Originally a home recorded solo project for Reynolds to explore her folk songwriting on acoustic guitar, Kississippi cut its teeth touring on Fest-friendly pop punk, and the project solidified its emo cred supporting third wave genre progenitors Dashboard Confessional. But like her earliest songwriting heroes Cat Power and Liz Phair (who Reynolds describes as “vulnerable and weird girl rock stars, which was something I saw in myself”), Kississippi songs transcend genre, and lend themselves just as well to slick arena-ready production as they do rock instrumentation. After working closely with Philadelphia studio mainstay and mentor Kyle Pulley on 2018 debut Sunset Blush, Reynolds felt encouraged to explore the sonic possibilities in electronic-focused pop, taking inspiration from favorite bands like Beach House, CHVRCHES and Purity Ring. She learned to produce with studio software Reason, delving deep into its “fun synth sounds and weird tools” to develop the lushly-layered demos that would inform 'Mood Ring'.
Red Lights
kississippi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I spun and hoped the swoon would cease
I thought about you kissing me
It made me nervous
It made me happy
If you are feeling just like me
Your vessels may have skipped a beatI spun and hoped the swoon would cease
I thought about you kissing me
I felt so nervous
It made me happy
You are too handsome to see
You are too handsome for me
You are too handsome to see
You are too handsome for me
Baby, red lights mean kisses on the nose
Hope we hit traffic on the way home
The lyrics to Kississippi's song Red Lights are deeply introspective and express the vulnerability of the singer's emotions. The chorus, "If you feel anything like me, you like the way you're smiling" highlights the relatable feeling of nervousness and excitement that comes with the possibility of a new romance. The singer contemplates the effect the other person has on her, "I thought about you kissing me, it made me nervous, it made me happy". There is a dynamic of anxiety and joy that stems from the hope of being with the other person.
Furthermore, the singer acknowledges the disparity between her and the other person's physical appearance, "You are too handsome to see, you are too handsome for me". This creates a sense of insecurity within the singer, as she believes she may not be good enough for the other person. Nevertheless, the singer hopes to continue the relationship, as expressed in the chorus, "Baby, red lights mean kisses on the nose, hope we hit traffic on the way home". This line reflects the dreamy and romantic inclination of the song, hoping for the chance to be close to the other person, even if it's just for a kiss.
Overall, Red Lights is a song that encapsulates the intricacies of a new relationship - the mixture of nervousness and excitement, the feeling of insecurity and the hope of love. It allows the listener to empathize with the singer's emotions and relate it back to their own experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
If you feel anything like me, you like the way you're smiling
If you're in the same emotional state as me, you find that your smile looks good
I spun and hoped the swoon would cease
I turned around and wished that the feeling of being dizzy would go away
I thought about you kissing me
I fantasized about you kissing me
It made me nervous
The thought of being kissed made me feel anxious
It made me happy
The thought of being kissed made me feel joyful
You are too handsome to see
You are so attractive that I can't look at you
You are too handsome for me
You're so attractive that I don't feel good enough for you
Baby, red lights mean kisses on the nose
Sweetheart, when we're stopped at red lights, I want to kiss you on the nose
Hope we hit traffic on the way home
I hope that we come across some traffic on our journey home so we can have more time together
Contributed by Ellie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@violetistired
I love her so much
@fraudesin9222
Its so great to cry