The second part of the song (Loveless) expresses the anger and resentment that also often comes with a breakup. The lyrics emphasize the idea of a "Loveless generation" – a generation of people who are so preoccupied with being independent and pursuing their own dreams that they become disconnected from the idea of true, committed love. The chorus reiterates the main message of the song, warning the listener to "look out, lovers".
Hard Feelings/Loveless
Lorde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please could you be tender and I will sit close to you
Let's give it a minute before we admit that we're through
Guess this is the winter
Our bodies are young and blue
I'm at Jungle City, it's late and this song is for you
Before all of the winds of regret and mistrust
Now we sit in your car and our love is a ghost
Well, I guess I should go
Yeah, I guess I should go
Hard feelings
These are what they call hard feelings of love
When the sweet words and fevers all leave us right here in the cold, oh oh
Alone with the hard feelings of love
God, I wish I believed you when you told me this was my ho-o-ome
I light all the candles
Got flowers for all my rooms
I care for myself the way I used to care about you
These days, we kiss and we keep busy
The waves come after midnight
I call from underwater
Why even try to get right?
When you've outgrown a lover (oh-oh)
The whole world knows but you (oh-oh)
It's time to let go of this endless summer afternoon
Hard feelings
These are what they call hard feelings of love
When the sweet words and fevers all leave us right here in the cold, oh oh
Alone with the hard feelings of love
God, I wish I believed you when you told me this was my ho-o-ome
Three years, loved you every single day, made me weak
It was real for me, yup, real for me
Now I'll fake it every single day 'til I don't need fantasy, 'til I feel you leave
But I still remember everything, how we'd drift buying groceries
How you'd dance for me
I'll start letting go of little things 'til I'm so far away from you, far away from you, yeah
"What is this tape?"
"This is my favorite tape"
Bet you wanna rip my heart out
Bet you wanna skip my calls now
Well, guess what? I like that
'Cause I'm gonna mess your life up
Gonna wanna tape my mouth shut
Look out, lovers
We're L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
All fuckin' with our lover's heads
Generation
Bet you wanna rip my heart out
Bet you wanna skip my calls now
Well, guess what? I like that
'Cause I'm gonna mess your life up
Gonna wanna tape my mouth shut
Look out, Lovers
We're L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S (look out, lovers)
Generation
All fuckin' with our lover's heads
Generation (look out, lovers)
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
Generation
L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S
The song "Hard Feelings/Loveless" by Lorde is split into two parts, with "Hard Feelings" representing the aftermath of a breakup and "Loveless" delving into the larger cultural trend of emotional detachment. In the first half, Lorde sings about the difficulty of moving on from a past relationship and the painful feelings that come with it. The lyrics "let's give it a minute before we admit that we're through" suggest that there is still hesitation and uncertainty about fully letting go, while the reference to "our bodies are young and blue" adds a sense of fleeting youth and potential regret. The chorus emphasizes the concept of "hard feelings," which can refer to both the emotional pain of a broken relationship and the bitterness and resentment that can linger afterwards.
In the second half, "Loveless," Lorde expands upon this theme by exploring the current cultural landscape of ironic detachment and disconnection. She sings about "L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S generation" that "skip our dirty prayers / this divorce is in grey years" which can be interpreted as describing a generation that is disconnected from emotion and intimacy, viewing love and relationships as disposable and temporary. The repeated phrase "all fuckin' with our lover's heads" highlights the idea that this detachment is not without consequences and can harm both ourselves and those we connect with.
Overall, "Hard Feelings/Loveless" is a multifaceted song that explores both the personal and the cultural aspects of emotional detachment and relationships. It suggests that while moving on from past pain can be difficult and painful, it is ultimately necessary and can lead to growth and self-care.
Line by Line Meaning
Please could you be tender and I will sit close to you
I need you to be gentle with me, and I want to be close to you.
Let's give it a minute before we admit that we're through
Let's not end things right away, let's take some time before we say it's over.
Guess this is the winter
This is the end, the cold and harsh season of our relationship.
Our bodies are young and blue
We're still young and full of life, but we're feeling sad and empty inside.
I'm at Jungle City, it's late and this song is for you
I'm in a recording studio, it's late and I'm recording this song for you.
'Cause I remember the rush, when forever was us
I remember how it felt when we were together and everything seemed perfect and eternal.
Before all of the winds of regret and mistrust
Before we started feeling regret and distrust towards each other.
Now we sit in your car and our love is a ghost
Now we're sitting in your car and our love feels like it's dead and gone, a mere memory.
Well, I guess I should go
I think it's time for me to leave.
Hard feelings
The bitter emotions that come with the end of a relationship.
These are what they call hard feelings of love
These are the tough emotions that come with the end of a loving relationship.
When the sweet words and fevers all leave us right here in the cold, oh oh
When the passionate words and feelings are all gone, leaving us feeling lonely and abandoned.
Alone with the hard feelings of love
All alone with the difficult emotions that linger after a failed love story.
God, I wish I believed you when you told me this was my ho-o-ome
I wish I still believed that this was where I belonged, but now I know it's not.
I light all the candles
I'm trying to create a comforting atmosphere for myself.
Got flowers for all my rooms
I'm trying to make my living space beautiful and inviting.
I care for myself the way I used to care about you
I'm focusing on taking care of myself now, instead of you being my top priority.
These days, we kiss and we keep busy
Nowadays, we're just going through the motions of being in a relationship, without the passion we used to have.
The waves come after midnight
Emotions and regrets haunt me during the darkest hours of the night.
