Vanessa by Grimes Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Emotional Odyssey

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

Lyrics

I’ve been

Oh, I’ve been waiting destiny
And my heart is here right next to me
And I’m caught waiting in the rain
Oh, I’ve been waiting destiny
And my heart is here right next to me
And I’m caught waiting in the rain

And I know and I need you in the storm
And I oh-oh-oh-I-I, oh-oh-oh-I-I-I-I

Hey, hey, you want to play
Well baby, I can go and go
And every other day you’re running off with so and so
Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it

Hey, hey, you want to play (and I cry)
Well baby, I can go and go (and I cry)
And every other day you’re running off with so and so (and I cry)
Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it

Baby I would throw you, if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it

I hold on, and I don’t care what you say
But the way it goes it’s happening everyday
(I can see space on my radio)
I hold on, and I don’t care what you say (I can see space on my radio)
‘Cause the way it goes it’s not happening everyday
(I can see space on my radio)

Everyday, everyday, everyday, everyday
Everyday-day-y-day-y-day, everyday-y-day-y-day
Everyday-y-day-y-day

Hey, hey, you want to play
Well baby, I can go and go
And every other day you’re running off with so and so
Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it
Hey, hey, you want to play
Well baby, I can go and go
And every other day you’re running off with so and so
Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it

Hey, hey, you want to play
Well baby, I can go and go
And every other day you’re running off with so and so
Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it
Hey, hey, you want to play
Well baby, I can go and go
And every other day you’re running off with so and so
Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it

Baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you
But I’m paying for it

The art of storytelling through music often weaves a tapestry of emotions that can encompass the tumult of human relationships. Grimes’ song ‘Vanessa’ is no exception, presenting listeners with a sonic journey through the depths of personal connections and the complexities they entail. With a melodic structure that’s hauntingly ethereal and lyrics resonating with raw intimacy, ‘Vanessa’ is a profound exploration of love, loss, and the forces that bind us.

Claire Boucher, known professionally as Grimes, has a distinct way of merging the abstract with the palpable. This song from her earlier works is a testament to her capacity to not just create a soundscape, but also to encapsulate the human experience with a poetic urgency that lingers long after the music fades.

Waiting for Destiny or Destined to Wait: The Song’s Core Conflict

‘Vanessa’ captures a protagonist in a state of suspense, teetering on the edge of anticipation. The lines, ‘Oh, I’ve been waiting destiny / And my heart is here right next to me / And I’m caught waiting in the rain,’ evoke the sense of someone who is both at the mercy of fate and stubbornly attached to their own yearning. There is a dichotomy here—a desire to move forward, juxtaposed with the paralysis of waiting for a sign, a change, or perhaps, the return of a beloved.

Grimes uses the imagery of waiting in the rain as a metaphor for vulnerability and patience. The figure of the heart ‘right next to me’ suggests a jarring closeness of one’s desires, yet they remain unfulfilled. It’s a statement on how sometimes the things we long for the most are within our grasp, but circumstances or other barriers keep us just inches away.

The Labyrinth of Love: Navigating Through Turbulent Affections

The lyrics then shift to a turbulent love scenario where the subject is ensnared in a tumultuous relationship. The refrain ‘Hey, hey, you want to play / Well baby, I can go and go / And every other day you’re running off with so and so’ indicates a push-pull dynamic, a game of emotional cat-and-mouse that can be both exhilarating and exhausting. This ‘play’ could also imply a more literal deception, which unravels trust and leads to heartache.

What intensifies the complexity of these feelings is familiarity and attachment. Despite being a game she seems to want to escape, Grimes sings, ‘Well baby, I would throw you if I didn’t know you / But I’m paying for it.’ There’s an intimate knowledge of the other person that makes detachment challenging, suggesting that past bonds and shared experiences are creating a costly attachment.

Metaphorical Space: Interstellar Imagery as a Reflection of the Mind

‘I hold on, and I don’t care what you say / ‘Cause the way it goes it’s not happening everyday / (I can see space on my radio)’ – here the cryptic message of ‘seeing space on my radio’ might allude to the feeling of distance and separation, a sensation of cosmic isolation despite the closeness suggested by the ‘radio,’ a traditional symbol of communication and connection.

This space is more than just a vacuum; it’s a representation of the internal chasms that can develop between lovers. The radio, a device meant to transmit sound across distances, may personify the attempt to bridge the silent void that grows steadily in a failing relationship, where each attempt at closeness somehow results in further alienation.

Echoes of the Heart: Delving into the Song’s Most Memorable Lines

No Grimes song leaves listeners without echoing phrases that vibrate through the soul. One such instance is the song’s recurring line ‘But I’m paying for it,’ a stark acknowledgment of the toll that a toxic dynamic inflicts on an individual. This is not a lament of regret as much as a realization that the price of this emotional investment is steep and is actively being paid with pieces of oneself.

Another compelling line, ‘And I know and I need you in the storm,’ further illustrates the dependency and craving for someone’s presence, even when that presence may be the eye of the hurricane itself. The desire for this person is as uncontrollable and wild as the storm they represent, urging the protagonist to grasp onto the chaos because it still promises the semblance of life and connection.

The Hidden Meaning: Uncovering the Veiled Narrative

While on the surface ‘Vanessa’ may steer towards the portrayal of a love riddled with pain, there’s a concealed narrative of empowerment. The decision to ‘pay for it,’ to hold on despite the turmoil, suggests agency in the life of the protagonist. Choosing this exhausting but exhilarating experience mirrors the wider human condition: we often embrace hardship knowing full well the consequences simply because the journey imbues our existence with depth.

Furthermore, Grimes’ ethereal voice coupled with a backdrop of synthesized melodrama punctuates the sentiment of transcendence and cyclical patterns in life’s narrative. Poetry embedded in the music hints at a larger commentary on the human attachment, the push for self-realization, and the remnants left behind from journeys with others. ‘Vanessa,’ through Grimes’ haunting sonority, ultimately breathes life into the chaos of connection, illustrating the beauty and tragedy of our relentless pursuit of affinity and understanding.