rubberband by Tate McRae Lyrics Meaning – Untangling the Emotional Elasticity of Love and Loss
Lyrics
Sneakin’ out of the window, spendin’ nights in limbo
Was that all there was for us?
Midnight drivin’, runnin’ through highland
Does it make me a criminal?
That I let you go, that I broke us and left
I hate that I never know
Why you’re still so caught up in my head
I know you wanted a promise
I wasn’t ready, can I be honest?
Never knew what I had until I lost it
And I got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist
And I snap it every time that I think about your lips
Got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist
Almost break it every time when I’m trying to forget
I know that I have never been good at this
Love you in a second, next you know I’m checking out
Of moments I shouldn’t miss
Now I’m looking through the photos, wishin’ I was different
And I got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist
And I snap it every time that I think about your lips
Got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist
Almost break it every time when I’m trying to forget
Trying to forget (trying to forget)
(Trying to forget)
(Trying to forget)
I know you wanted a promise
I wasn’t ready, can I be honest?
Never knew what I had until I lost it
And I got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist
And I snap it every time that I think about your lips
Got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist
Almost break it every time when I’m trying to forget
Trying to forget
(Trying to forget)
(Trying to forget)
Mm
Trying to forget (trying to forget)
(Trying to forget)
Trying to forget
The human heart is often compared to many things: a fortress, a treasure chest, a battlefield. However, Tate McRae, in her raw and evocative track ‘rubberband’, draws a poignant analogy that is as simple as it is complex—the heart as a rubber band. This metaphor not only captures the vulnerability of the heart’s elasticity but also serves as an anchor point throughout her storytelling.
Through McRae’s vivid lyricism, the track outlines the ebb and flow of a young love, marked by the recklessness of youth and the harsh sting of hindsight. We dive into the depths of ‘rubberband’, unravelling the intricate threads of this auditory tapestry and exposing the emotional resilience tested by love’s trials.
The Elastic Heart: A Metaphor for Resilience in Love
McRae’s central image of a ‘rubber band on my wrist’ instantly conjures a feeling of discomfort, symbolizing the tension in remembering a past love. The physical ‘snap’ of the rubber band paints a vivid picture of someone actively trying to combat intrusive thoughts—a person’s desperate attempt to regain control over their emotions.
This isn’t just a lovelorn ballad; it’s an anthem of self-healing. Every snap signifies resilience, a momentary pain to prevent prolonged suffering, a tactic often suggested to break habitual thinking. Yet, there’s an underlying fear, an acknowledgment of the rubber band’s potential to ‘almost break’—a confession that no matter how sturdy our defenses, there’s always a limit to how much we can stretch before we break.
Caught in the Webbings of Memory: Nostalgia’s Grip
In disarming candor, Tate McRae reflects on clandestine adventures, ‘sneakin’ out of the window, spendin’ nights in limbo’, and questions the legitimacy of their past encounters. The uncertainty of ‘was that all there was for us?’ captures a universal sentiment—pondering the depth of a relationship that has come to an end, and the worth of moments now crystallized in memory.
Nostalgia is a double-edged sword, both sweet and achingly painful, a duality beautifully encapsulated when McRae sifts through old photos, embroiled in a war between cherishing the past and chastising herself for not appreciating it in real time. It’s a conundrum of the mind replaying a highlight reel of what’s lost, while the heart yearns to move forward.
The Chronicles of a Broken Promise
McRae delves deep into the theme of promises—those made, broken, and left unfulfilled. She articulates a truth about human readiness and accountability with ‘I know you wanted a promise / I wasn’t ready, can I be honest?’
In an age where ghosting and fleeting connections are commonplace, McRae’s candid admission sets her apart. Her honesty lays bare the vulnerability one faces when coming to terms with their limitations in providing what someone else needs—a promise of permanence in an impermanent world.
Discovering Absence as a Teacher: The Hidden Meaning
The often-overlooked teacher in life’s classroom is the void left by absence, a sentiment that echoes through ‘Never knew what I had until I lost it’. McRae illustrates the harsh lesson of recognising the value of someone or something only after it’s slipped through your fingers—an ode to the old adage of not knowing what you’ve got till it’s gone.
This hidden meaning suggests an awakening, a realization that comes too late to salvage what was lost, but becomes a formative experience. It’s this very regret, painted in sharp contrasts of before and after, that propels one forward into newfound appreciation and wisdom.
Echoes of a Love Story: Most Memorable Lines
Tate McRae’s ‘rubberband’ comes with an arsenal of memorable lines, but none more striking than ‘And I snap it every time that I think about your lips’. It’s a beautifully crafted, poignant reminder of the physicality that remains in the memory of a lost love, also conjuring the universal struggle to break free from the magnetic pull of past affections.
Her words, while seemingly tied to a personal narrative, ring out as a shared truth among those who have yearned, loved, and lost—tying listeners together in a collective memory of heartache and the rituals we adopt to overcome it. McRae’s craft of turning a personal anecdote into a relatable tale of emotional struggle is, in many ways, the lyrical embodiment of a rubber band—flexible, resilient, and echoing long after the initial snap.
