Dear Society by Madison Beer Lyrics Meaning – Dissecting the Cry Against Modern Pressures
Lyrics
My daily dose of internet
And all the things I shoulda quit, but never did, oh
Evil voices in my head
I woke up in a strangers bed
I lost my phone in Amsterdam, it’s 5 AM
I’m a natural disaster
But even after all that I do
It’s you who’s gonna be the death of me
And none of this matters
Baby, it’s you, it’s you
You’re bad for my health
I should probably get some help
I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell
My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips
Yeah, you’re bad for my health
You should hurt somebody else
You’re bad for my health
I should probably get some help
I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell
My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips
Oh, baby, you’re so bad for my health
Diets that I shouldn’t try, it feels like social suicide
And honestly, it’s cyanide, I’m ’bout to die
Been 21 since 17, thanks to all the magazines
Man, sometimes, I just wanna scream and break my screen
I’m a natural disaster
But even after all that I do
It’s you who’s gonna be the death of me
And none of this matters
Baby, it’s you, it’s you
You’re bad for my health
I should probably get some help
I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell
My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips
Yeah, you’re bad for my health
You should hurt somebody else
You’re bad for my health
I should probably get some help
I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell
My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips
Oh, baby, you’re so bad for my health
Dear society, you’ve pushed me to the edge
So here’s some clarity (clarity)
The truth is, you’re the one who’s always there for me
With my daily dose of internet
And all the things that I should quit, but can’t
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
You’re bad for my health
I should probably get some help
I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell
My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips
Yeah, you’re bad for my health
You should hurt somebody else
You’re bad for my health
I should probably get some help
I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell
My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips
Oh, baby, you’re so bad for my health
Madison Beer’s ‘Dear Society’ is a potent anthem for the social media generation, tangled within the complexities of self-identity and the seeking of approval in a digitally-crazed world. The track unfolds as a confessional, with Beer pouring out the conflicts that haunt the corridors of millennial and Gen Z minds, teeming with references to the pressures that come hand-in-hand with ubiquitous internet culture.
Layered with melancholic pop beats and a hauntingly candid lyrical palette, ‘Dear Society’ extends beyond the parameters of a mere song and evolves into a cultural commentary. As Madison Beer navigates through her personal experiences with the pitfalls of contemporary society, listeners are invited to reflect on the systemic issues that perpetuate a cycle of self-destruction and dependency.
The Unseen Burdens of the Digital Age
Beer’s opening lines, ‘Sleepless nights and cigarettes, my daily dose of internet’, set the stage for a millennial’s nightly ritual, juxtaposed with an almost self-destructive dependency on the digital world. This metaphorical ‘daily dose’ serves as both a lifeline and a poison, a parallel to necessary medication that one cannot function without, yet also an addiction that one should, but cannot, give up.
As the song progresses, the lyrics paint a portrait of an individual who tries to navigate her way through the pollutants of the online realm. ‘Diets that I shouldn’t try, it feels like social suicide’ speaks to the toxic diet culture proliferated by online platforms, essentially equating the attempt to conform to these standards with self-harm. Beer touches upon how seeking validation in the echo chamber of the internet is akin to ingesting poison—harmful yet alarmingly normalized.
Numbing the Pain in Toxic Romance
Extending the motif of harmful substances, Beer’s chorus ‘You’re bad for my health’ could easily be mistaken as the musings of a toxic romance. However, digging deeper, one can’t help but draw parallels to the personification of society itself. ‘My heart is getting sick from the tar that’s on your lips’ effectively uses the imagery of tar—often associated with decay and toxicity—to symbolize the stain society leaves on our innermost selves, darkening our perceptions and well-being.
The continuous tug-of-war between knowing that something is incorrect yet being unable to detach oneself from it encapsulates the modern human condition, where unhealthy societal norms are so intricately woven into the fabric of our daily lives that separating from them feels almost impossible.
The Attraction to Destruction
Undeniably catchy, the lyric ‘I can’t control myself, I’m addicted to the hell’ echoes throughout the track, epitomizing the human propensity to indulge in that which harms us. This addiction to ‘hell’ is not merely about personal choices but delves into the larger construct of a society that glorifies and promotes destructive behavior as trendy or essential for social survival.
Beer encapsulates the intimate struggle faced by many youths, where they are acutely aware of the destructive nature of societal standards but find themselves helpless to resist—drawn like moths to a flame, even when the light burns.
A Mirror Held Up to Media and Image
‘Been 21 since 17, thanks to all the magazines’—Madison Beer uses these memorable lines to address the premature maturation fostered by media bombardment. The constant exposure to stylized imagery and storytelling speeds up the coming-of-age experience, pushing adolescents into a world of adulthood far earlier than natural. The media acts as a pseudo-guardian, rushing the innocence of youth out of the proverbial door.
In holding up this mirror, Beer reveals a society that robs its young of the luxury of growth at a natural pace, leading to a generation forced to confront issues and identities that should not be their burden to bear—at least, not yet.
Unveiling the Song’s Hidden Meaning
The culminating verse, ‘Dear society, you’ve pushed me to the edge, but it’s you who’s always there for me,’ encapsulates the song’s central paradox. The same society that imposes these crippling standards and unrealistic expectations is also the one that is omnipresent, the support system that, unfortunately, we learn to rely on. It’s a damning yet truthful acknowledgment of the codependency between individual and societal structure.
‘Dear Society’ is not just a plea but a cogent critique that holds up a mirror to the listener and questions the facade of freedom that society presents. Madison Beer unearths the complicated relationship one has with societal norms and pressures, ultimately calling for a reflection on our individual role within this collective predicament.
