Okay so the part where she says just something you paid for that also could represent like her as a musician and her fan base and everything like basically her being like you know I'm not even real I'm just something that you guys pay to listen to if I was to stop all of this when you guys even check up on me would you guys even make sure that I'm still doing okay or would you find another artist to start listening to so it definitely sounds like it's a song that can be interpreted through not just the Barbie movie but in her actual real life to
This song was made for the movie. Greta Gerwig, Barbie's writer and director, approached Billie and Finneas saying she was missing Barbie's heart song. They wrote the song and lyrics in about 2 hours, the day after they watched part of the movie. Later Billie realized the song described what she was feeling at that point in her life. Billie was born and raised in Highland Park, part of Los Angeles County. Her mom was Melissa MCCarthy's voice coach.
@@prairiedoug858 It can also be said for how one feels as an artist and entertainer, as some people only regard them as that and forget that they are still people.
Billy and Finneas kept pushing the Director for what she wanted. She finally just told them to write Barbie's song. Billy has said she could relate to it, but it was written solely from Barbie's perspective. I think that is very clear.
Billie said in an interview that during the writing process she was writing from Barbie’s perspective (she and Finneas were able to see parts of the unedited movie to get the vibe) but after it was done and she listened to it she realized it is also exactly how she feels. She even emphasized it several times and looked directly into the camera and said “It . Is . EXACTLY . How . I . Feel.”
Billie has said she struggled with fame, she thought music was what she was made for, but once fully inside the industry she had imposter syndrome so she felt she wasnt made for it and it sucked the joy out of music for her. By then she was so popular she felt she had to something she wasnt, be the thing or person people were paying for. She was sad for quite a while but she learing how to be at peace with the music industry and not get lost in it and stay true to herself and be happy again making music and that is what shes made for.
As someone who struggles with depression and is also prone to pretending everything's alright, this song hits me like a ten ton truck every. Single. Time. Can't listen to it without crying. I'm aware of the "purpose" of the song as a soundtrack contribution and the Barbie references in it are quite clear but I'm 100% sure the autobigraphical elements are very, VERY strong. P.S. I just realised that it also hits home so dramatically because it rather accurately describes the life of my recently deceased mum. 😢
Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear that this is something you've struggled with too and that you lost your mom as well. Honestly, songs like this that resonate so deeply can be a double-edged sword, but I hope you are able to find relief soon! Depression is awful.
These little outfits are all iconic outfits she wore in important moments of her life like at the Grammies when she got all 4 major Grammies at once for her album (first and ever woman to do so) or when she won her Oscar...
Very interesting analysis, thank you for sharing. Another thing stood out to me in the lyrics of this song too; the lines have parallel meanings representing either the Barbie translation on one hand or Billie's struggle with depression on the other hand. "I was an ideal / Felt so alive, turns out I'm not real / Just something you paid for" on the one hand represents Barbie as a concept representing a literal ideal of feminine presentation for little girls ('I was an ideal'), Barbie finding out that her very thoughts and emotions in Barbieland are not her own, but projected onto her by her owner in the real world ('turn's out I'm not real'), and Barbie being a commercial item sold in stores ('something you paid for'). At the exact same time, a reading of Billie as the main character is also happening, presenting an entirely different interpretation of the lyrics - Billie is 'an ideal' as a performer whose immense talent has landed her worldwide fame and success at such a young age, an example of the dream of perfect career trajectory for budding young singers. She felt so alive being swept up in the giddy experience of watching her creations come to fruition from her imagination onto the screen and into recordings. But at the same time, she realises she's 'not real, just something you paid for'; with fame comes the phenomenon of parasocial interactivity, where suddenly everyone 'knows you' but doesn't actually *know* you - your very identity becomes a caricature of yourself in your fans' minds, a shared illusion by the masses, your literal voice - one of the literal symbols of identity - having become a commodity for sale. *Something you paid for.* Somewhere along the line, the reality blurred from an individual person creating things to share with the world, to a magazine name whose every piece of work the world feels entitled to as purveyors. The duality of the lyrics' applicability to both Barbie and Billie likens one to the other, showing how Billie's increasingly hollow feeling of fakeness is akin to the purpose of a Barbie doll - something that only exists for the entertainment of the consumer audience.
