Starting out as a hip-hop producer at the age of 13, Dapperton made the switch to his current sound after a serious hospitalisation and the failure of his laptop.
Pairing infectious, nostalgia-laden tunes with high-concept filmclips, lauded for their high-concept cinematic execution, has proven to be a recipe for success. Blowing up through 2017, with two EPs dropped, and fans and the press alike taking notice, Dapperton's future looks bright.
Palms
Gus Dapperton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There never was
Applaud her alma mater
It is medicine
It's not your fault
No, it never would
I loved his only daughter
Like he never could
And now you're stuck
Replacing my own tongue
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
She is all but hope
No, there never was
A duck in open water
It is evident
It's not your fault
No, it never is
We fuck in ocean water
To repent our sins
And now you're stuck
Replacing my own tongue
There's no need to talk (oh no)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
I should've seen that you needed some help, love
You said, "Enough, I am done with the self love now
I have no doubts
Although my faith is besieged, see, you can release me"
I should've known that you've grown from pretending
There's nothing fault, nothing false with inventing lies
To hide your guise
Though it's not easy to see through
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
In "Palms," Gus Dapperton delves into the intricacies of a relationship that appears to be in a state of flux. In the opening lyric, "Nobody's home/There never was," he sets the tone for the rest of the song, implying a sense of emptiness and detachment. When he sings "It's not your fault/No, it never would," he is referencing some sort of blame or fault that is weighing on the relationship. He continues on to say "I loved his only daughter/Like he never could," which may suggest that he was in a relationship with a girl who was not well-loved by her own father, and he tried to make up for that love himself.
Throughout the song, Gus Dapperton references water and the act of reading someone's palms as means of understanding the relationship. "A duck in open water/It is evident" implies a sense of vulnerability and confusion. Later, when he sings "We fuck in ocean water/To repent our sins," he is referencing the idea that sex is being used as a means of fixing what is wrong in the relationship. The line "I'll read your palms (they say)/You lead me on (I'll lead the way)" further emphasizes the idea that he is trying to make sense of a relationship that feels out of his control.
Overall, "Palms" is a deeply introspective look into a relationship that is not working as it should. The song is a mix of despair and hope, highlighting the idea that even though things may be tough, there is still potential for the relationship to grow and heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody's home
There is no one there to help me.
There never was
I've always been alone in this struggle.
Applaud her alma mater
I am proud of her achievements and education.
It is medicine
Her success is a remedy for my own pain and suffering.
It's not your fault
I do not blame you for my problems.
No, it never would
It is not your responsibility to fix me.
I loved his only daughter
I had a deep connection with her, which he never understood.
Like he never could
He could never match the level of love and understanding that I had for her.
And now you're stuck
You are now trapped in this dysfunctional relationship with me.
Replacing my own tongue
You are speaking for me, and I am losing my own voice and agency.
There's no need to talk (oh no)
We don't need to communicate verbally anymore.
I'll read your palms (they say)
I can understand your feelings and intentions through reading your body language.
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
You might think you are in control, but I have the real power in this relationship.
Lead me on
Keep leading me on, I enjoy the feeling of being in control.
She is all but hope
She has lost her optimism and positivity.
A duck in open water
She feels vulnerable and exposed.
It is evident
Her pain and fear is clear to see.
We fuck in ocean water
We have sex as a way to cope with our emotional pain and guilt.
To repent our sins
We hope that our physical relationship can make up for our emotional mistakes.
I should've seen that you needed some help, love
I realize now that you were struggling and needed support.
You said, "Enough, I am done with the self love now
You tried to love and care for yourself, but now you are ready for someone else to take the lead.
I have no doubts
I trust and believe in you.
Although my faith is besieged, see, you can release me"
Even though I have doubts and fears, I am willing to let you guide and support me.
I should've known that you've grown from pretending
I realize now that you have matured and are truthful about your feelings and needs.
There's nothing fault, nothing false with inventing lies
It is understandable to lie and pretend in order to protect ourselves from pain and rejection.
To hide your guise
We use lies and deception to hide our true selves and emotions.
Though it's not easy to see through
It can be difficult to discern what is true and genuine in a relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brendan Patrick Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MsYoyojam
Nobody's home
There never was
Applaud her alma mater
It is medicine
It's not your fault
No, it never would
I loved his only daughter
Like he never could
And now you're stuck
Replacing my own tongue
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
I ain't gon' lie, I need to meditate
Take time and just get away
Smoke some tree and go my own pace
But seeing me I picture your face
Shit I can't erase
Keep it simple if you know that
And slowly drinking Shirley Temple
So you don't have no regrets
She aksed me, "What do I mean to you?"
I said, I'll read your palm
And then I'll sing to you
Then I'll sing to you
And now you're stuck (now you're stuck)
Replacing my own tongue (there's no need to talk)
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (so I read your palms, and I read your palms) (they say)
You lead me on (lead me on, I said, yeah) (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on (I said, I said, lead me on, yes)
There's no need to talk (there's no need to talk) (oh no)
I'll read your palms (so I read your palm) (they say)
You lead me on (lead me on, lead me on) (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
I should've seen that you needed some help, love
You said, "Enough! I am done with the self love now
I have no doubts
Although my faith's been besieged, see, you can release me"
I should've known that you've grown from pretending
There's nothing fault, nothing false with inventing lies
To hide your guise
Though it's not easy to see through
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
There's no need to talk (oh no)
I'll read your palms (they say)
You lead me on (I'll lead the way)
Lead me on
@gusdapperton5077
tickets on sale NOW for the HENGE tour coming this fall ! i cant wait yall see you soon [o]
https://www.gusdapperton.com/
@Beamarkone
Love your music. Great song writing. Huge fan
@zo.yeahhh
His dancing gives me so much serotonin
@RonanLyleMusic
thats not how serotonin works
@zo.yeahhh
You're taking it way too literally and even though this kind of stimulus is related with increased levels of dopamine and endorphins, anything that positively affects your mood can lead to increased serotonin production.
@oscararagon6648
I fucking love his dancing haha it’s his signature
@iNSOMNiATi
word tho
@phillip1052
@@RonanLyleMusic imagine taking what he said that seriously 😂
@eleazarlongoria2138
Easily the best song on the album so glad it’s getting a vid
@tonyl3012
I'm tied between this one and swan song