Fool's Gold
Lucy Dacus Lyrics
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Warm, flat, coppery coins down my throat
I'm saving up for a rainy day
And I plan to spend it in one place
I threw the party so I could stay put
You brought the bottle like a promise I forgot
A new year begins, it ushers us in
He'll blame the alcohol
And you'll blame the full moon
She'll blame the fall of man
And I'll blame the part of you
That can't let up on the reigns
You've got life in a chokehold
You say that it's all the same
All glittering fool's gold
I can't tell how big my heart is
Let's open the door, see how many fit
Like drunks in a bathtub, keep piling in
Now I'm locking the door till the morning
He'll blame the alcohol
And you'll blame the full moon
She'll blame the fall of man
And I'll blame the evening news
For giving us doomsday
And dropping the ball
Building our fear
Like bricks in a wall
He'll blame his mom and dad
And you'll say you understand
She'll blame the wrath of God
And I come up empty-handed
Every time he cries out
You'll blame the altitude
She'll blame society
And I blame the part of you
That can't let up on the reigns
You've got life in a chokehold
You say that it's all the same
All glittering fool's gold
In "Fool's Gold" by Lucy Dacus, the lyrics delve into themes of personal responsibility and blame in relationships. The opening lines set a scene of loneliness and disappointment, as the singer drinks the remnants of champagne alone, symbolizing a fading celebration and unfulfilled hopes. They mention saving up for a rainy day, implying a desire to find solace and security in one specific place or person.
The singer confesses to throwing a party in order to remain stationary, seeking comfort from the familiar. However, the presence of another person, represented by the bottle brought as a forgotten promise, disrupts their plans. The arrival of a new year marks a fresh start, yet it also intensifies the unresolved tension already present within the singer.
Throughout the song, blame is assigned to various factors. The characters involved point fingers at alcohol, the full moon, the fall of man, and societal influences. Each blames something external or uncontrollable for their own struggles and shortcomings. The singer, however, directs blame towards their partner, specifically citing their inability to let go of control.
The chorus employs vivid metaphors to illustrate the suffocating nature of life. The image of someone having life in a chokehold suggests a feeling of being trapped or overwhelmed. The proclamation that "it's all the same" implies a sense of monotony or disillusionment, as if everything is merely an illusion of wealth and success (fool's gold) without true substance or fulfillment.
Ultimately, the song highlights the cycle of blame and the challenges that arise from refusing to accept personal responsibility. It questions the tendency to shift blame onto external factors and highlights the inability to truly connect and empathize with one another.
Line by Line Meaning
I drank the dregs of the champagne alone
I consumed the leftover remnants of the celebration by myself
Warm, flat, coppery coins down my throat
Unpleasant and metallic remnants sliding down my throat
I'm saving up for a rainy day
Accumulating resources for uncertain times
And I plan to spend it in one place
Intending to use it all at once
I threw the party so I could stay put
Organized the gathering to avoid leaving
You brought the bottle like a promise I forgot
You arrived with a symbol of commitment I overlooked
A new year begins, it ushers us in
The arrival of a fresh year marks our entrance
The knot in my gut is coming with
The anxiety within me is also present
He'll blame the alcohol
He will attribute fault to the influence of alcohol
And you'll blame the full moon
You will place blame on the effects of the full moon
She'll blame the fall of man
She will hold the fall of humanity responsible
And I'll blame the part of you
And I will point to a specific aspect of your character
That can't let up on the reigns
That refuses to relinquish control
You've got life in a chokehold
You have a tight, suffocating grip on life
You say that it's all the same
You claim that everything is identical
All glittering fool's gold
Everything attractive is actually deceptive and worthless
I can't tell how big my heart is
I am unsure of the true capacity of my emotions
Let's open the door, see how many fit
Let's explore and see how many can be accommodated
Like drunks in a bathtub, keep piling in