I think one way to understand this song is that there is a universal desire in all of us to please other people, to be what other people expect us to be. For example, one of the verses (the most striking for me) - "I'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend" - relates to a common desire to present ourselves to others as the embodiment of their own ideals - to present ourselves as if we could be the perfect friend or perfect companion for that person in that moment. The composers ability to strike this common chord is one of the things that makes the song hit so hard. It's a great approach in that it also wonderfully magnifies one of the themes from the Barbie movie - false ideals and expectations versus complicated feelings and messy realities. This song is masterful both in composition and performance!
how are you such a small content creator?! your editing skills and filming are like professional level like i actually thought you had at LEAST 100k before i went to go check for myself! you broke these lyrics down so well. you earned yourself a subscriber ❤
I think one of the greatest lines is "I don't know how to feel", because idiomatically, when we say that we mean "I don't know *which* emotion to feel". But the next line "but I wanna try" tells us she means it literally; she doesn't know how to have emotion at all. It's a nice, gentle flip on our expectations.
I was a singer/songwriter in the 70's and most often wrote from my heart about things I was going through. Many people simply can relate and it makes for a great song. This one deserves every award there is. Cuts right to the heart.
I feel like the line "just something you paid for" could be related to fame - we pay for Billie's music and assume she's fine despite the dark tone of the lyrics, but thats just an ideal we are buying into As for the "taking a drive" line - my interpretation was her driving through town past people who think they know her and still believe the ideal, and her wondering "why is everyone else ok but me?" Thats just how I interpreted it
Great reaction. 👍 Loved the poetry angle. Billie's songs are like a direct I.V. drip into your soul. You're busy distracted by her sighs and rhymes before long the song's over and your soul's permanently affected. I found the same sneak attack in these other songs by her: "When the party's over," "Therefore I am," and "30th".
The line: "Don't tell my boyfriend, it's not what he's made for," is so damn smart. Men aren't taught to be empathetic. And if they have the empathy, they're often discouraged from showing it. He can be happy... but don't dare be weak. The focus in the song and the film on the expectations and limitations placed on women is analogous to similar limiting constructs for men. Captured perfectly in just one line without taking any power or focus off her POV. Great reaction.
Eilish says she was in a pretty deep depression when writing this. And it helped her come out of it. Saying it saved her. So the character is both Billie and Barbie. Captures how a lot of people feel, and I've seen even a lot of people who thought they knew where they were at or felt their place, be jarred by the song, making them question.
What a great reaction!!! Thanks for taking the time to video, edit and put out content!!! As to your question...ANYTHING by an artist names Ren..."Hi Ren" or a 3 part video " Jenny's Tale, Screech's Tale, Violet's Tale", are all amazing!! also, an early song from Pentatonix and at that time one of their few originals, "Run To You".
So glad I found this channel... Billie's lyrics are a great habbit hole to dive into, Everything I Wanted is a great choice to do next!!!! Or Idontwannabeyouanymore!!! subbed ;)
I loved your lyric analysis! I've watched a few vocal coach, musician, and just regular layman analyses, too, and it's been very educational looking at Billie and Finneas' work from all these perspectives. I think Billie does have a gift not only in her singing, but in how she puts words together. And it was interesting hearing how you, as a writer, couldn't normally include elements like a musical sigh into works like prose or poetry in the same way they could be added to a song. Certain styles of writing fit better in some mediums but not others. Thanks for your insight.
"Don't tell my boyfriend, is not what he es made for" That line for me means that sometimes, anxiety makes you scared to say what you're feeling, being afraid of not being understood, and can cause even more trouble.
so cool that you break down lyrics for songs, Ive seen so many do it musically but this is a really cool twist on reactions ,I really enjoyed it, thank you .I agree this song is so sad, the vibe and the lyrics.
Every lyric is describing what the character Barbie goes through in the movie BARBIE (2023), and yet Billie has also said that every lyric is about her.
She wrote this for the Barbie movie, but made it so personal. The last 7 years have been so overwhelming she's really releasing a bit of herself. You probably didn't see much of the video, but those outfits were all ones that Billie had worn, she's trying to organize her past, but unable to.
If you are in a very sad situation, you can really feel the pain of losing yourself and not finding the way out, every word of this song describes that feeling... No explanation needed
this song makes me cry everytime... some of my favorite lyrics are from Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince from taylor, it's about the political environment of USA during the elections disguised as a highschool love song! I also love how "happiest year" from james young is a sad song but in social media its become a happy nostalgia song lol. but honestly your reactions and comments are awesome
I think the line about taking a drive has two meanings. In the movie, Barbie literally drives out of Barbieland to find out that she's a forgotten doll essentially. While for Billie, in a lot of her other songs or interviews, she talks about how she thinks about her life while she's driving and that seems to be the time when she's by herself to really reflect on it.