I call from underwater
I feel like I'm drowning and trying to reach out for help from a faraway place.
Why even try to get right?
Why even attempt to fix things or make them right again?
When you've outgrown a lover (oh-oh)
When you've grown apart from someone you used to love.
The whole world knows but you (oh-oh)
Everyone seems to see and know that it's over, except for you.
It's time to let go of this endless summer afternoon
It's time to let go of the memories of a perfect moment, and accept that it's all over.
Three years, loved you every single day, made me weak
I loved you with every fiber of my being for three years, and it left me vulnerable and exposed.
It was real for me, yup, real for me
Our love was genuine and authentic for me, and it was very important to me.
Now I'll fake it every single day 'til I don't need fantasy, 'til I feel you leave
Now I'll pretend to be okay and keep it up until I truly move on and feel like you're gone.
But I still remember everything, how we'd drift buying groceries
I still remember everything, even the mundane moments like us grocery shopping and drifting around.
How you'd dance for me
I still remember how you would dance for me, making me feel alive and loved.
I'll start letting go of little things 'til I'm so far away from you, far away from you, yeah
I'll start letting go of the little things, until it takes me very far away from you and our past.
"What is this tape?"
An unknown speaker is asking what kind of tape is being played.
"This is my favorite tape"
Another speaker is indicating that the current tape being played is their favorite one.
Bet you wanna rip my heart out
You probably want to hurt me and break my heart.
Bet you wanna skip my calls now
You probably want to avoid talking to me and ignore my calls.
Well, guess what? I like that
Well, guess what? I'm okay with that.
'Cause I'm gonna mess your life up
I'm going to give you a taste of your own medicine and cause some trouble in your life.
Gonna wanna tape my mouth shut
You'll probably want to shut me up at some point.
We're L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S Generation
We are part of a generation that has lost its faith in love and relationships.
All fuckin' with our lover's heads
We're all just messing with each other's minds and emotions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ella Marija La Yelich O'connor, Jack Antonoff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Lordelordeisbae
Lyrics:
[Hard Feelings]
(Go back and tell it)
Please could you be tender
And I will sit close to you
Let’s give it a minute before we admit that we’re through
Guess this is the winter
Our bodies are young and blue
I’m at Jungle City, it’s late and this song is for you
Cause I remember the rush, when forever was us
Before all of the winds of regret and mistrust
Now we sit in your car and our love is a ghost
Well I guess I should go
Yeah I guess I should go
Hard feelings—
These are what they call hard feelings of love
When the sweet words and fevers all leave us right here in the cold
Alone with the hard feelings of love
God I wish I believed ya when you told me this was my home
I light all the candles
Cut flowers for all my rooms
I care for myself the way I used to care about you
These days, we kiss and we keep busy
The waves come after midnight
I call from underwater
Why even try to get right?
When you’ve outgrown a lover
The whole world knows but you
It’s time to let go of this endless summer afternoon
Three years, loved you every single day, made me weak, it was real for me, yup, real for me
Now I'll fake it every single day 'til I don’t need fantasy, 'til I feel you leave
But I still remember everything, how we’d drift buying groceries, how you’d dance for me
I’ll start letting go of little things 'til I’m so far away from you, far away from you, yeah
[Loveless]
“What is this tape?”
“This is my favorite tape”
Bet you wanna rip my heart out
Bet you wanna skip my calls now
Well guess what? I like that
‘Cause I’m gonna mess your life up
Gonna wanna tape my mouth shut
Look out, lovers
We’re L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
All fuckin' with our lover’s heads
Generation
Bet you wanna rip my heart out
Bet you wanna skip my calls now
Well guess what? I like that
‘Cause I’m gonna mess your life up
Gonna wanna tape my mouth shut
Look out, lovers
We’re L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S. (look out, lovers)
Generation
All fuckin' with our lover’s heads
Generation (look out, lovers)
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
Generation
L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S
@huy3519
lorde fooled us. she didn't record this in 2017 but in 4017. this was ahead of her time. this should've been nominated for best pop vocal performance at the grammys and should of won also.
"go back and tell it." she tells her love interest who just got out of the car and started to walk away.
then after the second chorus, there's these weird mechanical sounds with car horns, as if she's calling the attention of her lover, begging him to come back...
so smart, lorde. so smart
also, back in the day, pop girlies were just releasing albums just for the sake of it. it was lorde who changed the palette of how an album should be artistically driven. it was never lana. it was never taylor swift. it was lorde. all these new artists experiencing mainstream success like halsey, billie eilish, conan gray, olivia rodrigo etc have all been benefiting from lorde's artistry
@arlo5538
Melodrama is like a movie that doesn’t exist. every song on the album is so vivid and beautiful and you can picture and feel everything she sings about, so underrated
@agarite611
This is exactly how I feel, you described it perfectly
@Bloooo95
YES! Like, each song has clear visuals in my head. And sometimes it's just colors (e.g., "we were wild and fluorescent") when she sings a line.
@divinecupid
@@Bloooo95 OMG SAMMMEEE
@LJ-ft3uj
Exactly and that’s why I love Lorde
@ephemeral783
Album definitely reminds me of the movie “Paper Towns” or really any coming of age movie. That’s sort of Lorde’s niche.
@o_august7908
this album has been so slept on
@iwilitu6591
Emilia Lovelle it's crazy it's so amazing
@FabianGarcia-qt1tk
Shouldve won over 24K Magic imo
@detectivemolasses1980
Emilia Lovelle why though, it's amazing in every aspect tbh. Lorde is the definition of artistic talent in music.