The single was announced via Gomez and Kygo social media accounts on 13 February 2017.
It Ain't Me
Kygo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were sipping whiskey neat
Highest floor, The Bowery
Nowhere's high enough
Somewhere along the lines
We stopped seeing eye to eye
You were staying out all night
And I had enough
No, I don't wanna know
Where you been or where you're goin'
But I know I won't be home
And you'll be on your own
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me
I had a dream
We were back to seventeen
Summer nights and The Libertines
Never growing up
I'll take with me
The Polaroids and the memories
But you know I'm gonna leave
Behind the worst of us
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me, no, no
It ain't me, no, no
It ain't me, no, no
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery)
It ain't me (grateful, I'm so grateful)
Ah, ooh (The Bowery, whiskey neat)
Ah, ooh (grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat)
Ah, ooh (grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me
Na, na, na, na, na, Bowery
Na, na, na, na, na, whiskey neat
(Grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me
The song "It Ain't Me" by Kygo is about a past relationship that has ended due to the singer realizing that their partner was no longer the same person they fell in love with. The first verse describes a dream where they were drinking whiskey neat on the highest floor of a building in The Bowery, but their partner began staying out all night causing the relationship to deteriorate. Despite not wanting to know where their partner is going, the singer knows that they won't be going home and that their partner will be on their own.
The chorus repeats the question of who will guide their former partner through the difficult times now that they are no longer together. The second verse reminisces about when they were both seventeen and had summer nights listening to The Libertines, but the singer knows they have to move on and leave behind the worst parts of their past relationship. The final chorus ends with the repeated statement that it "ain't me" who will be there for their former partner.
The song speaks to the difficulty of moving on from a past relationship and realizing when it's time to let go. It also touches on the idea that people change over time and how the person you fell in love with may not be the same person you end up with. Overall, the song is about accepting the end of a relationship and moving on to a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream
The singer had a dream about their past relationship
We were sipping whiskey neat
In the dream, the singer and their partner were drinking whiskey
Highest floor, The Bowery
In the dream, they were in a fancy building in The Bowery neighborhood
Nowhere's high enough
The dream was happy until something went wrong
Somewhere along the lines
The relationship started to go bad
We stopped seeing eye to eye
The couple had a disagreement that they couldn't reconcile
You were staying out all night
The singer's partner was not spending time with them
And I had enough
The singer reached their breaking point and wanted out of the relationship
No, I don't wanna know
The singer is trying to move on from the failed relationship
Where you been or where you're goin'
The singer doesn't want to know what their ex-partner is doing now
But I know I won't be home
The singer is leaving their home to move on
And you'll be on your own
The singer's ex-partner will have to face the consequences of their actions alone
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
The singer wonders who will support their ex-partner through difficult times
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
The singer wonders who will comfort their ex-partner when they can't sleep
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
The singer wonders who will take care of their ex-partner when they are drunk
It ain't me
The singer is telling their ex-partner that they won't be that person for them
I had a dream
The singer has another dream about their past
We were back to seventeen
In the dream, the singer and their partner were young again
Summer nights and The Libertines
The couple spent their time listening to the band The Libertines in the summer
Never growing up
The couple was carefree in their youth and never wanted to grow up
I'll take with me
The singer will keep some mementos from the relationship
The Polaroids and the memories
Specifically, the singer will keep Polaroids and memories of their time together
But you know I'm gonna leave
Despite the memories, the singer is moving on
Behind the worst of us
The singer is leaving behind the bad parts of the relationship
It ain't me, no, no
The singer repeats that they won't be the person to support their ex-partner
Ah, ooh
There is a pause in the lyrics
Na, na, na, na, na, Bowery
The singer repeats the name of the location from their dream
Na, na, na, na, na, whiskey neat
The singer repeats what they were drinking in the dream
(Grateful, I'm so grateful)
The singer expresses gratitude for leaving their toxic relationship behind
It ain't me
The song ends with the singer repeating that they won't be the person to support their ex-partner through difficult times
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alexandra Leah Tamposi, Andrew Wotman, Brian D Lee, Kyrre Gorvell-Dahll, Selena Marie Gomez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xm377Moyocoyatzin
It was the girl who died... In case nobody figured that out. The lyrics point to the fact that she is not there, she's gone, i.e. dead. What hinted her death? She is not seen here: 0:15 she is completely unscathed here 0:36 after showing all the damage he sustained, notice her hands don't even have so much as a scratch, and then her obvious absence at the end.