I should have added earlier that as far as lyrics go, I think Billie and Finneas are top tier. A lot of times the “meaning” of songs are left kind of ambiguous and Billie says she likes for the listener to be able to interpret their own meaning and derive their own feelings from the song. Also, she’s a creative genius when it comes to visuals and sometimes you can pick up a lot from how she visually presents the song. I’d love to see your interpretation of her song “When The Party’s Over”. I think the visuals in that particular video are as important as the lyrics. Enjoy!
"Something you paid for" is also a meta-reference to how we pay Billie for her music. The Billie we know is not real, none of us know her. We get a persona that consumes more and more of her life and energy, and that persona isn't real. It's something we paid for. More broadly, I think this song has such a beautiful arc. She starts mourning the loss of how she used to be and wondering what she was made for, but even in that state, when she doesn't know how to feel, she senses that there's a future where things could be different. That's such a small glimmer of hope, but it is hopeful and that tiny thread draws us through the story of the song. Where she's realizing how she DOES feel - sad - and that she doesn't want her boyfriend to know. Not because she knows what he's made for, but because she feels that fixing her problems ISN'T what he's made for. And from that place of caring and wanting to protect what he's made for, and recognizing that she's sad, she realizes that one day she can be happy and that happiness is what she's made for. So by the end of the song, she's answered the question. I was made to find my happiness. For other songs with wonderful lyrics you could react to, I'd be fascinated to hear you react to Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche" from his album "Songs of Love and Hate".
This is just so pretty and peaceful and so thought provoking I love the visual to when it started raining how she looked up so confused like everything is going wrong why is it now raining on top of everything else it just gets me the first line that gets me is the I'm just something you paid for
Yes...another perhaps hidden obscure message is akin to a child sex survivor... Trying to feel, feelings of repeated sadness, confusion...what's real what's not, loss of ideal .. Loss of identity, loss of heart loss of soul, loss of meaning and love in life, shock, disbelief, hurt anger, hopelessness, learned helplessness...ie nothing I do will stop These men from taking my childhod, my adolescence, my whole life essentialy. I was a child victim of rape...now a survivor...isolation no one to talk to, to listen & validate your reality, this is crazymaking & gaslighting. Wow numbness, .ie Am I just made for sex? depersonalization
I took “I’m sad again, don’t tell my boyfriend. It’s not what he’s made for” as her saying, her boyfriend is not responsible for her happiness or making her happy. This conflict she’s having is within herself
I'd highly recommend checking out her song My Future, its one of my favorites of hers! A lot of slant rhymes, fun meter shifts, and overall a very pretty song with a subtly powerful message. Also, the music video is beautiful :3
They wrote the song for the movie..but Billie said she realized like a day or two after they wrote it.. that the whole thing is about her. She said every word is exactly how she feels about herself.
Driving my car I was an Ideal... I have not done any safety back-up fact checking on this subject matter or seen more from the movie than what previews could be found on TH-cam but going through about 30(ish) reactions to this video I remember that I read somewhere in one single comment that IDEAL was the name of one of the first companies that launched and produced Barbie Doll(-like) products. Supposedly Barbie (the doll) drives a car - amongst going through other fantastically luxurious experiences in the beginning of the movie. If I got it right this very clip is a/the part of the movie where the plastic Barbie doll character then morphes from being just a sensless toy doll to becoming a real life person with feelings and a persona of her own. I used to float (by kids carrying around and holding her up) now I just fall down (having to trust her own self)... Enjoyment ...a very clever way to rhyme (and rhythmize) with the word boyfriend Something I'm not, but something I can be Something I wait for Something I'm made for Leaning forwards to her Barbie case (in the video) - her successful , but somewhat stormy past? - pondering her future... I haven't seen this theory being launched anywhere else yet but could it be a reference to her biological clock starting ticking...? If you've had the luck of achieving all the attainable (creative and worldly) success at such a young age what is then left but looking forward to finding the right life partner, become a caring and loving mother and to live in a healthy and organized family as an adult? But who is that perfect partner if Ken obviously isn't made to be it/him/that...? What/wich are the sustainable alternatives that steers You clear from loosing faith in the future while still trying to keep a healthy steady or slightly upgoing lifecurve without having to go through too many more earthquakes and rainstorms...?
