New Years
Human Kitten Lyrics

The lyrics to Human Kitten's song New Years explore the concept of societal expectations and the pressure to conform to a certain idealized version of oneself. The opening lines of the song divide the singer's identity into two halves, each representing an extreme: normality vs. craziness, sobriety vs. alcoholism. The singer feels that they cannot exist in a middle ground and must choose one extreme or the other, suggesting that their identity is constantly shifting and unpredictable. The lyrics also reflect the singer's struggle with emotions, switching between being in love and being disinterested or infatuated and indifferent. There is no in-between or consistency in their emotional state.

The chorus of the song, "When people say you should 'be yourself' they're lying," reveals the singer's cynicism towards cultural expectations and the pressure to conform. The singer believes that "being yourself" is a false narrative propagated by society to pressure people into conforming to a certain norm. According to the lyrics, society wants people to be "normal in a vaguely quirky way," rather than allowing them to be their unique selves, particularly if one's individuality falls outside of societal norms. The singer suggests that the pressure to conform leads to a loss of authenticity and a facade of pretense, ultimately denying one's true identity.

Overall, Human Kitten's song New Years explores the complexities of identity and societal pressure to conform. The lyrics convey the struggle of finding and accepting oneself while navigating societal expectations and stereotypes.