He sees her while he's in limbo between life and death because she is already on the other side, looking over him on his bedside which is where we the audience also sees her like a sort of angel watching over him, she tries to keep him away from the light, away from crossing unto the other side and unto death, she does this through care and song so that he doesn't cross unto death as well. He sees her in his dreams and we see her on his bedside because she has transcended, she's moved on, she has died. The symbolism of the butterfly is change, metamorphosis. The caterpillar that becomes a butterfly, she is in a different state of being now. She lives only in his memory.
Metasymbolically both the lyrics and the video point to her absence. She is gone, and the void left by her absence is akin to her having died because in either case she is gone.
But I know I won't be home
And you'll be on your own
The lyrics alone talk about her leaving him. But the video plays with the idea of her leaving has the same impact as her dying and being forever gone from his life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon request for more details I wrote the following in a response to another user but I will post it here for all to see:
1. 0:30 When the paramedics shock his heart back to life his consciousness awakens but in another realm, in another state of consciousness.
2. 0:40 He starts to walk towards the light at the end of the tunnel, about to cross to the other side himself.
3. 0:43 The doctor shines a light into his eye, in medical science this is a procedure in order to see if there is brain activity, to see if he's still there and not brain dead. He then sees another light up in the sky, as if the light the doctor shines in his eyes beckons his consciousness.
4. 0:45 This is another light, a new light above instead of ahead as when he was in the tunnel. Notice he is not standing on the tunnel anymore, he is on a road. A road symbolizes a path and a choice: does he keep going or does he take the road back to where he came?
5. Notice that up to this point the colors of both lights are hues of blue which is a cold color.
6. 0:49 Also note that at this precise moment is when the lyrics say "Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?" What does that tell you? The female vocals in tandem with the video speak of her being there for him both in life and in death, it's a double entendre. It means she is physically there to care for him through the night as well as her being there to care and walk with him through the "night" of consciousness, a metaphor for the limbo he is in between life and death at this point.
7. The color scheme here then cuts from cold blue to warm orange and yellows. She is tending to him while the morning light shines in and in the next scene we see him in a forest full of candles. The color is warmer, the forest is a symbol of the unconscious and the light of the candles may symbolize the warm and illuminating memories of happier times with her. Her spirit is warm and nurturing to his physical body and thus he is in a forest of memory with warm lights from those memories of her.
8. 1:00 to 1:06 We see a sequence of her in the physical world looking after him, we see for a very brief moment that she speaks to the doctor, could she be whispering thoughts into his own mind? Giving the doctor insight into how best to treat his broken body?
9. 1:07 In this very next scene notice the cold blue hue creeps back as he is going into the CT machine, notice that she isn't there, without her presence and without her warmth the cold returns.
10. 1:10 He's no longer standing in a road, he is now in an opening in the middle of a field, possibly lost or stuck, looking down without any sense of will or resolve.
11. 1:13 He is back in that cold tunnel, staring ahead into the light, his expression is not passive anymore, he has some expressed emotion which can either be surprise, shock, or longing.Whichever the case, he can feel again, he's not a passive vegetable.
12. 1:16 She comes from the light at the end of the tunnel. She came from the other side and runs towards him. She appears happy to see him but more than that, she walks around him looking him up and down as if assessing him the way a nurse looks up a patient. She then hugs him apparently happy to commune with him after only tending to his body and not being able to actually talk to commune with him. This is all happening while he is under the CT scanner, could she be probing his brain so the doctors can see his neurological progress?
13. 1:35 All those cold blue lights dangling in the dark could certainly be interpreted to be brain synapses or possibly the tangled mess of colder bad memories as opposed to the warmer lights in the forest, and she appears to be dancing and walking amongst them.
14. 1:51 We then see him walking from amongst the blue lights and back into that forest where now we see her
15. 2:03 She is covered in butterflies: The symbol of metamorphosis and change. Specifically she pulls one out of her mouth, symbolizing that she is causing change by vocalizing it, by uttering an influence unto his mind that will compel him to change or transform. She is communicating change.
16. 2:22 She appears stressed, sad, depressed and frustrated. Perhaps because they have both been dwelling in this happy limbo but without any progress.
17. 2:27 Her body language here appears to mean that she is about to make a hard decision, maybe she is saddened that when he gets well she will no longer be able to be with him. And the longer she dwells with him in his mind and rejoicing in all those memories together he will stay stuck in that happy limbo a prisoner inside his own head wishing to keep re-living those memories with her.