My suggestion is from way back in 1987, Jane Siberry "The White Tent The Raft". ( it's something that almost everybody owns and keeps in their house or apartment, and Jane gives it away several times in the song if you are paying attention. The song also gets into the passion and torment of being in a relationship. )
I enjoyed your reaction! Other songs from Billie that have great lyrics you could react : Everything I wanted, When the party is over, Getting older, Happier than Ever, Your Power, I love you, TV and Idontwannabeyouanymore
She’s driving home late at night having a hard conversation with herself about who she really is. She’s idolized by so many including herself, putting in performances after performances feeling alive but after it’s all done and over is she genuinely happy or is she just something that people pay for. Hence the Barbie connection, Barbie makes you feel happy and excited too have but eventually she just becomes something you paid for.
I liked your analysis of the song. The narrative style is definitely different than last week’s Taylor’s songs. I have to say it was a rough song, I know that it ends on a note of hope, but to me it felt sad all through the end. Great video though, maybe balance it out with an upbeat one for the next one.
It does feel sad all the way to the end, and I think that speaks to how she's not quite to the place where she's happy yet. Definitely a heavy song! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I will for sure keep the tone of these in mind as I go forward
in a vanity interview with her brother she told that she was writing for the character but after few days she started to fel connections to the lyrics as it was autobiographic
Hey there, there is an album by Pink Floyd called "Animals" that is kind of one long epic poem set to music. Of course, the 1970's era psychedelic rock music tends to be "too long" to new ears, but, reading the words is kind of powerful, like the artist(s) are trying to 'sneak in' philosophy to an audience used to just 'getting high' and tripping out, or chilling... Worth a glance, and then you could choose to react on camera. -Jon. (BTW, Floyd has stacks of albums with powerful lyrics. A "gold mine" for reaction channel views.)
There are very specific references to the movie in the lyrics. Float/fall down, take a drive, just an ideal, maybe I’m not real, something you paid for. Some are actual references to visuals.
I'd love to see you react to mitski's lyrics! maybe one of her newest releases "bug like an angel". her lyrical style is very poetry-like and can be difficult to understand at times so i feel like it would be interesting to see your thoughts
(Someday Maybe Tomorrow) Please forgive me For the hurt I will give you In fear of having To hold you forever When you leave me Alone with the sorrow Maybe someday Maybe tomorrow
(Buttons) How is it fingers know Which keys push Buttons descending Unaware of me And scars beneath The pulse of my disguise Sheets what I wear for Above what I care for
ive watched a couple of these great reaction videos to her music video. I have not had anyone pick up on the video part with the anxiety she is going through, you can just feel it in her actions, during the wind, the rain, like those dreams you have when things keep going slightly wrong, you have a goal but things get a bit worse and anxious, it builds up that acting with the lyrics just a feeling or anxiety? Did anyone else get that, not just sadness and some hope.
Totally! I only looked at the lyrics while I filmed this, but the sense of overwhelm in the video is almost hard to watch. I want to go and block the fan, haha
It’s WILD to me how you were essentially able to glean the whole plot of the movie just from this song! 🤯 Also, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, you *definitely* should. It’s phenomenal.
I think the line "Turns out I'm not real, just something you paid for" definitely fits the Barbie narrative, but I also wonder if it could be autobiographical in the way that Billie is famous and therefor people pay lots of money to go to her concerts and buy her merch, etc.
I believe the "don't tell my boyfriend (Ken)" line refers to that rhythmically-structured sentence you mentioned before: "When did it end? All the enjoyment." It could reflect the transition from Barbie childhood-play to adolescence (which Ken did not experience???). Just a thought. Ask the source for clarification?
The “something you paid for” line to me has always struck a chord for me. Obviously there’s a more literal meaning for the film but also I’ve always taken it as to do with male entitlement and the dehumanisation of women when seen in the context of the feminist undertones of the film. Kinda like a “of course I’m not real to you, you’ve never seen me as a real person - just a commodity to buy and use”.
Like I think one of the key themes in the film is the realisation every woman has at one point that some people (often men) will never see you as an autonomous person with thoughts, feelings and ambitions. This stanza is that moment of realisation in my opinion and the whole song is this journey through womanhood and learning to navigate in a world that isn’t necessarily made for you.
"Dont tell my boyfriend, it's not what he's made for". That line to me, feels like a commentary on expectations between men and women... that men aren't made to listen to, or care about our feelings. Especially combined with the Barbie storyline and the outdated beliefs of the time period that Barbie originated, and the clothing Billie is wearing in the video.
Kenn was not designed to understand complex emotions, he is more like arm candy for Barbie. And both of them are ideally supposed to be perfect, so Kenn was made for a perfect Barbie not a depressed one; that’s not what he was made for
I imagine the song reflects the movie theme, the Barbie character, and her life after she came out. She's going to let herself be happy. Though, I think she may have known she was a lesbian for a while. But, she's young…so maybe not that long.
