Brando
Lucy Dacus Lyrics
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To go with you to the movies
You knew you were uncool
But you thought you could fool me
They play oldies in the afternoon
For the elderly, and me and you
Fred and Ginger, black and white
I watch you watch 'It's a Wonderful Life'
You called me cerebral
I didn't know what you meant
But now I do, would it have killed you
To call me pretty instead?
I'm in a second story window
And you're yelling at me "Stella!"
And I'm laughing 'cause you think you're Brando
But you'll never come close
All I need for you to admit
Is that you never knew me like you thought you did
You never knew me like you thought you did
Like you thought you did
You say, "Here's looking at you kid"
Thinking I wouldn't understand the reference
You admit, you think we're fated
I'll be lucky if I'm your third wife
That's only something you would say in the car
We've been breathing the same air for too long
If the snow wasn't coming down so hard
I would open the door and walk home
It's only a couple miles
What could go wrong
If I hitch a ride with a guy in a pick-up
Who doesn't know left, from right, from wrong?
All I need for you to admit
Is that you never knew me like you thought you did
You never knew me like you thought you did
Like you thought you did
All I need for you to admit
Is that you never knew me like you thought you did
You never knew me like you thought you did
Like you thought you did
Lucy Dacus's "Brando" is a song that takes on the themes of unrequited love, disappointment, and misplaced expectations. The song starts with the singer reminiscing about her past and how her lover had asked her to skip school to see a movie with him. Even though he knew he was uncool, the lover thought he could impress the singer. The two characters watch old movies at an elderly person's theater, and the singer notices her lover's fascination with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. He is trying to emulate the likes of Marlon Brando and thinking that he could charm her like they did on screen.
The singer notes that her lover called her cerebral, but now she wishes he would have called her pretty instead, emphasizing how he never truly knew her or understood what she needed from him. The imagery of the second story window where the lover is yelling "Stella" is a reference to "A Streetcar Named Desire," and Dacus suggests that her lover is trying to act like Brando but can never come close. The relationship between the two is not healthy, and the singer is aware of it, trying to find her way out of it by walking home in the snow or hitchhiking.
Overall, "Brando" is a song that explores the complexities of modern relationships and how people tend to build their expectations around popular culture. The singer is asking her partner to admit that he never knew her like he thought he did, thus breaking down the unrealistic images that he had built in his head. The song encourages listeners to be honest and real about their expectations and to avoid idealizing others based on false benchmarks.
Line by Line Meaning
You told me to skip school
You encouraged me to neglect my education
To go with you to the movies
To accompany you to the cinema instead of attending classes
You knew you were uncool
You were aware of not being popular
But you thought you could fool me
You believed you could deceive me
They play oldies in the afternoon
Classic music is being broadcasted during daytime
For the elderly, and me and you
The aged and ourselves are the intended recipients of this music
Fred and Ginger, black and white
Two pop culture icons from the past period of movies and television
I watch you watch 'It's a Wonderful Life'
I observe you observing the film 'It's a Wonderful Life'
You called me cerebral
You labeled me as intellectual
I didn't know what you meant
I was unsure of the meaning behind your comment
But now I do, would it have killed you
Currently, I comprehend your words, but it couldn't have hurt you to describe me kindly
To call me pretty instead?
To choose to praise my physical appearance instead?
I'm in a second story window
I am positioned on a building's upper floor
And you're yelling at me 'Stella!'
As Stanley Kowalski famously did, you called out 'Stella!' to me
And I'm laughing 'cause you think you're Brando
I am bemused because you believe you're comparable to Marlon Brando
But you'll never come close
Regardless, you can never match his talent and charisma
All I need for you to admit
My sole requirement from you is to confess
Is that you never knew me like you thought you did
You didn't truly understand me the way you believed you did
You say, 'Here's looking at you kid'
You quote the famous line from Casablanca
Thinking I wouldn't understand the reference
Suspecting that I wasn't familiar with the quote
You admit, you think we're fated
I acknowledge that you're suggesting we are destined to be together
I'll be lucky if I'm your third wife
I will consider myself fortunate if I ever marry you since you might marry twice again.
That's only something you would say in the car
That's a statement uttered inside an automobile trip only
We've been breathing the same air for too long
We have been inhaling the same atmosphere for an extended period
If the snow wasn't coming down so hard
If the snowfall wasn't so heavy
I would open the door and walk home
I would open the door and walk to my residence
It's only a couple miles
It's just a few miles distance
What could go wrong
What could be the negative outcome?
If I hitch a ride with a guy in a pick-up
If I request a lift from some unknown guy in a truck
Who doesn't know left, from right, from wrong?
Someone who is uninformed or confused about the right course of action
All I need for you to admit
The only thing I require from you is to confess
Is that you never knew me like you thought you did
You didn't truly understand me the way you believed you did
You never knew me like you thought you did
You never knew me as well as you imagined
Like you thought you did
Like you thought you knew me
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Lucy Dacus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LocalFairy_111 ᕙ(‾̀◡‾́)ᕗ
Lucy is too underrated I can't wait till she gets the attention so deserves :DD
Anna Chamberlin
I get the vibe she doesnt wanna be wildly famous. it seems like a whole game that musical artists have to play, and honestly, I feel like it's totally reasonable to not want everything that comes along with that level of fame. She totally could, but maybe she's happy with her already sizeable and dedicated fans <3
jiggadatnigga
@Anna Chamberlin Thats cool but i hope she atleast reaches Phoebe level fame.
MinivanMegafun100
As a dude in his 40's it's easy to blow off new music. But I just happened across this song on an Apple Music playlist and god damn this is a wonderfully crafted and performed song. I absolutely love it!
The Jade
You got good taste in music ❤❤❤ Glad we got oldies who get our indie shit lmao 😅
Arnav Kaushik
ALL I NEED FOR YOU TO ADMIT IS THAT YOU NEVER KNEW ME LIKE YOU THOUGHT YOU DID
The Jade
KNEW ME LIKE YOU THOUGHT YOU DID. YOU THOUGHT YOU DID beautiful music ❤
Bronnythebee
It felt so good to see so many people sharing their joy <3
emmacsmith1
“No animals were harmed in the making of this music video but many were annoyed”
McLaughin
why?