The Obsessives is an American emo band from Washington, D.C.. Formed in 201… Read Full Bio ↴The Obsessives is an American emo band from Washington, D.C.. Formed in 2013, the band consists of best friends Nick Bairatchnyi and Jackson Mansfield. Starting as an indie band; the outfit was often compared to similar sounding emo bands, though Bairatchnyi cites a lot of his inspiration from the band Weatherbox. They released their first EP, Die Trying on May 2, 2013. In 2014, they released two EPs, Bad Friends and Manners, the latter would later be released on Near Mint Records, who also released their debut LP, Heck No, Nancy on September 18, 2015. In support of this album, the band went on tours with The Superweaks, Three Man Cannon, Sinai Vessel, and Household. On May 6, 2016 the band released a two-song 7" entitled My Pale Red Dot. In late 2016 the band signed to Lame-O Records and self-released a new EP called A Great Meance Weighs Over The City. On March 17, 2017 they released their second full-length album, The Obsessives. In support of this album, the band went on tours with Sorority Noise, Forth Wanderers, and Sinai Vessel. In 2018, the band toured with Animal Flag over several dates on the East Coast.

If You Really Love Me
The Obsessives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've never stolen a snack from the pharmacy
Jack asks me where I go, I reply slowly
He said what do you eat? Reply again slowly
I told him I eat anything but meat
And then he looked at me, and then she looked at me
And then I felt too strange to be seen

I always wear my hair up

I don't want to get the children's lice
He said what do you eat? Reply again slowly
I told him I eat anything but meat
And then he looked at me, and then she looked at me
And then I felt too strange to be seen

If you really love me, you will know when to leave me alone
I'm sorry that it's often, but I am not ready to let go
But I am not ready to let go
But I am not ready to let go

Can you feel it pouring out of me?
Is it cooling all around your feet?

If you really love me, you will know when to leave me alone
I'm sorry that it's often, but I am not ready to let go
But I am not ready to let go
But I am not ready to let go

I feel unique
I feel complete

There's a spell on me
I feel complete

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Obsessives' song "If You Really Love Me" reveal a sense of alienation and social awkwardness from the perspective of the singer. The 1st verse implies that the singer is misunderstood as they confess to never having stolen a snack from the pharmacy, yet the question that follows, "Jack asks me where I go," seems to trigger a sense of unease as the singer nervously replies slowly. The question "what do you eat?" is answered in a similar fashion, as the singer confesses that he eats anything but meat. When Jack looks at him, and she too looks at him, the singer feels too strange to be seen, giving the impression they are outcasts or not quite fitting in with the people around them.

The second verse adds to the impression of the singer being an outsider. They keep their hair up as they are scared of getting children's lice, a gesture that again portrays the singer as peculiar or even paranoid. The same question repeats, "What do you eat?" The repetition creates a feeling of fear for the singer and is telling of the social anxiety they feel. The chorus reveals that the singer needs space to deal with their issues and that if someone loves them, they will give them that space, and in due time, they will be ready to let go. The last verse reveals the singer's desire to feel accepted, even if it's just by one person, as they feel unique, under a spell that makes them feel complete.

Line by Line Meaning

I've never stolen a snack from the pharmacy
I have never stolen anything from the pharmacy, even snacks or candy.

Jack asks me where I go, I reply slowly
Jack asked me where I have been, and I answered slowly and uncertainly.

He said what do you eat? Reply again slowly
He asked about my eating habits, and I answered slowly again.

I told him I eat anything but meat
I replied that I'm willing to eat anything except meat.

And then he looked at me, and then she looked at me
Both of them looked at me, making me uncomfortable and self-conscious.

And then I felt too strange to be seen
Their stares made me feel too weird and uncomfortable to be seen.

I always wear my hair up
I always tie my hair up in a ponytail or bun.

I don't want to get the children's lice
I don't want to get lice from the children I'm surrounded by.

If you really love me, you will know when to leave me alone
If you truly love me, you will understand when I need space and to be left alone.

I'm sorry that it's often, but I am not ready to let go
I apologize that I need space frequently, but I'm not yet ready to move on from this situation.

But I am not ready to let go
I am not ready to let go of my feelings or my current situation.

Can you feel it pouring out of me?
Do you feel my emotions overflowing out of me?

Is it cooling all around your feet?
Is it as if the emotion is spreading around you and cooling your feet?

I feel unique
I feel different and special compared to others.

I feel complete
I feel whole and content with myself and my current state.

There's a spell on me
There's something inexplicable and magical about my current state or situation.

I feel complete
Once again, I feel whole and content with myself and my current state.

Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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