The lines "It's funny how you always remember / And we've both done it all a hundred times before / It's funny how I still forgot" seem to suggest that while both the speaker and their partner have experienced similar things, they have different reactions to them. The speaker feels that they have forgotten their past experiences, leading to a sense of disconnection from their memories.
The lines "To think that we could stay the same" in the bridge seem to signify the speaker's realization that people and relationships change over time. The repeated refrain "We're two slow dancers, last ones out" emphasizes the melancholy acceptance that their relationship has reached its conclusion and they are moving towards a new stage of life. Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of two people who are experiencing the bittersweet reality of growing older while grappling with the evanescence of time.
Two Slow Dancers
Mitski Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's funny how they're all the same
It's funny how you always remember
And we've both done it all a hundred times before
It's funny how I still forgot
It would be a hundred times easier
If we were young again
And it is
We're just two slow dancers, last ones out
We're two slow dancers, last ones out
And the ground has been slowly pulling us back down
You see it on both our skin
We get a few years and then it wants us back
It would be a hundred times easier
If we were young again
But as it is
And it is
To think that we could stay the same
To think that we could stay the same
To think that we could stay the same
But we're two slow dancers, last ones out
We're two slow dancers, last ones out
Two slow dancers, last ones out
Mitski's song "Two Slow Dancers" is a poignant love song that explores themes of nostalgia, regret, and longing. The opening lines of the song set the scene with an evocative description of a school gymnasium, suggesting that the singer is reflecting on a past relationship that began in their youth. The repetition of the phrase "It's funny" underscores the sense of irony and bitterness that pervades the lyrics. Despite the familiarity and routine of the relationship, the singer still forgot an important detail, perhaps a symbol of their growing disconnect.
The chorus of the song is a mournful lament for lost youth and the passage of time. The two slow dancers are the last ones out, clinging to the memory of what they once had. The metaphor of dancing underscores the fleeting nature of love and the transience of human connection. The slow pace of the dance reflects the wistful and melancholy mood of the song.
The final lines of the song express a desire for permanence and an impossible yearning to relive the past. The singer acknowledges that they cannot stay the same, but still longs to recapture that feeling of youthful possibility and unbounded potential. Mitski's powerful vocals and spare, haunting instrumentation evoke a sense of sadness and longing that will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the bittersweet ache of nostalgia for a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?
I am reminiscing about the past and wondering if you smell what I remember from my school days.
It's funny how they're all the same
I find it amusing how all these parties end up being similar to each other.
It's funny how you always remember
I find it amusing how certain memories always stay with you and never fade away.
And we’ve both done it all a hundred times before
We have both experienced attending parties multiple times in the past and both know what to expect now.
It’s funny how I still forgot
I find it ironic how even though I've been to these parties before, I still forget things about them.
It would be a hundred times easier if we were young again
If we could go back to being young, it would be so much simpler to enjoy these moments without feeling nostalgic or regretful.
But as it is and it is
This is the reality we live in and we have to come to terms with it.
We’re just two slow dancers, last ones out
We are the last ones at the party and we are dancing slowly, soaking up the last bit of this moment before the night ends.
And the ground has been slowly pulling us back down
As we dance, we start to feel the weight of reality setting in and taking us back down to earth.
You see it on both our skin
It's evident in our expressions and body language that we are both feeling a mix of emotions.
We get a few years and then it wants us back
No matter how much we try to move on, our past experiences continue to tug at us and make us nostalgic.
To think that we could stay the same
It's unrealistic to expect that things will stay the same as we grow older and experience new things.
But we’re two slow dancers, last ones out
Despite everything, we remain in this moment, dancing slowly and cherishing this fleeting experience.
Two slow dancers, last ones out
We are still dancing and savoring these last moments of the party before it all ends.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mitsuki Laycock
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@uknowthevibe
My grandparents met when they were in high school. They came from very different families, but they were so in love. Star crossed, you could even say. Back in the 50’s, the two used to slow dance in their old gymnasium. They went steady, fell in love, got married and slow danced all through their lives. They danced in each other’s arms for 50+ years...
