Nicholas Hartkop’s writing focuses often on his struggles with addiction and mental illness and takes great musical inspiration from the band The Front Bottoms, as Hartkop himself states in multiple songs. Nick Hartkop is open about having bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. The raw lyrics describing Hartkop’s experiences with said personality disorders are defining for McCafferty’s music.
Finally
MCCAFFERTY Lyrics
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Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Snow falls from your windowsill
I know you′ve got me figured out
I'll stay, but only till it hurts
We walk that hidden path for love
We walk carefully, again
I'll stay, but only till it hurts
I know our hearts are runnin' around
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
New cars, drivin′ along again
Slipped up, barely slipped my mind
We stay, but only till it hurts
I know you feel like you′re left behind
I, know, finally figured it out
I, know, finally figured it out
I, know, finally figured it out
I, know, finally figured it out
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Tommy's gonna be late again
Leather jackets and drinking with his friends
He stays, but only till it hurts
We know the way this story ends
I, know, finally figured it out
I, know, exactly where we go
I, know, finally figured it out
I, know, finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Finally figured it out
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
In the song "Finally" by McCafferty, the lyrics are about two people in a complicated relationship. The singer describes the situation as being on a "hidden path" filled with confusion and uncertainty. Despite the difficulty, both people are willing to stay together, but only until it becomes too painful. The line "new cars, drivin' along again/Slipped up, barely slipped my mind" suggests that one of them may have strayed and caused hurt to the other, but they are still holding on to the relationship. Towards the end of the song, the singer says "I know, finally figured it out" several times, presumably referring to figuring out the complexities of their situation and what they truly want.
The repetition of "woah-oh" throughout the song adds to the feeling of confusion and uncertainty. The snow falling from the windowsill is a metaphor for the coldness and isolation between the two people, while the line "Tommy's gonna be late again/Leather jackets and drinking with his friends" presents a stark contrast to the turmoil in the relationship, suggesting that there are other lives happening around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
This song carries a melody that is both haunting and catchy at the same time.
Snow falls from your windowsill
The winter season is coming closer, and there's something romantic about snow falling outside your window.
I know you′ve got me figured out
You understand me very well, almost like you can read my mind.
I'll stay, but only till it hurts
I'll be here for you, but I can't handle the pain forever.
I know our hearts are runnin′ around
We're both unsure of our relationship, and our feelings are all over the place.
We walk that hidden path for love
We're willing to take a chance on love, even if it means taking the harder, less-traveled path.
We walk carefully, again
We've been hurt before, and we're trying to be cautious this time around.
New cars, drivin′ along again
Life keeps moving forward, and we're trying to keep up with it.
Slipped up, barely slipped my mind
Sometimes things happen that we don't mean, and we can't always keep track of everything.
We stay, but only till it hurts
We're willing to put in the effort, but we have our limits.
I know you feel like you′re left behind
You're worried that you're not keeping up, or that you're not enough for me.
I, know, finally figured it out
I've come to a realization, and I'm no longer confused about our relationship.
I, know, exactly where we go
I have a clear understanding of where our relationship is heading now.
Finally figured it out
After all the ups and downs, I've finally realized what we need to do to make this work.
Woah-oh, woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
The melody continues, bringing the song to a close.
Writer(s): Unknown Writers, Christian Stalnecker
Contributed by Victoria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.