Ripples by beabadoobee Lyrics Meaning – Understanding Vulnerability in Modern Relationships
Lyrics
I’ve been puttin’ up a fight
What’s the use of it now
When I get pulled down anyways?
I’ve been hidin’ my expression
You can’t blame the reflections
And the ripples on the ground
I might as well have drowned
So I’m keepin’ busy
Work twice as hard as you
Want you to believe me
That I can pick and choose
Said you’d let me drive your car
As long as I’m with you
Then you’d wait ’til we get far
And tell me that you’ll be gone soon
Feels too late right now
I’ve been holding back
‘Cause I’m afraid that I’m too loud
Six feet underground
I feel alone again
Stuck between my friends
I guess I’ll figure my way through them
Not sure how I’d do it
But I’m sure now
The people would listen
As the water glistens
Then I see my reflection
So much clearer
So I’m keepin’ busy
Work twice as hard as you
Want you to believe me
That I can pick and choose
Said you’d let me drive your car
As long as I’m with you
Then you’d wait ’til we get far
And tell me that you’ll be gone soon
Beabadoobee, with her vibrant concoction of indie pop-rock soundscapes, offers a raw slice of introspection in her track ‘Ripples’. The song emerges as a textured narrative, delving deep into the phases of concealment and self-discovery within a relational dynamic that feels dauntingly transient.
Through ‘Ripples’, we navigate the emotional turbulence of a persona seeking solidity in a milieu of fleeting connections. The lyrics paint a poignant portrait of struggle, yearning, and eventual self-affirmation, resonating with anyone who has grappled with their self-worth against the mirror of someone else’s fleeting gaze.
Concealment and Combat: The Tug of War Within
The opening lines of ‘Ripples’ unmask a struggle between visibility and self-protection. As beabadoobee implores not to be made to hide, we’re plunged into a sense of internal conflict. The song’s protagonist is wrestling with the desire to resist submersion into anonymity—fighting against the forces that threaten to undermine their existence.
This push and pull is accentuated through the metaphor of ripples—transitory and easily distorting reflections. The futile efforts to maintain the fight allude to a broader commentary on the essence of perseverance when every effort seems overshadowed by the inevitability of erasure.
The Work Ethic of the Emotionally Taxed
We find our protagonist doubling the efforts to keep busy, as if productivity could be the panacea for the emotional void left by an unstable relationship. This hyper-industry is a mask, a feigned self-assurance for an audience that might not even be paying attention.
It’s a distraction, a frantic attempt at relevance in the eyes of a partner who promises control (‘you’d let me drive your car’), only to reveal the ephemeral nature of the arrangement (‘you’ll be gone soon’). The song captures the essence of contemporary dating, the give-and-take of investment that often feels unequal.
A Voice Buried Six Feet Under
Beabadoobee’s admission of self-censorship (‘I’ve been holding back’) is a vulnerable revelation. The angst of being ‘too loud’ is a metaphor for the fear of being too much, too present, too real—an emotional excess that is unseemly for the precarious balance sought in modern relationships.
The reference to ‘six feet underground’ is a powerful image painting isolation as a form of self-burial. Amidst the perceived social warmth of ‘friends’, the protagonist struggles with the chilling solitude of emotional silence, plotting an escape into self-expression.
Self-Reflection and the Clarity of Isolation
In a cathartic turn, the protagonist reaches a point of reflection—a clarity found in solitude. The lyrics suggest an epiphany that resonates with an age where many quest for genuine human connection.
This moment of self-actualization is evocatively tied to nature, with references to water and its reflective properties. It is a symbolic cleansing, washing away the debris of self-doubt to reveal a firmer sense of identity and voice.
The Echo of Memorable Lines: ‘Not sure how I’d do it, But I’m sure now’
One of the most stirring lines of ‘Ripples’ encapsulates the song’s hidden meaning—a tentative resolve amidst uncertainty. It’s a paradoxical statement of being unsure about the methods but certain of the need for self-expression.
This underscores a greater human narrative of enduring and evolving through life’s trials. Even in the absence of a defined path, the conviction to be heard, to claim presence, ‘as the water glistens’, becomes a defiant act of self-possession.
