Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade” Lyrics Meaning

Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade” is a heartbreak song which reportedly is, at least partially, both biographical and autobiographical in nature. That is not to say that it is based on the singer’s own romantic experiences. Rather there was a woman in his life, a motherly figure, who passed away early. 

Duncan Laurence considers this to be the “first big loss”. But more to the point of the song, she was deserted by her husband.  And witnessing her suffer emotionally as a result is apparently the primary source from which the singer/songwriter derived the main sentiment behind this track. And in terms of his own life, the lyrics also harp back to his youth as a “small-town boy”.

Now in terms of the relationship at hand, the singer never actually states how his romantic interest, the addressee, did him wrong. Instead what we are dealing with here is more of the emotional aftermath. Yes, at one point he may have played the fool in name of keeping this relationship alive. But now he has apparently reached the point where his sweetheart’s shenanigans will no longer be tolerated. And perhaps it can even be said, all things considered, that she dumped him. So now in the midst of being all alone he is able to see things more clearly.

Arcade

And concerning the song’s title, an arcade is a place where one gambles – for lack of a better word. Or let’s say that arcade games are such that a “small-town boy” like the singer can get easily “addicted” and end up vesting a significant amount of time and resources, only to achieve fleeting gratification. And such is the conclusion he has come to in this song.

So the overall implication, even though it’s never stated explicitly, is that the singer has had enough of this lady and is now ready to call it quits. Or rather, based on the first verse, it appears he has already made such a move (as if he really has a choice). 

So in all, this track can be interpreted as the story of a young man who tried to buy the love of a specific lady – and failed. And adding to his misfortune is the fact that in the wake of the romance failing, he still sorely misses her.

Release of “Arcade”

The official release date of this song was on 7 March 2019. And the label behind it is called Spark.

“Arcade” originally came out as a digital download. And Duncan subsequently featured it on both of his debut EP (“World on Fire”) and debut full-length (“Small Town Boy”), serving as lead single for both which came out in 2020.

Accomplishments

This song won the ever-popular Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. The following year it took home an Edison Award via the Netherlands. 

2020 also witnessed a remix of Arcade, which the original singer rendered with Fletcher, a female singer from New Jersey. In fact it is said remix which is said to have contributed to the song going viral later in the year.

Indeed circa early-2021 the song experienced a major resurge in popularity due to the tune going viral on TikTok (a trend started by fans of Harry Potter). For instance, it went on to become the all-time most-streamed Eurovision Song Contest-winning song on Spotify. And it also re-entered the UK Singles Chart after first appearing during May of 2019.

Writing and Production

The writers of this song are Duncan Laurence, Joel Sjöö, Wouter Hardy and Will Knox. Laurence is recognized as the primary writer, having worked on the tune over a two-year timespan with Hardy.

Hardy also produced the track, doing so alongside Oscar Holleman.

Arcade was not written specifically for Eurovision, as with some other songs used in the contest. In fact when the Dutch Eurovision organization chose Duncan Laurence and “Arcade” to represent them in 2019, they faced a backlash due to him being an unknown artist. However, in hindsight they obviously chose well.

More Noteworthy Information about “Arcade” and Duncan Laurence

“Arcade” scored a number one in a handful of European countries, including the Netherlands. It charted in over 30 nations overall, including breaking the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart. The tune also peaked at number three in Israel, the country in which Eurovision Song Contest 2019 was hosted.

The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest was not Duncan Laurence’s first foray into the world of reality-TV contests. The singer also participated on The Voice of Holland back in 2014.

Duncan would have been 23 years old when this song was first released (having been born on 11 April 1994).

The Netherlands had won the Eurovision Song Contest four times prior to Duncan’s victory.  The last time was in 1975 via an act called Teach-In (and a song entitled Ding-a-Dong).

Duncan Laurence, a singer who was born in South Holland, publicly acknowledged his bisexuality in 2018 and also confirmed it during via a press conference held during 2019 Eurovision.