okay okay hey hello hi- basically i'm just gonna be yapping (a lot) about the story by conan gray (of course) green flag for the song! this song is like so peak oh my gosh and also makes me sad every time i listen to it and i already am rambling woah okay that's your one warning lmao i am very scatterbrained- all jokes aside, trigger warning because i do briefly discuss su}c}de (in reference to the song lyric that implies it) lyric time <3 going to genuis.com, one sec: [Verse 1] "Let me tell you a story about a boy and a girl It's kinda short, kinda boring, but the end is a whirl They were just sixteen when the people were mean So they didn't love themselves, and now they're gone Headstones on a lawn" whew okay verse one sets the tone amazingly. the whole song's (obviously) told like a few mini short stories here and there - and the first story indeed is about a boy and a girl. "people were mean" could imply a lot of things - bullying, society being an absolute menace in a bad way, other things i can't think of right now - i personally take it as the 2nd option, but this is of course opinion. so, in my version of things, because society was so sucky, they lost self esteem and self love and killed themselves, which is 100% a real thing that's currently happening in our society right now. "now they're gone, headstones on a lawn" basically confirms that they're forever gone. [Verse 2] "And when I was younger, I knew a boy and a boy Best friends with each other, but always wished they were more 'Cause they loved one another, but never discovered 'Cause they were too afraid of what they'd say Moved to different states" okay this is the second part of the song that gets me- if i'm not crying already i am by this part- two boys. friends. they both had deeper feelings for each other. but they never discovered love, or what could have been between them, because they were too afraid of what society (or, maybe) relatives, friends, family members would say. and then they moved apart - the song doesn't directly say what happened after but we can assume they forever lost touch. sad stuff. [Chorus] "Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works It ain't funny, it ain't pretty, it ain't sweet Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works But I think that it could work for you and me Just wait and see It's not the end of the story" in this part, the singer's basically describing that this is a reality for the world. but- and this is one of the most important takeaways from the song - that doesn't mean it all has to end. the story doesn't have to end because of this stupid reality. we can make our way through. [Verse 3] "Now it's on to the sequel about me and my friend Both our parents were evil, so we both made a bet If we worked and we saved, we could both run away And we'd have a better life, and I was right I wonder if she's alright" okay. so. part 3. parents who weren't the best. so these two friends promised each other ("bet") that they could get a job and save money and get out of that house. seems like one of them was correct, as in they made it out. but somehow - they lost touch - and now that one person doesn't know if the other's alright or if they made it out. [Chorus] "Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works It ain't funny, it ain't pretty, it ain't sweet Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works But I think that it could work for you and me Just wait and see It's not the end of the story Okay" the "okay" is like a sign to you to see that the message is continuing. and i think this sorta breaks the theme, because so far after the chorus it just continues the story. but here? the fourth wall sorta breaks and the singer talks directly to us. [Bridge] "And the movie's always runnin' in my head All the people, all the lovers, all my friends And I hope that they all get their happy end In the end" the movie of life i guess. these memories are constantly in the singer's head - memories of people (maybe the girl and the boy?), lovers (oh god im tearing up thinking about the boy and the boy-) and friends (probably who verse 3 is talking about). and just wishing that they'll all get a happy ending (connecting to the "story/book" theme), or that their life will work out. this is so real. like, there's probably someone out there for you where you don't know how they're doing - like, y'all lost touch. and i think sometimes we all sorta think about lost people and wonder how they are. if they're okay. [Chorus] "Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works It ain't funny, it ain't pretty, it ain't sweet Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works But I think that it could work for you and me Just wait and see It's not the end of the story, hmm, hmm" the end <3 this song is 100% right. no matter what, it's never going to be the end of the story for you. there will always be a way out. love forever, daph
