Heather and Ciara met at BIMM Institute and formed the band Creek in 2013 with guitarist Ben Bateman and bassist Ryan Marsden. Their song โLustโ gained local popularity and received radio airplay, leading to a number of local gigs. In 2014, band changed its name to Pale Waves and Hugo and Charlie joined soon after, in 2015. Heather has said that the band name comes from the title of a painting owned by her grandmother.
They were signed to record label Dirty Hit in 2016 and their first two singles, 2017's "There's a Honey" and "Television Romance", were produced by Matthew Healy of labelmates The 1975. Their first EP, All the Things I Never Said, was released in February 2018. In September 2018, they released their debut album My Mind Makes Noises.
Early in 2019, the band shared plans to release an EP that year, but decided later to focus on their second album. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020โas well as the decision to approach the new album with a different stylistic direction inspired by the music of the 1990s and 2000sโdelayed the production and release of new music until late 2020.
The bandโs second album, Who Am I?, was released on February 12, 2021, preceded by the single "Changeโ, which was released on November 10, 2020. It debuted at #3 on the UK Albums Chart.
Unwanted, Pale Waves' third album, was released on August 12, 2022. The album represents yet another stylistic leap for the band, this time adding pop punk influences to their evolving sound.
Change
Pale Waves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mother didn't prepare me for this heartache
Why did everything suddenly just change?
We were lyin' naked the other day
Now you act like I'm nobody
But you still wanna go down on me
And I know I'm a fool to believe
I keep wishing you would change, change
It's no surprise you're still the same, same
I wish I'd never seen your face, but hey
You've hurt me a thousand times before
But I'm missing you right now so do it once more
I'm being so irrational, don't know what to do
Just trying my best to get over you
I sat in the shower couldn't leave for a few hours
'Cause I let you back in, now I'm crawling out my skin
Now you act like I'm nobody
But you still wanna go down on me
And I know I'm a fool to believe
I keep wishing you would change, change
It's no surprise you're still the same, same
I wish I'd never seen your face, but hey
You've hurt me a thousand times before
But I'm missing you right now so do it once more
I keep running around in circles
But you stay the same
My expectation keeps me hurting
I shouldn't feel this way
Just wishing you would change, change
It's no surprise you're still the same, same
I wish I'd never seen your face, but hey
You've hurt me a thousand times before
But I'm missing you right now so do it once more
Change, change
(It's no surprise you're still the) change, change
(I wish I'd never seen your) change, change
You've hurt me a thousand times before
But I'm missing you right now so do it once more
The song "Change" by Pale Waves is about heartbreak and the pain that comes when someone you love suddenly changes their feelings towards you. The song is reflective of the singer's experience of being in a romantic relationship that appeared to be going well, only to have it change abruptly, leaving her feeling vulnerable and insecure. The lyrics are emotionally raw and capture the confusion and hurt of the singer as she tries to come to terms with the sudden change in her relationship.
The song begins with the singer reminiscing about the way things used to be between her and her partner. She remembers a time when they were intimate and close, but that all suddenly changed. The sudden change caught her off guard, and she's left wondering why everything is different now. Despite this, her partner still seems to want a physical relationship with her, which only causes her more pain as she struggles to accept that the emotional connection they once shared is no longer there.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses her desire for her partner to change and go back to the way things were before. Her emotions are all over the place as she tries to come to terms with the fact that her partner may never change and that she may have to move on from the relationship. Overall, "Change" is a poignant and emotive song that perfectly captures the heartache and confusion of a relationship in turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember it like it was yesterday
I have vivid memories of how our relationship used to be
My mother didn't prepare me for this heartache
I never expected this level of pain and suffering in a romantic relationship
Why did everything suddenly just change?
I'm finding it hard to understand why you suddenly changed the way you treat me
We were lyin' naked the other day
We were physically intimate not too long ago
Now you act like I'm nobody
You're treating me as if I'm invisible or insignificant
But you still wanna go down on me
You still want to have sex with me despite your cold behavior
And I know I'm a fool to believe
I realize that I'm foolish to trust and hope for a positive change
I keep wishing you would change, change
I'm constantly hoping for you to change for the better
It's no surprise you're still the same, same
I'm not surprised that you haven't changed at all
I wish I'd never seen your face, but hey
I regret ever getting involved with you, but it's too late now
You've hurt me a thousand times before
You've hurt me repeatedly in the past
But I'm missing you right now so do it once more
Despite everything, I'm still missing you and willing to have sex with you again
I'm being so irrational, don't know what to do
I'm aware that my emotions are clouding my judgment, and I'm struggling to deal with it
Just trying my best to get over you
I'm making an effort to move on from this unhealthy relationship
I sat in the shower couldn't leave for a few hours
I was so consumed by sadness that I was stuck in the shower for hours
'Cause I let you back in, now I'm crawling out my skin
I allowed you to come back into my life, but now I'm feeling uncomfortable and uneasy
I keep running around in circles
I feel like I'm stuck in a cycle of pain and disappointment
But you stay the same
You haven't changed your behavior or treatment of me
My expectation keeps me hurting
I keep expecting you to change, but it only leads to more pain for me
I shouldn't feel this way
I know that I shouldn't keep hoping for something that's unlikely to happen
Change, change
I'm desperate for any positive change in our relationship
(It's no surprise you're still the) change, change
I'm not surprised that you haven't changed for the better
(I wish I'd never seen your) change, change
I regret ever getting involved with you, and I wish things were different
You've hurt me a thousand times before
You've caused me pain and heartache repeatedly in the past
But I'm missing you right now so do it once more
Despite everything, I still have feelings for you and willing to sleep with you again
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Heather Baron-Gracie, Sam De Jong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lindy Prince
This sounds so much like old school Avril Lavigne and I'm living for it.
PattyMayonnaise
I thought Leann Rimes or Jewel at first but definitely Avril with that chorus.
Aaron Gardle
Yeah! Sounds similar to โLet Goโ, โMake upโ or โDaydreamโ ๐
ChortleMySqortle
YES! This screams Avril Lavigne to me and I love every minute of it
stravinsky wglasses
Yaaasss
Lolita Garci
You read my mind x)
Weird Sky, Really weird.
This seriously feels like them moving away from The 1975's shadow. They seem to be working with different influences and I love it.
Skyler Felix
I approve of this.... but if they never return to that sound Iโll be a bit sad. They were so good at just making hit after hit in that same general 1975 formula.
Emmanuel
what 1975 formula?
Mar
@Emmanuel Pale Waves is/was considered a marketing band, being produced by 1975. However, this album proves that they can do they and I'm loving it. I'm listening to this album on repeat for weeks