Interested in music from a young age, the San Francisco-born Leff took piano and viola lessons as a child before picking up the guitar around age 11. During high school, he played in several bands and studied jazz before discovering electronic music production. However, it was while attending N.Y.U. as a music tech major in 2014 that a bad breakup found Leff on his own and digging deep into his writing and recording process. Out of this period came the song "The Other," co-written with songwriter/instrumentalist Michael Matosic. Released under Leff's stage name Lauv (inspired by the Latvian "lauva" or lion), the song went viral after gaining blog attention and peaked at number three on blog aggregator Hype Machine. In 2015 he returned with his debut EP, Lost in the Light, which featured "The Other."
More tracks followed, including 2015's "Reforget" and 2016's "Question," featuring Travis Mills. In 2017 Lauv headed his own Late Nights, Deep Talks tour and premiered the official video for "The Other," along with a series of remixes. Released in May of that year, Lauv's single "I Like Me Better" became a breakout international hit and was later featured on his self-titled second EP that October. The single was also included on his full-length debut, 2018's I Met You When I Was 18, which also featured the singles "Paranoid" and "Bracelet." Hit collaborations with Julia Michaels ("There's No Way") and Troye Sivan ("I'm So Tired...") carried him into 2019. Lauv's debut album "~how i'm feeling~" is set to be released in March 2020.
Stay Together
Lauv Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never knew what to get you on your birthday
And all the best nights ended in the worst way, way, yeah
Apologize if I always had to have the last word
Yeah, I was always bendin′ over backwards
Just tryna crack your heart without a password-word
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
So you and me
Thank God, we never stay together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God, we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
Thank God, we never stay together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God, we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
Mm, I don′t feel bad like I used to
I drink every night like I used to
I'm pretty sure that I found a new you
And lookin' back at the evidence
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
So you and me
Thank God, we never stay together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God, we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
Thank God, we never stay together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God, we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
In "Stay Together," Lauv reflects on a past relationship that was never meant to last. The lyrics suggest that the singer and their former partner were never truly friends to begin with, which implies a lack of deep emotional connection. The line "Never knew what to get you on your birthday" reveals a sense of distance and unfamiliarity within the relationship. The best moments they shared always seemed to end in disappointment, indicating a pattern of negative outcomes.
The singer acknowledges their own flaws and admits to always needing the last word, constantly striving to win arguments and control the dynamic between them. They express the desire to break through their partner's emotional barriers, attempting to open their heart without requiring a password. However, upon reflection, they realize that the relationship was defined by constant fights and deception.
The chorus, "Thank God, we never stay together, bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together," emphasizes a sense of gratitude that the relationship ultimately didn't progress to a more serious level. The lyrics suggest that had they continued down that path, they would have been trapped in a cycle of unhappiness and unresolved conflicts. The singer feels liberated by the fact that they never made a commitment to stay together.
In the second verse, Lauv reveals that he no longer feels the same emotional weight as he used to. He numbs his pain by drinking every night and hints at the idea of finding a new version of himself. The conclusion is that they were never meant to be together, as highlighted in the final repetition of the chorus.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I, we were never friends in the first place
From the beginning, there was never a genuine friendship between us.
Never knew what to get you on your birthday
I struggled to understand your desires on your special day.
And all the best nights ended in the worst way, way, yeah
Our most enjoyable moments always resulted in painful outcomes.
Apologize if I always had to have the last word
I'm sorry for constantly needing to have the final say in our conversations.
Yeah, I was always bendin' over backwards
I constantly went out of my way and made sacrifices for you.
Just tryna crack your heart without a password-word
My intention was to break down your emotional barriers without needing a secret code.
And lookin' back at the evidence
Reflecting on our past experiences together
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
Our relationship was built upon arguments and dishonesty.
So you and me
The dynamic between you and me
Thank God, we never stay together
I'm grateful that we didn't remain in a relationship.
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
We went through significant life milestones as a couple, such as purchasing a house, having a child, and getting a dog.
