The Party
St. Vincent Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

At the holiday party
Red wine lipped a little early
Reminiscing got us laughing
And that's when I saw your face cracking

Smiles and smoke and screams
Your Gucci purse a pharmacy
Pretend to want these things
So no-one sees you not getting
Not getting what you need
Need

You can't hide from me

Are you still working on your screenplay?
Or did those lights go out on Broadway
Think if you can just keep spinning
You won't miss what you've been missing

Pills and jewels and speed
Your little purse a pharmacy
And hide behind these things
So no-one sees you not getting
Not getting what you need
Need

You can't hide
You can't hide from me

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(No, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(No, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(You can't, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(No, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(You can't, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(No, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(You can't, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(No, you can't hide from me)

(You can't hide)
(You can't hide)
(You can't, you can't hide from me)





(You can't hide from me)
(You can't hide from me)

Overall Meaning

The song "The Party" by St. Vincent depicts a scene at a holiday party where the singer observes the people around her and sees through their facades. The first verse references getting drunk on red wine and laughing about old memories when she notices someone's face cracking, revealing the hidden sadness behind their smiling facade. The second verse talks about the culture of materialism in which people conceal their true selves with pills, jewels, and speed. The Gucci purse and little pharmacy reveal the emptiness and desperation of people trying to fill a void with material possessions. The bridge addresses the fear of missing out and the compulsion to keep moving forward, ignoring one's true desires and needs.


The overall theme of the song is the cultural facade of happiness and well-being that people project but which masks underlying dissatisfaction and desperation. The lyrics are full of imagery that depicts the struggle to keep up appearances, from the red-wine-stained lips to the Gucci purse that is a "pharmacy." The singer underscores the futility of this cycle of materialism, noting that it is impossible to hide from her or one's own true self.


Overall, "The Party" is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of the societal pressure to be happy and successful, and the cost of that pressure on the individual.


Line by Line Meaning

At the holiday party
At the social event, we meet and interact with people.


Red wine lipped a little early
I started drinking wine a little early.


Reminiscing got us laughing
We took pleasure in talking about past events.


And that's when I saw your face cracking
It was then that I recognized your true emotions and vulnerability.


Smiles and smoke and screams
The atmosphere was filled with happiness, smoking, and loud noises.


Your Gucci purse a pharmacy
Your designer bag resembles a pharmacy with pills inside.


Pretend to want these things
Faking the need for meaningless possessions.


So no-one sees you not getting
To avoid people finding out about what you lack.


Not getting what you need
You can't get your hands on what you truly need.


Need
The feeling of wanting something badly.


You can't hide from me
You can't conceal your true self in front of me.


Are you still working on your screenplay?
Are you still pursuing your dream of becoming a screenwriter?


Or did those lights go out on Broadway
Did you give up on the idea of succeeding on that grand stage?


Think if you can just keep spinning
Suspecting that things might fall into place if you just persevere.


You won't miss what you've been missing
The impression that you will find what you've been looking for if you keep moving.


Pills and jewels and speed
The things you have or aspire to possess, akin to medicine, gems and fast cars.


Your little purse a pharmacy
Your tiny handbag holds pills resembling a pharmacy.


And hide behind these things
Concealing your vulnerabilities behind these possessions.


So no-one sees you not getting
So others can't know about what you truly lack.


Not getting what you need
The feeling of helplessness you experience when you can't receive what you truly need.


Need
The feeling of wanting something badly.


You can't hide
You are unable to conceal your true self.


No, you can't hide from me
Thus, you are unable to conceal what I'm able to see.


(You can't hide)
Repeated confirmation of your inability to conceal the truth.


(No, you can't hide from me)
Because I can see right through you.


(You can't, you can't hide from me)
Despite your best efforts, you can't keep anything from me.


(You can't hide from me)
There's nowhere to hide in front of me.


(You can't hide)
Accepting your inability to hide your true self.


(No, you can't hide from me)
You're visible and exposed to me.


(You can't, you can't hide from me)
No matter how hard you try, I can always see the truth.


(You can't hide from me)
You can't succeed in concealing anything from me.


(You can't hide)
You can't go under the radar with me.


(You can't, you can't hide from me)
You can only be yourself in front of me.


(You can't hide from me)
I can always see a glimpse of truth behind the facade.


(You can't hide from me)
Incomplete without the previous line, reiterating your inability to hide your true self in front of me.




Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Annie Clark, Jack Antonoff

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions