' on a clip
I feel like a child who is about to fall asleep while watching a movie, but I'm still trying to stay awake.
This that fuckin' cliffnote
This is a condensed version of a larger story or idea.
Cliff bars suck and clifford the dog was a nympho
I have an opinion about a snack bar and make an inappropriate comment about a childhood cartoon character, possibly to shock or amuse others.
Breakin' 'till it fall apart, I guess you got the memo
I'm intentionally or unintentionally damaging something, possibly as a form of release from my own stress and emotions.
Good bye to my hello
I'm experiencing a change, possibly from a state of happiness to a state of sadness or stress.
I was once a shade of blue but you turned to me yellow
Someone or something has changed my mood or personality, possibly in a negative way.
My color palette is minimum but I don't give a fuck
My emotions and thoughts are limited, but I don't really care about it.
Flip it 'till it's saturated, the vibrance ain't enough
I'm trying to amplify my emotions or thoughts, but it's still not enough to make me feel satisfied or fulfilled.
Been awake for days and I'm amazed that I'm still up
I've been awake for an extended period of time and find it surprising that I haven't crashed from exhaustion yet.
Sleep is for the weak and I'm afraid of givin' up
I view sleep as a sign of weakness and am afraid of losing control or missing out on anything while I'm sleeping.
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
I continue to express my fear and reluctance to give up control or stop being active.
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
I continue to express my fear and reluctance to give up control or stop being active.
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
I continue to express my fear and reluctance to give up control or stop being active.
Yeah, I'm afraid of givin' up
I continue to express my fear and reluctance to give up control or stop being active.
Writer(s): Guardin, Nicholas Jordan Kerr-carpenter
Contributed by Alexander R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Nezzeract
He's seriously underrated.
@reckthenobody2657
TylerDoh rightttt
@Tiredrunaway
TylerDoh 👏🏻👏🏻
@puxke7703
This angel is somewhat getting recognized
@eosesiom
and good.
@superbreloom17
Nezzeract lets keep it that way lmao
@williamkennard4663
Cliff note was the first song i ever heard by him years ago on SoundCloud, its 2022 now…. God time flys, don’t be scared to give up guy’s, sometimes we got to let go to see what’s really holding us and to remind ourselves what’s important to us and who we’re important to. I love everybody i hope everyone is doing okay today.
@morgancluff1068
Probably the most unsuspecting place I would find this needed message. Hearing melodies that I haven’t heard for years really makes you feel.
@maciejsiembab5538
I love the video for cliffnote so much. The juxtaposition of Guardin in his yellow hoodie along the more grey background really highlighted how maybe the world can be dark and depressing but happiness comes from oneself. That plus the bars make it an A+.
@zzz3493
Yeah that yellow hoodie be fire