Pharmacist by Alvvays Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Melancholic Subtleties of Indie Rock

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Alvvays's Pharmacist at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

I know you’re back
I saw your sister at the pharmacy
Pickin’ up
Said you had that new love glow
Now that you’re here
I want to wake up on the right side
Looking back
Gettin’ out of neutral new track

You know it happens all the time, it’s alright
I hear it happens all the time

We volunteered
Local center off the highway
Nicorette
Those paths have grown in now
Velvet fall
An assistant to the way
Life’s shaking out
Those girls are older now

You know it happens all the time, it’s alright
I hear it happens all the time, it’s alright
I know I never crossed your mind

Alvvays, the Canadian indie pop ensemble known for their ethereal soundscapes and melancholic lyrics, presents ‘Pharmacist’, a track that encapsulates the essence of fleeting moments and wistful nostalgia. On the surface, the song may seem like a simple story, but dive a little deeper and one finds a myriad of emotions and existential reflections wrapped in its melodic lines.

The band’s ability to convey profound ideas through what appears to be everyday chatter is a testament to their lyrical prowess. With ‘Pharmacist’, Alvvays invites listeners into an intricate world of personal connections, the passage of time, and the bittersweet nature of memories. Let us explore the layers beneath this seemingly innocuous song’s facade.

The Allure of Everyday Encounters – Love and Pharmacies

When the protagonist of ‘Pharmacist’ spots their partner’s sister at the pharmacy, an opportunity for storytelling emerges. The pharmacy, a symbol of healing and routine, becomes the backdrop for a far more complex narrative. This encounter prompts a cascade of emotions, suggesting the importance of seemingly insignificant moments and their ability to trigger profound internal landscapes. The song’s characters aren’t heroic figures from an epic; they’re everyday individuals facing the nuances of love and life.

The ‘new love glow’ hinting at a partner’s well-being or possibly newfound love outside the existing relationship adds layers of jealousy and acceptance. Here, in the temple of the mundane, Alvvays finds a way to discuss love’s enduring nature and its myriad forms, questioning the permanence of feelings in the face of life’s relentless march forward.

Unveiling the Hidden Meaning – A Journey of Acceptance

‘Pharmacist’ weaves the story of a person coming to terms with the permanence and impermanence of relationships. The casual reference to ‘waking up on the right side’ is a declaration of choosing optimism, a rare determination to fight the current of despondency that sometimes engulfs our lives. In a parallel verse, ‘Gettin’ out of neutral new track’ speaks to initiating personal change and escaping stagnation, nudging listeners to find hope amid the gray.

Contrasting with the song’s lighthearted melody, the want for change and progression resonates deeply with listeners who might be reflecting on their own crossroads. Through the song, Alvvays holds up a mirror to their audience, asking them to consider their inertia and perhaps, find the courage to move towards personal evolution.

Nicorette and Velvet Falls – Symbols of a Life Lived

Engaging in community service, as sung in ‘We volunteered, Local center off the highway,’ the protagonists of the song find themselves at a crossroads between personal desires and social expectations. The nicotine substitute, Nicorette, becomes a metaphor for artificial solace that fills the void in their life, a placeholder for something missing. It’s a masterful stroke of songwriting that uses everyday objects to express existential unrest.

The ‘Velvet fall’ mentioned could represent an autumn of life, replete with gentle sadness and subtle changes, adding a seasonal texture to this emotional landscape. As ‘Those paths have grown in now’, we get a sense of time passing, lives changing, and once-familiar avenues becoming overgrown and unrecognizable. Alvvays captures a snapshot of transformation with these images, underscoring life’s transitory nature.

The Repeated Refrain: Fleeting Reassurance in ‘It happens all the time’

The lyrics, repeated like a mantra, ‘You know it happens all the time, it’s alright,’ serve as the song’s emotional anchor. These words could be interpreted as a self-soothing reassurance that whatever circumstances the protagonist faces—be it heartache, change, or the fear of being forgotten—are normal, survivable aspects of the human experience.

Alternatively, this line may resonate with listeners as a minimalistic shrug at the inevitable, an indie-rock nod to the universality of life’s trials and tribulations. Rather than seeking to solve life’s conundrums, ‘Pharmacist’ uses repetition to hint at acceptance, a key theme in finding peace amidst chaos.

The Lingering Piercing Thought: ‘I know I never crossed your mind’

In the crown of memorable lines, the closing thought ‘I know I never crossed your mind’ delivers a gut-punch, encapsulating the human fear of being inconsequential. Alvvays skirts the line of heartbreak and existential dread, finding a common denominator in the form of this poignant admission.

This line hoists the weight of forgotten connections and unrequited affection, the universal ache of realizing one’s invisibility in another’s world. It encapsulates the emotional vulnerability of ‘Pharmacist’ and, by extension, the human condition: the desire to be acknowledged, remembered, and to leave an imprint on the tapestry of someone else’s existence.