TV Girl’s “Lovers Rock” Meaning
The writing and production of “Lovers Rock” is credited to TV Girl. The band’s frontman, Brad Petering, is also individually acknowledged as a writer and producer, and Jason Wyman, the drummer, is likewise recognized in that latter regard.
With a release date of 5 June 2014, this marks the earliest single in the band’s discography and accordingly is featured on their debut LP, “French Exit”, which came out that same year.
This track managed to have a notable chart showing, breaking the top 30 of the UK Indie Chart and apparently being TV Girl’s only song to date to appear on the UK Singles Chart. Also, in recent times it has contributed to TV Girl, an outfit adverse to the limelight, proving popular amongst streaming circuits.
According to Genius, Lovers Rock samples “The Dance Is Over”, a 1962 track by The Shirelles.
Furthermore, according to WhoSampled, it also utilizes James Brown’s 1970 piece “Funky Drummer”, which stands as one of the most-sampled tracks in industry history.
Lyrics of “Lovers Rock”
In explaining that the title of this song refers to refers a subgenre of music that revolves around “lovelorn lyrics”, Petering also revealed that it is based on a real-life experience. And the simplest way of describing the narrative is as being premised on he and the addressee having a mutual attraction towards one another, but all lyrics considered it can be taken that the latter is especially feeling the former.
Perhaps this is a situation in which the said lady already has a boyfriend.
In any event, Brad seems to understand that whereas the two of them do proceed to make out, seemingly at some type of gathering that the addressee is hosting, it isn’t such that they will go on to have a meaningful relationship, if you will. Or as he puts it, “love can burn like a cigarette, and leave you alone with nothing”.
Those of us who are familiar with cigarettes know that they tend to burn quite quickly. It has also been pointed out in interpreting that line that a cigarette high also tends to be fleeting. And that appears to be what Brad is acknowledging, that he’s set to have a good time with this girl alright, but afterwards there will be nothing between them.
Or as sorta implied in the dialogue that comes before the outro, it is the addressee, i.e. the female in this equation, who initiated the smooching. And it may be such that she gets around a lot or has more romantic experience than the narrator. That is to say that the vocalist understands that whatever happens between them is indeed relegated to this particular evening.
