After the Pharrell video went viral, several different record labels tried to sign Rogers. She ended up negotiating a contract with Capitol Records where "she licenses her music to them through her own imprint, Debay Sounds." As a result, she has more control over her sound and image than many artists at a similar place in their music careers.
Rogers's EP, Now That the Light Is Fading, was released on February 17, 2017. She released her major-label debut album, Heard It In a Past Life, in January 2019. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200.
She made her television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on February 15, 2017, Saturday Night Live debut on November 3, 2018 and Today Show debut on July 12, 2019.
She cites Carrie Brownstein, Patti Smith, Kim Gordon, and Björk as her musical inspirations, while prominent singers Brandi Carlile and Sharon Van Etten - who she calls her "musical big sisters" - have become mentors. She also mentioned in her initial conversation with Williams that she has synesthesia, a benign condition where one or more senses is perceived at once. In her case, she is able to perceive colours as a response to hearing music.
Say It
Maggie Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Within the swelter of the night
I found myself staring at you
And every time our fingers touched
I felt like it would be too much
And too little to hang onto
I cannot fall in love with you
I cannot be this way with you
I cannot fall in love with you
I knew it when you looked my way
That I'd be begging you to stay
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I felt it burning in the way
I held on when you pulled away
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it
I couldn't just say it
And every evening, every time
I keep replaying in my mind
And wondering if you do the same
And if it makes you lose your breath
And if it makes you just forget
That all of it's a bit insane
I cannot fall in love with you
I cannot feel this way so soon
I cannot be this way with you
I cannot fall in love with you
I knew it when you looked my way
That I'd be begging you to stay
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I felt it burning in the way
I held on when you pulled away
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I knew it when you looked my way
That I'd be begging you to stay
I couldn't say it to myself (I couldn't say it)
I couldn't say it to myself (I couldn't, I couldn't say it, say it)
I felt it burning in the way
I held on when you pulled away (mm, melting in the way)
I couldn't say it to myself (I couldn't say it)
I couldn't say it to myself (I couldn't say it)
I couldn't say it
I couldn't just say it
But, I cannot fall in love with you
I cannot feel this way so soon, so soon
I cannot be this way with you
I cannot fall in love with you
In 'Say It,' Maggie Rogers expresses her inner conflict by telling a story of desire and fear. The song is about Rogers’s feelings towards someone she is deeply attracted to but struggles to confess her feelings to. Rogers opens the track describing how she found herself in close proximity with this person, feeling nervous and overwhelmed as they touch fingers. Despite the undeniable attraction, Rogers cannot fall in love with them because it is too soon or too complicated. She reveals that she knew things would turn out this way from the moment they met but cannot help her feelings. She keeps replaying moments in her head, wondering about this person's feelings but knows that it’s all "a bit insane."
Throughout the song, Rogers's chorus, "I cannot fall in love with you," is an attempt to reinforce to herself the boundaries she has set between them because she cannot afford to break away from them. She keeps repeating it, forcing herself to believe it. The bridge emphasizes this inner turmoil, with Rogers admitting that she couldn't say it to herself. She knows what she wants, but the fear of the consequences or being rejected is too great.
For Rogers, Say It speaks about a universal inner conflict that people of her age face every day — they have a strong attraction to someone and are simultaneously bound by fear of rejection. The music and emotional landscape of the song provide depth and insight into what it feels like to be profoundly in love yet paralyzed by the inability to share that emotion with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing in the open light
I was vulnerable, exposed to you and to myself.
Within the swelter of the night
As the heat of the night engulfed us, I felt my emotions rising.
I found myself staring at you
You had my undivided attention and I couldn't take my eyes off you.
And every time our fingers touched
Your touch was electric, and it overwhelmed me every time.
I felt like it would be too much
I was afraid that the intensity of my feelings would be too overwhelming to handle.
And too little to hang onto
At the same time, I knew that the fleeting nature of our connection would leave me wanting more.
I cannot fall in love with you
I am aware of the danger of falling for you and I am fighting against it.
I cannot feel this way so soon, so soon
I know that I am not ready for this and that my emotions are moving too fast.
I cannot be this way with you
I am afraid to let myself fully feel what I feel for you.
I knew it when you looked my way
Your gaze told me everything I needed to know about how you felt for me.
That I'd be begging you to stay
I knew that our time together would be fleeting and I would want you to stay with me for longer.
I couldn't say it to myself
I was avoiding the truth of my own feelings and pretending they weren't there.
I felt it burning in the way
The intensity of my attraction to you was all-consuming and it felt like it was literally burning within me.
I held on when you pulled away
Even though I knew our connection was not meant to be, I held onto it for as long as I could.
And every evening, every time
I can't stop replaying our interactions and wondering what could have been.
And if it makes you lose your breath
I wonder if you feel the same intensity of attraction to me that makes me lose my breath.
And if it makes you just forget
I wonder if you are able to forget about me as easily as I try to forget about you.
That all of it's a bit insane
I am aware that my own attraction to you is a bit crazy and out of control.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jack Lofchie Hallenbeck, Margaret Debay Rogers, Tor Albert Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JadeEmerald17
~ Lyrics ~
Standing in the open light
Within the swelter of the night
I found myself staring at you
And every time our fingers touched
I felt like it would be too much
And too little to hang on to
I cannot fall in love with you
I cannot feel this way so soon, so soon
I cannot be this way with you
I cannot fall in love with you
I knew it when you looked my way
That I'd be begging you to stay
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I fought that burdened pain away
I held on when you moved away
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it
I couldn't just say it
And every evening, every time
I keep replaying in my mind
And wondering if you do the same
And if it makes you lose your breath
And if it makes you just forget
That all of it's a bit insane
I cannot fall in love with you
I cannot feel this way so soon
I cannot be this way with you
I cannot fall in love with you
I knew it when you looked my way
That I'd be begging you to stay
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I fought that burdened pain away
I held on when you moved away
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I knew it when you walked my way
That I'd be begging you to stay
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I fought that burdened pain away
I held on when you moved away
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it to myself
I couldn't say it
I couldn't just say it
That I cannot fall in love with you
I cannot feel this way so soon, so soon
I cannot be this way with you
I cannot fall in love with you
@vivsgm7538
I've waited for years to hear and connect this way with an artist and their music again.
Please keep just being you, so you can make more magic. Thank you
@ayyyasb
So true ! Her music is so touching!
@capitainedemoi
Me Too! she's beautifully authentic and oh so talented :)
@frankriccardi8587
Good advice fren
@9thedreaming9
Right??? I haven't had this response to an artist in years. Can't get enough of this album!
@tajashania
This is the best song on the album, fight me
@drewmo1109
The Uber driver who took me home put me on this💀
@pastel_em1111
I got some songs on my playlist from Uber 😭
@Nick-kb2jc
The beat drop at 0:55 is so sick! We need to protect Maggie at all costs.
@nevaehbyrd6521
i wasn't ready