At a wedding, all of the couples attending slow danced on the floor, slowly getting eliminated. It was a competition to see who was married the longest. My grandparents of course were the last ones out. The two of them danced on that floor so slowly, but their love was still the same as in the old gymnasium back in high school. I was so proud to have them be my grandparents. They showed me that love is so possible.
When my grandpa passed away last year, my grandma was crushed. But the ground had to pull them back at some point. That’s why this song just...fits. It’s so bittersweet. I cry every time I listen to it.
I also know that no matter what happens, John and Von will forever be dancing.
Thank you for this beautiful feeling Mitski ❤️
@theordinary1855
Does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?
It's funny how they're all the same
It's funny how you always remember
And we've both done it all a hundred times before
It's funny how I still forgot
It would be a hundred times easier
If we were young again
But as it is
And it is
We're just two slow dancers, last ones out
We're two slow dancers, last ones out
And the ground has been slowly pulling us back down
You see it on both our skin
We get a few years and then it wants us back
It would be a hundred times easier
If we were young again
But as it is
And it is
To think that we could stay the same
To think that we could stay the same
To think that we could stay the same
But we're two slow dancers, last ones out
We're two slow dancers, last ones out
Two slow dancers, last ones out
@kerykomo
Love is a funny concept.
I often find myself having to calm my human nature;
keep telling myself it's a chemical imbalance,
because until I get my problems balanced,
and my issues in a row no one will be there,
or want to be there.
"they" always say,
you have to love yourself before you can love others,
but what "they" don't understand is the lack of love for myself.
The hole in my heart, meant for myself,
can only fit the pieces of others inside.
Jigsaw puzzles make me dizzy and dazed.
school dances were never really for me.
due to my anxiety, i could never stand the environment.
I have a hard time at house and dorm parties, even.
All I want is a safeguard; an arm to cling to
or a hand to hold.
did I mention I can't dance?
I used to waltz with life when I was younger,
but I stepped on his toes one too many times,
and when life dipped me, I fell out of it's grasp.
I hit my head on the floor, making me forever dizzy;
feeling forever spinning reality.
i've never had a girlfriend.
i've never had a boyfriend.
i've never had a significant other in any way.
but i hope someone, someday,
will be willing to pick me up off the floor,
slow my spinning head and instead twirl me,
and show me how to dance again.
@vilestdan
no no you don't understand, finding mitski's music literally helped me
i've got a lot going on in my life for the last few months (well, years, but those months especially) and some music in the evening was my only relaxing time, so when i found washing machine heart, then i bet on losing dogs, then class of 2013 and then two slow dancers, i finally felt as if someone got to put into words all that stuff going on in my life and even if it didn't make much sense, i felt understood
work, relation with my mother, school coming to an end, uncertain future and longing for someone who i will only be able to meet after my own death, and even that isn't a warrancy
mitski's songs made more sense than whatever i tried to say for those couple of months and having her music in my daily life now is somewhat easing up the stress constantly living inside of me
so thank you, mitski, for putting in your songs words i could never articulate and making me feel better with what i'm currently dealing with (and will be, for few months at least yet)
@malachiwerner402
This song is pure misery for 4 minutes. Ingenious.
@morethansunlight
I remember reading this comment a year ago 😂
@ummykha
i remember reading this comment 2 years ago
@Beefqueenjams
3:59*
@anti_fragile
@@thirdwheel9938 Got old after the second comment
@yolandamirandaguerrero8630
De
@kingcho6969
Every time I listen to a mitski song I don’t feel like I’m hearing a new song. It feels like something I’ve heard before and it gives me this sense of nostalgia but I know I’ve never fucking heard this song
@deetoprabangkara691
She really has a way with melody and words I think she spoke about finding how the two fit somewhere..
@Marsstudios111
You worded this so well (btw I made this 1k likes :P)
@arrozitoalarcon9304
Yeah, so do i. Maybe its a deja vú