Similar to intoxicated individuals squeezing into a small space
Now I'm locking the door till the morning
Now I am securing the entrance until daybreak
He'll blame the alcohol
He will attribute fault to the influence of alcohol
And you'll blame the full moon
You will place blame on the effects of the full moon
She'll blame the fall of man
She will hold the fall of humanity responsible
And I'll blame the evening news
And I will point to the negative impact of the news
For giving us doomsday
For presenting us with a sense of impending disaster
And dropping the ball
And failing to fulfill their responsibilities
Building our fear
Constructing our anxiety
Like bricks in a wall
Similar to bricks forming a barrier
He'll blame his mom and dad
He will attribute fault to his parents
And you'll say you understand
And you will claim to comprehend the situation
She'll blame the wrath of God
She will hold the anger of God responsible
And I come up empty-handed
And I end up without a solution
Every time he cries out
Whenever he expresses distress
You'll blame the altitude
You will attribute fault to the high elevation
She'll blame society
She will hold society responsible
And I blame the part of you
And I will point to a specific aspect of your character
That can't let up on the reigns
That refuses to relinquish control
You've got life in a chokehold
You have a tight, suffocating grip on life
You say that it's all the same
You claim that everything is identical
All glittering fool's gold
Everything attractive is actually deceptive and worthless
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Lucy Dacus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-wb4xb3fo3e
I drank the dregs of the champagne alone
Warm, flat, coppery coins down my throat
I'm saving up for a rainy day
And I plan to spend it in one place
I threw the party so I could stay put
You brought the bottle like a promise I forgot
A new year begins, it ushers us in
The knot in my gut is coming with
He'll blame the alcohol
And you'll blame the full moon
She'll blame the fall of man
And I'll blame the part of you
That can't let up on the reigns
You've got life in a chokehold
You say that it's all the same
All glittering fool's gold
I can't tell how big my heart is
Let's open the door, see how many fit
Like drunks in a bathtub, keep piling in
Now I'm locking the door till the morning
He'll blame the alcohol
And you'll blame the full moon
She'll blame the fall of man
And I'll blame the evening news
For giving us doomsday
And dropping the ball
Building our fear
Like bricks in a wall
He'll blame his mom and dad
And you'll say you understand
She'll blame the wrath of God
And I come up empty-handed
Every time he cries out
You'll blame the altitude
She'll blame society
And I blame the part of you
That can't let up on the reigns
You've got life in a chokehold
You say that it's all the same
All glittering fool's gold
@nickwilde6686
I don’t really know how to explain it but this song is really meaningful to me right now. Fools gold(and a lot of Lucy’s songs) remind me deeply of my dad and his toxic teaching methods, and what it’s like to deal with it by yourself. It’s heavy and it’s not ok to make your kid carry your burdens.
@that_dominatrix4828
@nickwilde6686 you should listen to thumbs by lucy
@TheWolfblade87
what im excited about all these people discovering lucy is that soon enough they'll also find julien baker and phoebe bridgers with it all culminating to them seeing their ultimate form in boygenius
@RayasNegroOvejas
Hm, I almost think the opposite in a way; I think they have a bigger following than lucy
@TheWolfblade87
@PJ true but lana has a bigger following compared to the three of them put together so i think it's great if there will be a lot of lana stans that will turn into new boygenius fans
@BranDawg81
Love all 3! Boygenius is special
@aidan9004
Phoebe tends to be more well known but I totally think the same way!
@benuron75
I arrived here the other way. Phoebe, then Julien, culminating in Lucy who is, to use a Brit expression, the absolute mutt's nuts. All 3 are great but it's Lucy I play every day. Just brilliant and so much more mature sounding than her peers.
@benuron75
This is clearly one of the best songs EVER! I just can't stop playing it..
@starxsirius1429
Raisa Bruner says: " She's said it's based on a true story, and you can taste the authenticity of her lyrics. ... New Year's Eve is supposed to be a celebration, but often it's much more bittersweet than that. Here's a song to remind us we're not alone in that confusion. "