SBTRKT (pronounced "subtract") is the electronic music project of Aaron Jer… Read Full Bio ↴SBTRKT (pronounced "subtract") is the electronic music project of Aaron Jerome, a producer based in London. Initially know for the tribal masks he and his collaborators wore in their live performances, Jerome shed the masks in the run-up to this fourth album, "The Rat Road."

SBTRKT debuted in 2009 with remixes of artists like Radiohead, M.I.A, Basement Jaxx (‘Scars’) and Franz Ferdinand (‘Send Him Away’). These remixes gained the attention of radio DJs and tastemaker blogs, leading to more releases on Brainmath label, Ramp and Young.

His 2011 eponymous debut SBTRKT was critically acclaimed, featuring starmaking turns from artists like Jessie Ware and Sampha. Jerome's collaboration with Sampha had begun in 2010, with the two working to hone their music production skills together in Jerome's London apartment. The creative bond would extend across all of the subsequent SBTRKT albums. Jerome followed up his debut album with 2014's Wonder Where We Land, featuring contributions from Caroline Polachek, A$AP Ferg, alongside Ware, Sampha, and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig.

SBTRKT's third project -- 2016's Save Yourself -- saw Jerome tackling xenophobia, political corruption, and the toils of being an artist under capitalism. Featuring contributions from Shelley FKA DRAM, The-Dream, and Sampha, the project was initially positioned as a rejection of the traditional album format, with Jerome writing upon release that "this is not an album" and that "culturally, albums now feel like a means to prove you are a "real" artist. To release an album, you turn yourself over to traditional label cycles and the end of increasing sales, leaving behind the creative spirit that brought the music to life in the first place."

After releasing Save Yourself, Jerome took an extended hiatus, returning in 2023 with his fourth project The Rat Road. Again inspired by the dire sociopolitical context, Jerome sought to send up the idea of the "rat race," while also stepping more fully into the spotlight and reclaiming his artistry and the narrative surrounding the SBTRKT project. In the lead-up to the album's release, Jerome discussed his South Asian heritage, how the initial anonymity of the SBTRKT project alienated him from his art, and how during his hiatus from the project he sought to hone his skills. The album was released on May 5, 2023.

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Something Goes Right
SBTRKT Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, something goes right,
Yeah, something goes right,
Yeah something goes right
And you're hoping that it goes right
That it goes right, that it goes right

You wouldn't even know, you wouldn't even care,
You wouldn't even know, you wouldn't even care

I've been there though, I've been there though
I've been there though-oh

Standing in a dream world, sitting next to you,
Up in the clouds, up up in the clouds, up up in the clouds
Sitting on the edge, looking down at the earth
Looking up into space, up up into space, up up into space

Is it better to let you go?
Or is it better to let you know?
You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back

Is it better to let you go?
Or is it better to let you know?
You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back

I've only got myself self self to blame
Love something thinking things will never change
These feelings probably will still still remain, I was always hurt

And I've been feeling like this most most of my life whoa
I've been feeling like things ain't gonna change
Things ain't gonna get it back?

Is it better to let you go?
Or is it better to let you know?
You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back

Is it better to let you go?
Or is it better to let you know?
You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back

I keep on having these conversations and p-p-p-praying
I keep on staring at these constellations and p-p-p-praying
And these bitter thoughts that keep on escaping
I wish that they were staying and something would go right
Go right, and something will go right, go right

Don't you bring me down
Don't you bring me down
Don't you bring me down

Don't you bring me down
Don't you bring me down
Don't you bring me down

Is it better to let you go?
Or is it better to let you know?
You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back

Is it better to let you go?
Or is it better to let you know?
You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back

Yeah, something goes right,
Yeah something goes right
Yeah something goes right
And you're hoping that it goes right
That it goes right, that it goes right oh

You wouldn't even know, you wouldn't even care
You wouldn't even know, you wouldn't even care
I've been there though, I've been there though
I've been there though-oh

Standing in a dream world, sitting next to you,
Up in the clouds, up up in the clouds, up up in the clouds

Sitting on the edge, looking down at the earth
Up into space, up up into space, up up into space

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of SBTRKT's "Something Goes Right" express a sense of uncertainty and doubt in a relationship, while also longing for something positive to happen. The repeated phrase "something goes right" represents the hope that despite the current situation, things will eventually turn out okay. The verses describe standing in a dream world, looking down at the earth or up into space, suggesting a sense of disconnection and confusion. The chorus poses the question of whether it's better to let go or to try and make things work, with the repeated stuttering of "take it back" emphasizing the hesitation and indecision. The final lines of the song return to the opening theme, with the hope that something will indeed go right.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, something goes right,
The hope that something will turn out well.

Yeah, something goes right,
A reaffirmation of the hope for a positive outcome.

Yeah something goes right
Positive anticipation for the future.

And you're hoping that it goes right
A desire for success.

That it goes right, that it goes right
Repetition of the desire for a positive outcome.

You wouldn't even know, you wouldn't even care,
Disinterest or ignorance about a situation.

You wouldn't even know, you wouldn't even care
Continuation of previous sentiment.

I've been there though, I've been there though
Empathy for someone going through a similar situation.

I've been there though-oh
A shared experience of struggle or hardship.

Standing in a dream world, sitting next to you,
A surreal or imaginary experience with a significant other.

Up in the clouds, up up in the clouds, up up in the clouds
A feeling of elevated happiness or euphoria.

Sitting on the edge, looking down at the earth
A perspective of life that is introspective.

Looking up into space, up up into space, up up into space
A perspective of life that is expansive and far-reaching.

Is it better to let you go?
The dilemma of deciding whether to end a relationship.

Or is it better to let you know?
The dilemma of deciding whether to communicate feelings about a relationship.

You should t-t-t-take it, you should t-t-t-take it back
An urgency to reclaim or fix a relationship before it's too late.

I've only got myself self self to blame
Acknowledgement of personal responsibility in a current struggle.

Love something thinking things will never change
The naivete of expecting a relationship to remain stagnant.

These feelings probably will still still remain, I was always hurt
The likelihood that past emotional pain will continue to affect future relationships.

And I've been feeling like this most most of my life whoa
A history of struggling to find fulfilling relationships.

I've been feeling like things ain't gonna change
A lack of hope for improvement in one's life.

Things ain't gonna get it back?
A questioning of whether a relationship can be repaired or improved.

I keep on having these conversations and p-p-p-praying
Repetitive attempts to communicate or reconcile a relationship.

I keep on staring at these constellations and p-p-p-praying
Pleading to a higher power for guidance or assistance.

And these bitter thoughts that keep on escaping
Negative emotions that continue to surface.

I wish that they were staying and something would go right
A desire for negative thoughts to be replaced with positive ones and for a hopeful result.

Don't you bring me down
An assertive statement to prevent negativity from others.

Don't you bring me down
Continuation of previous sentiment.

Don't you bring me down
Further assertion of standing firm against negativity.

Yeah, something goes right,
A repetition of the hope for a positive outcome.

Yeah something goes right
Firm belief in the possibility of success.