LIKE I WANT YOU by Giveon Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking Heartache and Longing in Modern R&B
Lyrics
But I disguise the truth
I say I’m happy but I’m still stuck on us, mmm, mmm, mmm
Does your mind play this game too?
Think ’bout me and you
I guess I’ll just pretend
Until it all makes sense, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
See you face to face, I’m thinking ’bout the days we used to be
But I can’t make a scene, but I can’t make a scene
See you face to face, I’m thinking ’bout the days we used to be
But I can’t make a scene, but I can’t make it seem
Like I want you
You
Even if it’s true
Even if it’s true
I guess it’s overdue
Tell me your point of view
Tell me, am I to blame?
You’re so good with change, hmm, mmm, mmm
A table set for two
You got me waitin’ but you ain’t comin’ through
Try to stay patient but gotta face the truth, mmm, mmm, mmm
Whoa, whoa
See you face to face (see you face to face)
I’m thinkin’ ’bout the days we used to be (thinkin’ ’bout the days)
But I can’t make a scene (no, I can’t make a scene)
But I can’t make a scene (no, no, no, no)
See you face to face (see you face)
I’m thinking ’bout the days we used to be (oh, oh)
But I can’t make a scene (no, no, no, no, no, no)
But I can’t make it seem
Like I want you
You
Even if it’s true (even if it’s true)
(You, babe)
Even if it’s true
There’s no reason to believe I’ll save us now
But if you really love me, say it now
Why is it so hard to figure out?
I need you every day, believe me when I say it
Like I want you
You
Even if it’s true
Even if it’s true
Giveon’s soulful ballad ‘LIKE I WANT YOU’ is more than just a mere assemblage of verses and a haunting refrain; it’s a deep dive into the complexities of clinging to the past and wrestling with concealed emotions. Through his smooth baritone and evocative lyricism, the singer-songwriter crafts a narrative that resonates with anyone who’s ever struggled to reconcile with the residuals of a faded romance.
The poignant melody weaves a thread of raw vulnerability that challenges the stoic façade often maintained in the aftermath of a breakup. As we dissect the layers within ‘LIKE I WANT YOU’, we find not only a story of love lost but a universal commentary on the human condition and the facades we uphold to protect our bruised egos.
An Ode to the Ghosts of Lovers Past
Revisiting the haunts of a past relationship, ‘LIKE I WANT YOU’ serves as an elegy to what once was and what cannot be again. With a haunting melody that clings like the memory of an old flame, Giveon paints a picture of a protagonist caught between the reality of the present and the nostalgia of ‘the days we used to be’.
Giveon’s intentional choice to ‘see you face to face’ without creating a scene is a poignant juxtaposition of desire and decorum, illustrating the push and pull of yearning for a connection while being held back by the weight of social nuances and personal pride.
Masquerading Truth: The Facade of Contentment
Beneath the layers of Giveon’s seemingly composed exterior lies a battlefield where sincerity and subterfuge are at war. ‘Sometimes I wish you knew’ he confides, indicating the silent struggle to veil his true feelings beneath a facade of happiness. It’s a battle familiar to many—displaying contentment while ‘stuck on us’, where the us no longer exists.
The reluctance to unmask our genuine emotions stems from an acute fear of vulnerability. In the lyrics ‘I guess I’ll just pretend until it all makes sense’, Giveon captures the essence of human nature’s inclination to shield the heart from further exposure to old wounds.
The Silent Dialogue of Shared Memories
The track’s haunting refrain interrogates a shared psychological game, pondering whether the object of his affection is also plagued by snapshots of their shared history. It’s a silent dialogue that plays between the lines, connecting two estranged souls in a waltz of memories and ‘days we used to be’.
Giveon’s solemn inquiry ‘Does your mind play this game too?’ extends an olive branch to the listener’s own experiences of lost love, reassuring them in their solitude that the echoes of a past love do not haunt in isolation—that they are a chorus joined by the voices of many.
The Hidden Meaning in Waiting and Hope
As Giveon sits at ‘A table set for two’, the vacated chair manifests into a metaphor for expectancy and the agony of hope. The reality of waiting for someone who ‘ain’t comin’ through’ is an all-too-familiar tableau; it’s the quintessence of awaiting a reconciliation or a closure that might never arrive.
This tableau unravels a deeper narrative of self-reflection and accountability – ‘Tell me, am I to blame?’ – implicating that the song is not just an expression of longing but a quest for self-awareness. The hidden meaning teases out themes of personal growth and the eventuality of accepting change.
Memorable Lines Etch the Pathos of Unrequited Yearning
The striking simplicity of the chorus ‘Like I want you / Even if it’s true’ is the thread that weaves through the song, ensnaring the solemnity of unspoken desires. These lines reverberate long after the song ends, becoming an anthem for the unvoiced truths that shape our emotional landscapes.
It’s in these words that Giveon artfully condenses the human experience into an outcry for authenticity and recognition. The heartbreaking confession, cloaked in its own understatement, thus becomes the refrain of every hidden love and each silent scream for the recognition of our deepest needs.
