Tangerine
Lydia Luce Lyrics

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Fruit on the vine, bitten and sweet
Her citrus wine drips off the leaf
Just one taste, you'll fall to your knees
The sermon she'll preach will make you believe

Tangerine
The color of her hair
She don't see, but I am always there

She's taking him from me
And doesn't seem to care
Oh, tangerine
He's unaware

Blood in your eyes, when you lie to me
Dying to hide, what I've already seen
Just one taste, you'll fell to your knees
The sermon she speaks, it made you believe

Tangerine
The color of her hair
She don't see, but I am always there
She's taking him from me
And doesn't seem to care
Tangerine
He's unaware
(Uuuuuuu...)

Could I be the saint?
Could I be the saint?
If I was to change
Would you look at me that way?

Tangerine
The color of her hair
She don't see, but I am always there
She's taking him from me
And doesn't seem to care
Sweet tangerine
He's unaware

Tangerine
He's unaware

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lydia Luce's song "Tangerine" convey a sense of longing and heartbreak. The singer in the song observes a woman who is stealing the affection of the person they love. The figure of the woman is described as a tangerine - sweet and mouth-watering on the surface, but potentially rotten on the inside. The metaphor of the citrus fruit is reinforced throughout the song.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Tangerine, the color of her hair," which suggests that the object of the singer's affection is a striking beauty, but also conveys the bitter-sweetness of their feelings. The line "She don't see, but I am always there" implies a sense of invisibility or unrequited love, as though the singer is standing in the background watching the unfolding drama.

The final lines of the song suggest a moment of introspection, with the singer wondering if they could change themselves to be more desirable to the person they love. Ultimately, however, the sense of longing and frustration lingers, reinforced by the repetition of the line "Tangerine, he's unaware."

Line by Line Meaning

Fruit on the vine, bitten and sweet
Juicy, ripe fruit hanging off a vine, bitten into and tasted reveals a balance of sweetness and tartness

Her citrus wine drips off the leaf
Her homemade wine derived from citrus juices drips down the leaf, a testament to the hard work and attention she puts into her craft

Just one taste, you'll fall to your knees
Her wine is so good that the first sip guarantees a state of submission and surrender in awe of its unique, sweet and tangy taste

The sermon she'll preach will make you believe
The quality and one-of-a-kind flavor of her wine is a testament to her hard work and expertise, and listening to her speak about it is enough to convert anyone to a fan

Tangerine
The artist feels envious of the woman who is being described and the tangerine is used as a symbol of that jealousy

The color of her hair
The color of the woman’s hair is described as tangerine, either because of the actual color of her hair or the correlation between the fruit and the woman's aura

She don't see, but I am always there
The singer is always present, but the woman doesn't pay any attention to him

She's taking him from me
The woman is taking the artist's love interest away from him

And doesn't seem to care
The woman is indifferent to the artist’s feelings, adding to his frustration

Blood in your eyes, when you lie to me
The artist thinks that the woman is lying to him and can see the guilt in her eyes, which manifests itself as blood due to the artist's heightened emotions

Dying to hide, what I've already seen
Despite the woman's attempts to hide her lies, the singer can already see the truth about her actions

Could I be the saint?
The artist questions his own morals and wonders if he could be the righteous person in this situation

If I was to change
The singer considers changing his behavior in order to win back his love interest

Would you look at me that way?
The singer wonders if the woman would view him differently if he changed himself

Sweet tangerine
The singer describes the woman as sweet, even though he is envious and feels wronged by her actions

He's unaware
The artist believes that his love interest is unaware of the woman's attempts to take him away from her, which adds more frustration to the situation

Writer(s): IAN FITCHUK, TODD LOMBARDO, LYDIA LUCE

Contributed by Reagan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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