exes by Tate McRae Lyrics Meaning – A Dissection of Love and Regret in the Digital Age
Lyrics
Changed my mind up like it’s origami
Oh, I’m sorry, sorry that you love me (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)
Changed my mind up like it’s origami
(Kiss-kiss-kiss-) kisses to my exes who don’t give a shit about me
Kisses, kisses to the next ones who think they can live without me
We make up, then we break up, then they swear they’ll never call me
But I still keep their number and their necklace, kisses to my exes
Happens every time
I don’t mean, mean to be cold, but that’s how I get, oh
Me and all my pride
Tryna burn down every damn bridge any time we can, and again
I’m a, I’m a, I’m a wild ride that never stops
I’m a, I’m a, I’m a hard case they can’t unlock
And I, and I swear I care a lot, just not enough
Let’s just say it is what it is and was what it was
(Kiss-kiss-kiss-) kisses to my exes who don’t give a shit about me
Kisses, kisses to the next ones who think they can live without me
We make up, then we break up, then they swear they’ll never call me
But I still keep their number and their necklace, kisses to my exes
Oh, I’m sorry, sorry that you love me (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)
Changed my mind up like it’s origami
Oh, I’m sorry, sorry that you love me (oh-oh-oh)
Changed my mind up like it’s ori-
Say, say I wanna go there, then I wanna leave
Make another promise that I can’t keep
I don’t ever know what I want, but that’s what you want
If you’re down, well, then don’t blame me
Breakin’ it all before it starts, makin’ it all up in my head
But I just overshare ’bout things I never meant
I’m a, I’m a, I’m a wild ride that never stops
I’m a, I’m a, I’m a hard case they can’t unlock
And I, and I swear I care a lot, just not enough
Let’s just say it is what it is and was what it was (was)
Kisses to my exes who don’t give a shit about me
Kisses, kisses to the next ones who think they can live without me (nah, nah)
We make up, then we break up, then they swear they’ll never call me (yeah)
I still keep their number and their necklace, kisses to my exes
Oh, I’m sorry, sorry that you love me (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)
Changed my mind up like it’s origami
Oh, I’m sorry, sorry that you love me (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)
Changed my mind up like it’s origami (ha-ha)
Kisses to my exes, I know that I did you dirty
Little messed up, little selfish, we ain’t married, I ain’t thirty
Yeah, we hooked up, then we broke up, then I said you really hurt me
But I still got your number and your necklace, kisses to my exes
Tate McRae’s ‘exes’ strikes a resonant chord within the collective consciousness of a generation grappling with the transient nature of relationships. As we plunge headfirst into the nuances of her lyrics, it’s evident that McRae isn’t just crafting a song, but rather, she’s painting an intimate portrait of modern love’s ebb and flow.
The raw authenticity seeping through each verse juxtaposes the whimsical with the weighty, as McRae oscillates between apologetic tones and self-assured declarations. There’s a universal echo in her words, a familiarity that speaks to the struggle of connection in an era where interactions are as easily manipulated as origami paper.
Unfolding the Paper Heart: The Origami Analogy
McRae’s clever use of origami as a metaphor for the malleability of her own decisions, particularly concerning love, invites listeners into a world where commitments are as fragile as folded paper. It’s this fickle nature that shapes the song’s philosophical backbone, prompting us to consider the ease with which we might be influenced or transformed by those we let close to us.
The words ‘Changed my mind up like it’s origami’ are not just a catchy lyric – they are an insightful commentary on personal evolution and emotional flexibility. The folding and unfolding of origami mirrors the singer’s internal conflict and her mercurial emotions, revealing the complexity of her relationships with past lovers.
A Carousel of Kisses: Navigating Post-Love Etiquette
The repetition of ‘kisses’ serves as a melodic mantra throughout the song. But there’s an edge to these farewells, a bittersweet acknowledgment of what was lost and the nonchalance towards what remains. McRae deftly captures the superficial rituals of ending a relationship, highlighting how modern dating often reduces profound moments to empty exchanges.
In the act of keeping ‘their number and their necklace,’ McRae embodies the contradiction many feel after a breakup — the desire to move on, juxtaposed with the inability to let go completely. It’s a poignant reflection of how physical and metaphorical tokens of past relationships exist, ensnared in a limbo of sentiment and indifference.
Confessions of a ‘Wild Ride’: Self-Reflection and Ownership
Within the complex layers of ‘exes,’ runs a current of self-awareness as McRae confesses to being a ‘wild ride that never stops,’ and a ‘hard case they can’t unlock.’ The artist showcases a maturity in acknowledging her own flaws within the narrative, steering clear of victimhood and embracing her role in the cyclical nature of her relationships.
The admission that she ‘swear[s] I care a lot, just not enough’ is both haunting and relatable. It speaks to the conflicted human condition where care does not always equate to sufficiency. McRae’s transparency in these lines is a testament to her songwriting acumen, as she starkly portrays the inner dialogue that haunts the aftermath of a failed relationship.
A Chronicle of Flippancy: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Beyond the explicit storyline of a series of breakups, ‘exes’ hides a deeper meaning — a commentary on the desensitization towards emotional depth in contemporary courtship. McRae’s alternating between wanting to ‘go there’ and then to ‘leave,’ and making promises she ‘can’t keep,’ serve as a microcosm for a generation’s fear of commitment.
In an era where options are abundant and attention spans are short, McRae’s lyrics reflect a struggle between the yearning for connection and the reflex to retreat. The hidden meaning underpinning ‘exes’ unfolds as a tale of defensive mechanisms, of putting up walls that even the singer herself cannot breach.
Memorable Lines: Echoes of Millennial Melancholy
One cannot discuss ‘exes’ without zeroing in on its memorable lines that reverberate with a sober pang of reality. ‘Little messed up, little selfish, we ain’t married, I ain’t thirty’ encapsulates a generational angst, an aversion to settling down prematurely, and hints at societal pressures hovering over personal timelines.
These words do more than narrate; they incite a reflection on our own paths and the pressures we face to conform. It’s a well-crafted lyric that aligns McRae’s personal revelations with our collective experiences, instilling ‘exes’ with the power to not just entertain, but also to connect and to heal.
