Heather and Ciara met at BIMM Institute and formed the band Creek in 2013 with guitarist Ben Bateman and bassist Ryan Marsden. Their song “Lust” 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 2020—as well as the decision to approach the new album with a different stylistic direction inspired by the music of the 1990s and 2000s—delayed the production and release of new music until late 2020.
The band’s second album, Who Am I?, was released on February 12, 2021, preceded by the single "Change”, 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.
When Did I Lose It All?
Pale Waves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the corner of my eyes I see you
When did we fuck it and fall?
It's always been you, always been you
Thought we'd love and grow old together
We bring out the best in each other
You made me believe we could do anything, anything
I wanna marry you, but not now, not now
Kiss me down my neck, let's have our moment
Just before I forget what you taste like
What you feel like
Touch me like we're dying
Touch me like the first time
I was never lying, desperately trying for us
Desperately trying for us
I'm letting you go for now, for now
I wanna marry you, but not now, not now
I'm letting you go for now, for now
I wanna marry you, but not now, not now
The saddest thing of all is that I know
You're truly under my skin and that won't ever go
When you said bye a piece of me died
It left with you that night, that night
When you said bye a piece of me died
It left with you that night
We admitted it for the very first time
I'm letting you go for now, for now
I wanna marry you, but not now, not now
'Cause I'm letting you go for now, for now
I wanna marry you, but not now, not now
The lyrics of "When Did I Lose It All?" by Pale Waves is a powerful song about a shattered love affair. The song is an emotional outpouring of intense emotions and the feeling of losing oneself in the process of trying to hold on to love. The pain and sadness of the lyrics can be felt in the depth of the singer's voice, as she reflects on the lost love and the longing for the past.
The first verse of the song describes the blurry line between love and despair, as the singer asks when she lost everything. She sees her lover standing in the corner of her eye, and the memories of their past relationship flood her mind. The singer then recalls the time when she and her lover believed that they would love and grow old together. However, she realizes that they fell into a trap that they created for themselves, and the reality was completely different.
In the chorus, the singer conveys the bittersweet feeling of letting go of someone she loves. She is torn between her desire to marry her lover and the need to let go. She wants to savor the moment, the last flicker of passion before the final goodbye, but she knows the end is near.
The second verse is a plea for her lover to touch her like they did the first time. It is a desperate effort to hold on to the memories and experience the magic again. However, she knows that the love is gone, and the moment is fleeting. The sadness of the situation is further highlighted by the line, "When you said bye a piece of me died, It left with you that night."
Overall, "When Did I Lose It All?" by Pale Waves is a poignant and powerful song that reflects the struggles and emotions of a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
When did I lose it all?
When did everything fall apart?
In the corner of my eyes I see you
I still see you everywhere, even though you're gone.
When did we fuck it and fall?
When did we mess up and everything go wrong?
It's always been you, always been you
You were always the one I wanted, the one I loved.
Thought we'd love and grow old together
I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together.
We bring out the best in each other
You made me a better person and I did the same for you.
You made me believe we could do anything, anything
You gave me hope and confidence that we could overcome anything together.
I'm letting you go for now, for now
I have to say goodbye to you, at least for now, even though it hurts.
I wanna marry you, but not now, not now
I still want to spend the rest of my life with you, but the timing isn't right.
Kiss me down my neck, let's have our moment
Let's make the most of the time we have together now and enjoy each other's love.
Just before I forget what you taste like
I don't want to forget your touch and your taste, so I have to savor it now.
What you feel like
I want to remember the way you make me feel.
Touch me like we're dying
Let's not hold back our love and passion, as if each moment might be our last.
Touch me like the first time
I want to relive that initial excitement and spark we had as a couple.
I was never lying, desperately trying for us
I always loved you, and I was constantly striving for our relationship to work.
The saddest thing of all is that I know
The most heartbreaking part is that I realize...
You're truly under my skin and that won't ever go
You have a permanent place in my heart and soul that will never fade.
When you said bye a piece of me died
I felt like a part of me had died when you left me.
It left with you that night, that night
I lost something irreplaceable the moment you walked away.
We admitted it for the very first time
We finally acknowledged our love for each other, but it was too late.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ciara Louise Doran, Heather Patricia Baron-Gracie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind