I See You
Phoebe Bridgers Lyrics


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Laying down on the lawn
I'm tired of trying to get in the house
I'm thinking out loud
I've been playing dead
My whole life
And I get this feeling whenever I feel good
It'll be the last time
But I feel something when I see you now
I feel something when I see you

If you're a work of art
I'm standing too close
I can see the brush strokes
I hate your mom
I hate it when she opens her mouth
It's amazing to me how much you can say
When you don't know what you're talking about

But I feel something when I see you now
I feel something when I see you

I used to light you up
Now I can't even get you to play the drums
'Cause I don't know what I want
Until I fuck it up

But I feel something when I see you now
I feel something

I'll climb through the window again
But right now it feels good not to stand




Then I'll leave it wide open
Let the dystopian morning light pour in

Overall Meaning

In "I See You," Phoebe Bridgers sings about feeling lost and disconnected from the world around her. She sets the scene by describing herself as "laying down on the lawn" and feeling "tired of trying to get in the house." She's "thinking out loud" about her tendency to "play dead" and not fully engage with the world, and she worries that every time she feels good, it will be "the last time."


But then she sings about feeling something different when she sees "you," whoever that may be. Perhaps it's a lover or a close friend, but whoever it is, they give her a sense of hope and connection. She compares this feeling to standing too close to a work of art and being able to see the brush strokes.


However, she still struggles with self-sabotage and not knowing what she wants until she ruins it. She used to have a strong connection with this person, but now she can't even get them to play drums with her. In the end, she decides to climb through the window again but is content to just lie there and bask in the "dystopian morning light."


Line by Line Meaning

Laying down on the lawn
I am lying down on the lawn


I'm tired of trying to get in the house
I am exhausted from trying to fit in


I'm thinking out loud
I am voicing my thoughts


I've been playing dead
I have been pretending to be dead


My whole life
I have been doing this my whole life


And I get this feeling whenever I feel good
Whenever I feel good, I get this feeling


It'll be the last time
This feeling will not last long


But I feel something when I see you now
I feel something when I see you


If you're a work of art
If you are a masterpiece


I'm standing too close
I am standing too close to you


I can see the brush strokes
I can see the details


I hate your mom
I dislike your mother


I hate it when she opens her mouth
I hate it when she speaks


It's amazing to me how much you can say
I am amazed at how much you can talk


When you don't know what you're talking about
Even when you are clueless


I used to light you up
I used to excite you


Now I can't even get you to play the drums
Now I cannot even get you to drum


'Cause I don't know what I want
I do not know what I want


Until I fuck it up
I ruin it eventually


But I feel something when I see you now
I feel something when I see you


I feel something
I feel something


I'll climb through the window again
I will sneak in through the window again


But right now it feels good not to stand
But it feels good to not stand


Then I'll leave it wide open
Then I will leave the window wide open


Let the dystopian morning light pour in
And let the gloomy morning light seep inside




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@fixionalppl

Laying down on the lawn
I'm tired of trying to get in the house
I'm thinking out loud
I've been playing dead
My whole life
And I get this feeling
Whenever I feel good
It'll be the last time
But I feel something
When I see you now
I feel something
When I see you
If you're a work of art
I'm standing too close
I can see the brush strokes
I hate your mom
I hate it when she opens her mouth
It's amazing to me
How much you can say
When you don't know what you're talking about
But I feel something
When I see you now
I feel something
When I see you
I used to light you up
Now I can even get you
To play the drums
'Cause I don't know what I want
Until I fuck it up
But I feel something
When I see you now
I feel something
I'll climb through the window again
But right now it feels good not to stand
Then I'll leave it wide open
Let the dystopian morning light pour in



All comments from YouTube:

@lukeberrie3942

“(SCREAMING)” may be my favorite lyric of 2020

@jameskoppert8553

This comment made me laugh so much

@beccarobertson1436

It IS the lyric of 2020

@lukeberrie3942

becca Robertson tbf, it probably is the lyric that sums 2020 up the best

@pushpendersolanki89

MOOD

@lordofpestilence-688

I mean same

5 More Replies...

@michellecarrillo8131

''I hate your mom, I hate it when she opens her mouth'' might be the best line of the song

@martymartin2894

Yeah pure poetry like something a kinder garden kid would say.

@kamallb4650

Not really.
Maybe too real life but not from artistic pov. She has better lines.

@adzard-wd1pj

@@martymartin2894 Your inability to spell kindergarten really takes the bite out of that insult.

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