18. 2:41 She is literally wearing a happy face. She wants to guide him back to the world of the living by showing him that there is also joy in life. He can only come back if he wants to, she then guides him back to life through song and dance the two most universal symbols of joy and happiness.
19. Her happy rhythm has an effect on him, he starts to walk away from the light, actually dancing away from it.
20. 3:07 She puts the song on his head
21. 3:12 appears to be saying her last goodbye
22. Notice that all the colors of the spectrum now fluctuate. Again, symbolizing an alert happiness, zest, when something is colorful it is a manner of saying it is alive, vibrant, and joyful.
23. 3:25 Her influence even gets the doctor to dance, gets him in a rhythm, he can hear her song, in his mind anyway on some unconscious level perhaps. She may have been influencing the doctors as well so that he can know the right things to do in order to save him and bring him back to health.
24. 3:43 One final kiss in both worlds he's in. Finally saying goodbye.
25. 3:46 He wakes up. A butterfly by his mouth where she kissed him in the next world, then when the scene backs away the butterfly is on his forehead where she also kissed him as she was nurturing him. It is one thing to be so romantically involved but the fact that the kiss reverberates twice - once on the forehead and once in the mouth simultaneously - demonstrates her deep affection, devotion, and love for him.
He wasn't just a boyfriend, he mattered to her, she loved him, truly loved him, even coming back from death to keep caring for him. There is still a ton of symbolism but I just wanted to point out the most obvious ones here to add more detail to my original comment and show why I came to that conclusion.
@mansinigam7272
I had a dream
We were sipping whiskey neat
Highest floor, The Bowery
Nowhere's high enough
Somewhere along the lines
We stopped seeing eye to eye
You were staying out all night
And I had enough
No, I don't wanna know
Where you been or where you're goin'
But I know I won't be home
And you'll be on your own
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me
I had a dream
We were back to seventeen
Summer nights and The Libertines
Never growing up
I'll take with me
The Polaroids and the memories
But you know I'm gonna leave
Behind the worst of us
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
Who's gonna rock you when the sun won't let you sleep?
Who's waking up to drive you home when you're drunk and all alone?
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me, no, no
It ain't me, no, no
It ain't me, no, no
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me
It ain't me
It ain't me, ah, ah
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me (The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful)
It ain't me
❤❤❤❤
@masitarachmawati
[Intro: Selena Gomez]
I had a dream
We were sipping whiskey neat
Highest floor, The Bowery
And I was high enough
[Verse 1: Selena Gomez]
Somewhere along the lines
We stopped seeing eye to eye
You were staying out all night
And I had enough
[Pre-Chorus: Selena Gomez]
No, I don't wanna know
Where you been or where you're goin'
But I know I won't be home
And you'll be on your own
[Chorus: Selena Gomez]
Who's gonna walk you
Through the dark side of the morning?
Who's gonna rock you
When the sun won't let you sleep?
Who's waking up to drive you home
When you're drunk and all alone?
Who's gonna walk you
Through the dark side of the morning?
[Drop: Selena Gomez & Kygo]
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
[Verse 2: Selena Gomez]
I had a dream
We were back to seventeen
Summer nights and The Libertines
Never growing up
[Pre-Chorus: Selena Gomez]
I'll take with me
The polaroids and the memories
But you know I'm gonna leave
Behind the worst of us
[Chorus: Selena Gomez]
Who's gonna walk you
Through the dark side of the morning?
Who's gonna rock you
When the sun won't let you sleep?
Who's waking up to drive you home
When you're drunk and all alone?
Who's gonna walk you
Through the dark side of the morning?
[Drop: Selena Gomez & Kygo]
It ain't me, no no
It ain't me, no no
It ain't me, no no
Who's gonna walk you through the dark side of the morning?
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
The Bowery, whiskey neat, grateful, I'm so grateful
It ain't me
@Luke-jx8ns
She died in the accident. It's her soul that stays with him. That is why she is not in the final scene when he wakes up from his coma. She is the butterfly.
@johndavies7669
So deep bruh 😭
@alanrichgomez9866
why did you say it: ((((
@marlonpoletto3278
Onwwwwwwwwwwww 🥲😢
@aegis062
well in everyone's head he passed away and we all married her! XD
@frankkiwanuka8350
@Abir hasan bad
@karmaexists3541
Director: Who's gonna be in this video?
Selena: It ain't me.
@zet9207
“Next” video
@thanushka2648
Lol
@MariamAhmed-lb2ep
LOL