Escapism. by RAYE Lyrics Meaning – The Poignant Tale of Numbing Heartache
Lyrics
All of my diamonds are drippin’ on him
I met him at the bar, it was twelve or somethin’
I ordered two more wines, ’cause tonight I want him
A little context if you care to listen
I find myself in a shit position
The man that I love sat me down last night
And he told me that it’s over, dumb decision
And I don’t wanna feel how my heart is rippin’
Fact, I don’t wanna feel, so I stick to sippin’
And I’m out on the town with a simple mission
In my little black dress and that shit is sittin’
Just a heart broke bitch
High heels six inch
In the back of the nightclub, sippin’ champagne
I don’t trust any of these bitches I’m with
In the back of the taxi sniffin’ cocaine
Drunk calls, drunk texts, drunk tears, drunk sex
I was lookin’ for a man who was on the same page
Now it’s back to the intro, back to the bar
To the Bentley, to the hotel, to my old ways
‘Cause I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
Doctor, doctor, anything, please
Doctor, doctor, have mercy on me
Take this pain away
You’re askin’ me my symptoms, doctor
I don’t wanna feel
Toke this joint how I’m blowin’ this steam
Back to my ways like 2019
Not 24 hours since my ex did dead it
I got a new man on me, it’s about to get sweaty
Last night really was the cherry on the cake
Been some dark days lately and I’m findin’ it cripplin’
Excuse my state
I’m as high as your hopes that you’ll make it to my bed
Get me hot and sizzlin’
If I take a step back to see the glass half full
At least it’s the Prada two-piece that I’m trippin’ in
And I’m already actin’ like a dick
Know what I mean?
So you might as well stick it in
Just a heart broke bitch
High heels six inch
In the back of the nightclub, sippin’ champagne
I don’t trust any of these bitches I’m with
In the back of the taxi sniffin’ cocaine
Drunk calls, drunk texts, drunk tears, drunk sex
I was lookin’ for a man who was on the same page
Now it’s back to the intro, back to the bar
To the Bentley, to the hotel, to my old ways
‘Cause I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
Doctor, doctor, anythin’, please
Doctor, doctor, have mercy on me
Take this pain away
You’re askin’ me my symptoms, doctor
I don’t wanna feel (what?)
‘Cause I don’t wanna feel like I felt last night
I don’t wanna feel like I felt last night
Be at peace with the things you can’t change
I’ll be naked when I leave and I was naked when I came, yeah
Out of reach, out of touch, too numb, I don’t feel no way
Toast up, so what, street small but it go both ways
So, you’ll run, bitch, you’ll never escape
Sunset in the maze
(You’re askin’ me my symptoms, doctor, I don’t wanna feel)
I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
I don’t wanna feel how I did last night, oh
Doctor, doctor, anything, please
Doctor, doctor, have mercy on me
You’re askin’ me my symptoms, doctor
I don’t wanna feel
I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
I don’t wanna feel how I did last night
Hidin’, hidin’, how I feel last night
(Go)
Lipstick smudged like modern art
I don’t know where the fuck I am
Or who’s drivin’ the fuckin’ car
Speedin’ down the highway sippin’
Mixin’ pills with the liquor
‘Cause fuck these feelings
I left everyone I love on read (uh-huh)
Spillin’ secrets to the stranger in my bed (uh-huh)
I remember nothin’ so there’s nothin’ to regret (uh-huh)
Other than this 4/4 kick drum poundin’ in my head (hmm)
At first glance, ‘Escapism.’ by RAYE might just seem like another anthem for wild nights out and reckless abandon; a perfect track to blare as you lose yourself in the flashing lights of a club. But a closer inspection of the lyrics reveals a haunting narrative: the desperate attempts to outrun the pain of a breakup through a haze of hedonism and excess.
The track is more than a surface-level banger; it’s a profound exploration of self-medication, vulnerability, and the lengths one will go to avoid feeling the weight of emotional trauma. What emerges from RAYE’s confessional is not just a catchy hook, but a window into the turmoil that comes when love takes its leave and one seeks escape in the ephemeral.
A Dancefloor Eulogy for Lost Love
RAYE doesn’t just sing or speak; she lacerates the beat with the truth of her freshly-wounded heart. The swirling, club-ready production counterpoints to the stark vulnerability of the lyrics, encapsulating the internal struggle between wanting to heal and the desperate need to flee from pain.
What makes ‘Escapism.’ resonate is the juxtaposition of its mournful confession and the compelling beats. It drives home the effort to sublimate sorrow into dance, transforming a broken heart’s dirge into a pulse-pounding electronic symphony.
The Cycle of Hedonistic Healing
Through RAYE’s verses, we’re offered an unfiltered look at how the night becomes a carousel of distraction: intoxication, strangers, and the beat of the drum. ‘High heels six inch,’ ‘sippin’ champagne,’ and ‘sniffin’ cocaine’ pull us through the repetitive motions of someone trying to stave off the looming shadow of heartache.
Yet, it’s never just about the party. RAYE lays bare the duality of seeking solace in excess while knowing it’s a temporary fix. The revelry is not a celebration but a strategy of escapism, a theme that reverberates throughout the song, making it not only relatable, but almost painfully authentic.
The Exquisite Agony of ‘I don’t wanna feel’
Perhaps one of the most potent lines in the song, ‘I don’t wanna feel,’ is repeated like a mantra, a warding against the inevitable return of grief. It’s a raw admission of how much it hurts to be human and the lengths we’ll go to numb ourselves.
This line, simple as it may be, anchors the song’s true message. It’s a confession extant not just in the script of heartbreak, but in the script of life; the universal reach for something, anything, that can postpone the confrontation with our darkest, most painful emotions.
Searching for Solace in the Wrong Places
In her verse, RAYE speaks to the destructive patterns one can fall into when trying to cope with emotional devastation. ‘Toast up, so what, street small but it go both ways,’ she acknowledges the two-way street of her actions – an echo chamber of highs that can’t mask the pain.
This line showcases a self-awareness, a moment of clarity within the chaos. It hints at the understanding that real escape can’t come from running, from sex, from drugs, from drink. True healing must come from confrontation and acceptance, from the difficult process of facing and working through the pain.
The Hidden Meaning Behind Escapism’s Glittering Façade
Underneath the glittering production of ‘Escapism.’ lies a narrative rich with the themes of illness and healing. When RAYE cries out, ‘Doctor, doctor, have mercy on me,’ she’s pleading for reprieve not from physical ailments but from an affliction of the heart.
This plea to an unseen physician becomes symbolic of the search for a cure to emotional hurt so deep it feels physical. ‘Take this pain away’ serves as both a literal demand and a cry for an impossible remedy to a broken heart – the kind of cure that no doctor can prescribe, and no night out can provide.
