Guitarist Henry Stoehr, bass player Alexander Leeds, and drummer Theodore Mathews started making music together as friends in the sixth grade, naming their first band from letters in their first names. It wasn't until high school, when Emily Massey contributed guitar and backing vocals to later incarnation Slow Pulp's second EP, 2017's EP2, that an improved vision of the band clicked. They soon made Massey lead singer and took down a debut EP that didn't involve her.
Now a four-piece, the group worked up the stand-alone tracks "At Home" and "Steel Birds," which they self-released in 2018 while relocating to Chicago. Written and mostly recorded in a cabin in Michigan in January 2019, the Big Day EP followed in May 2019. Slow Pulp headed out on tour with Alex G later in the year, as they worked on their full-length debut. The project was not without obstacles; material was scrapped, and Massey struggled with her own health problems before returning to Madison to help her parents recover from a car accident. The COVID-19 pandemic soon limited travel. With Stoehr acting as main engineer, producer, and mixer, they were able to complete the album long-distance. (Massey's father, Michael, contributed an instrumental piano track.) Titled Moveys, it arrived on Winspear in October 2020.
Falling apart
Slow Pulp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking that you're dreaming
I don't think you know
How to handle
You have got to step up
Show that you can be enough
Make it okay
It's hard to swallow
Why don't you go back
To falling apart
You were so good at that
You're one in a million now
You don't want to take the time
You just need to seem alright
Feeling like a deadbeat
Everything is incomplete
I don't think you know
What it takes for
Looking at the feeling
I know that you're missing
Take it away
I've got to let go
Why don't you go back
To falling apart
You were so good at that
You're one in a million now
You don't wanna take the time
You just got to be alright
Why don't you go back
To falling apart
You were so good at that
You're one in a million now
You don't wanna take the time
You just got to be alright
In Slow Pulp's song Falling Apart, the lyrics reveal the struggle of attempting to move on from a difficult time or perhaps trying to pretend that everything is okay when it is not. The verses express a sense of confusion and uncertainty, highlighting the difficulty in handling the situation. The singers seem to be addressing someone who is having trouble handling their emotions and is putting on a facade to seem okay. The line "You were so good at that" implies that the person was previously adept at "falling apart," or showing vulnerability, but now feels the need to hide their true feelings.
The chorus "Why don't you go back to falling apart, you were so good at that" is a poignant reminder that sometimes it is alright to not be okay and it's okay to show vulnerability. It's a call for the person to stop pretending that they are fine and just let themselves feel terrible, which will hopefully lead to a cathartic release. The final line of the chorus "You don't want to take the time, you just need to seem alright," acknowledges the societal pressure to seem perfect and like we have everything under control, but encourages them to not bury their emotions and instead to embrace them to heal.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement about the importance of expressing vulnerability, seeking help, and not being ashamed of needing support. The verses emphasize the confusion and uncertainty that come with trying to move on or pretending to be okay, but the chorus encourages the person to embrace their emotions and not feel ashamed of them.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking at the TV
Observing the television screen
Thinking that you're dreaming
Believing that this is an illusion
I don't think you know
I doubt if you understand
How to handle
The way to deal with this situation
You have got to step up
You need to take responsibility
Show that you can be enough
Demonstrate that you are capable
Make it okay
Resolve the issue
It's hard to swallow
It's difficult to accept
Why don't you go back
Why not return
To falling apart
To breaking down
You were so good at that
You excelled in disintegrating
You're one in a million now
You are unique at present
You don't want to take the time
You don't wish to invest effort
You just need to seem alright
You only need to appear okay
Feeling like a deadbeat
Feeling worthless
Everything is incomplete
Nothing is finished
What it takes for
The effort required to
Looking at the feeling
Examining the emotions
I know that you're missing
I am aware that you are lacking
Take it away
Remove this discomfort
I've got to let go
I must release my hold
Why don't you go back
Why not return
To falling apart
To breaking down
You were so good at that
You excelled in disintegrating
You're one in a million now
You are unique at present
You don't wanna take the time
You don't wish to invest effort
You just got to be alright
You only need to be fine
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Alexander Julian Leeds, Emily Marie Massey, Henry Stoehr, Theodore James Mathews
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SerendipitousEncounter
Looking at the TV
Thinking that you're dreaming
I don't think you know
How to handle
You have got to step up
Show that you can be enough
Make it okay
It's hard to swallow
Why don't you go back
To falling apart?
You were so good at that
You're one in a million now
You don't want to take the time
You just need to seem alright, ah, ah
Feeling like a deadbeat
Everything is incomplete
I don't think you know
What it takes for
Looking at the feeling
I know that you're missing
Take it away
I've gotta let go
Why don't you go back
To falling apart?
You were so good at that
You're one in a million now
You don't wanna take the time
You just gotta be alright, ah, ah
Why don't you go back
To falling apart?
You were so good at that
You're one in a million now
You don't wanna take the time
You just gotta be alright, ah, ah
@crashdummyfreed9088
Found this randomly listening to songs on Spotify and I instantly started tearing up. Searched to see if it had a music video and it’s making me cry even harder. One of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I literally can’t stop listening. ❤️
@bug_ho
same omg! its like it unlocks something inside me that makes me feel sad and happy at the same time, ahhh i love it 😭
@nathanstephens5928
its crazy how music can make you feel
@mellowrockmusic
I cry most times I hear this..
@Posterizashin
That's crazy
@4limusic542
Right!
@VeeeeBeee
The video is just as gorgeous as the song. I can’t wait for the full album to come out!
@aikighost
I call this "laid back summer scmindie", and I dont use that pejoritively.
@Watchever15
the sound. the visual. the sadness. i'm in love.
@ArKaneAcrumProductions
Im in pain.