Thank God, we never said, "Forever"
I'm relieved that we didn't commit to a lifelong commitment.
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
It was never destined for you and me to remain as a couple.
Mm, I don't feel bad like I used to
I no longer experience the same guilt as before.
I drink every night like I used to
I have returned to my previous habit of drinking every night.
I'm pretty sure that I found a new you
I believe I have discovered a replacement for you.
And lookin' back at the evidence
Reflecting on past indications
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
Our interactions consisted solely of arguments and deceit.
So you and me
The connection between you and me
Thank God, we never stay together
I'm grateful that we didn't remain in a relationship.
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
We went through significant life milestones as a couple, such as purchasing a house, having a child, and getting a dog.
Thank God, we never said, "Forever"
I'm relieved that we didn't commit to a lifelong commitment.
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
Our destiny was never to be together in the long run.
Writer(s): Ari Leff, Madison Emiko Love, Johnathan Carter Cunningham, Blake Slatkin
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kim Harold Viste
[Verse 1]
You and I, we were never friends in the first place
Never knew what to get you on your birthday
And all the best nights ended in the worst way, way, yeah
Apologize if I always had to have the last word
Yeah, I was always bendin' over backwards
Just tryna crack your heart without a password, word
[Pre-Chorus]
And lookin' back at the others
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
So you and me
[Chorus]
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
[Verse 2]
Mm, I don't feel bad like I used to
I drink every night like I used to
I'm pretty sure that I found a new you
[Pre-Chorus]
And lookin' back at the others
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
So you and me
[Chorus]
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
Amin Limelight
Lyrics - Stay Together
You and I
We were never friends
In the first place
Never knew what to get
You on your birthday
And all the best nights
Ended in the worst way, way, yeah
Apologize, if I always
Had to have the last word
Yeah, I was always
Bendin' over backwards
Just tryna crack your heart
Without a password, word
And lookin' back
At the evidence
All we did was fight
And all we did was lie
So you and me
Thank God we never
Stay together
Bought a house
Had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never
Said, "Forever"
You and me
We were never meant to stay together, yeah
Thank God we never
Stay together
Bought a house
Had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never
Said, "Forever"
You and me
We were never meant to stay together, yeah
Mm, I don't feel bad like I used to
I drink every night like I used to
I'm pretty sure that I found a new you
And lookin' back
At the evidence
All we did was fight
And all we did was lie
So you and me
Thank God we never
Stay together
Bought a house
Had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never
Said, "Forever"
You and me
We were never meant to stay together yeah
Thank God we never
Stay together
Bought a house
Had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never
Said, "Forever"
You and me
We were never meant to stay together, yeah
Kim Harold Viste
[Verse 1]
You and I, we were never friends in the first place
Never knew what to get you on your birthday
And all the best nights ended in the worst way, way, yeah
Apologize if I always had to have the last word
Yeah, I was always bendin' over backwards
Just tryna crack your heart without a password, word
[Pre-Chorus]
And lookin' back at the others
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
So you and me
[Chorus]
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
[Verse 2]
Mm, I don't feel bad like I used to
I drink every night like I used to
I'm pretty sure that I found a new you
[Pre-Chorus]
And lookin' back at the others
All we did was fight and all we did was lie
So you and me
[Chorus]
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together
Thank God we never stayed together
Bought a house, had a kid, got a dog together
Thank God we never said, "Forever"
You and me, we were never meant to stay together, yeah
moesha dobler
It's probably 'looking back at the evidence' instead of 'looking back at the others' in the pre-chorus
Luisiana
In the pre chorus it's "so you and I" not "so you and me"
j ü l i e c e
💕
Aarya it's (All 4 Nothing)
@moesha dobler yea correct
Tina almukhtar
The lyrics just touched my heart deeply
Siddhi
This album's gonna be on my replay 😍😍😍😍
Rahi
Definitely my favourite song from the album !!
Angus
Molly in Mexico is #1, this is close second
Friedaeugenia Hinge
I felt the song is just made for me...Thank you Lauv. My forever favourite ❤️