New subscriber here! You seem like someone who loves literature and I was wondering if you could analyze Lorde’s song “The Louvre” from her critically acclaimed album Melodrama. By the way, you’re very pretty. 😍
I have a song suggestion, you will never hear this one live: Forget me not - Marianas Trench, from their album Astoria. Josh, the lead, wrote it about his late mother.
I think the line "... just something you paid for" lends itself to Barbie, but also to her music. She's not real to her fans. She's just something they paid for. They paid for an idealized version of a person.
i always saw constantly fixing the clothing rack kinda like how people are constantly maintaining their lives and sometimes it feels like you cant keep up. so it's easier to just pack it up and try again later.
I really enjoyed your logical analysis and reaction to this song. Could you react to Aurora's "It Happened Quiet", live at The Current? It is also a sad song and said to be about domestic violence and maybe more. th-cam.com/video/9U-N6LqzdIM/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared Billie Eilish credits Aurora for getting her started in show biz after listening to Aurora's "Runaway" video. Thank you.
interesting analysis, but much of the genius of the lyrics is lost not having seen the movie....e.g., "I used to float, but now I just fall down," the multiple meaning in the word "how" in "I don't know how to feel," etc.
![This Was DEEP | Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture “Barbie”] (Reaction)](/img/n.gif)
I can't believe I thought Billie Eilish was English 😅...Billie English?? Anyway. Share your thoughts on the song below ⬇
Okay so the part where she says just something you paid for that also could represent like her as a musician and her fan base and everything like basically her being like you know I'm not even real I'm just something that you guys pay to listen to if I was to stop all of this when you guys even check up on me would you guys even make sure that I'm still doing okay or would you find another artist to start listening to so it definitely sounds like it's a song that can be interpreted through not just the Barbie movie but in her actual real life to
she is irish decent she live in L.A in her parents house still
This song was made for the movie. Greta Gerwig, Barbie's writer and director, approached Billie and Finneas saying she was missing Barbie's heart song. They wrote the song and lyrics in about 2 hours, the day after they watched part of the movie. Later Billie realized the song described what she was feeling at that point in her life. Billie was born and raised in Highland Park, part of Los Angeles County. Her mom was Melissa MCCarthy's voice coach.
Billie wrote this to relate to Barbie but also said every single lyric is how she feels so she wrote it about both herself and barbie!
UGH heartbreaking 😩😭
@@prairiedoug858 It can also be said for how one feels as an artist and entertainer, as some people only regard them as that and forget that they are still people.
@@prairiedoug858 uh did you even read my comment? lol
Billy and Finneas kept pushing the Director for what she wanted. She finally just told them to write Barbie's song. Billy has said she could relate to it, but it was written solely from Barbie's perspective. I think that is very clear.
Billie said in an interview that during the writing process she was writing from Barbie’s perspective (she and Finneas were able to see parts of the unedited movie to get the vibe) but after it was done and she listened to it she realized it is also exactly how she feels. She even emphasized it several times and looked directly into the camera and said “It . Is . EXACTLY . How . I . Feel.”
Haha yes I saw the interview where she said that after making this - heartbreaking!!
Billie has said she struggled with fame, she thought music was what she was made for, but once fully inside the industry she had imposter syndrome so she felt she wasnt made for it and it sucked the joy out of music for her. By then she was so popular she felt she had to something she wasnt, be the thing or person people were paying for. She was sad for quite a while but she learing how to be at peace with the music industry and not get lost in it and stay true to herself and be happy again making music and that is what shes made for.
The way Billie and Finneas write is inspiring to me. They way they transport emotions and struggles is amazing
It is a gift!
She grew up rich... her idea of "struggles" is not being able to afford horse riding lessons.
@@plynwowwhy u so bothered
As someone who struggles with depression and is also prone to pretending everything's alright, this song hits me like a ten ton truck every. Single. Time. Can't listen to it without crying.
I'm aware of the "purpose" of the song as a soundtrack contribution and the Barbie references in it are quite clear but I'm 100% sure the autobigraphical elements are very, VERY strong.
P.S. I just realised that it also hits home so dramatically because it rather accurately describes the life of my recently deceased mum. 😢
Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear that this is something you've struggled with too and that you lost your mom as well. Honestly, songs like this that resonate so deeply can be a double-edged sword, but I hope you are able to find relief soon! Depression is awful.
It calms my anxiety dude god bless your mum my guy she watching over you 24/7
These little outfits are all iconic outfits she wore in important moments of her life like
at the Grammies when she got all 4 major Grammies at once for her album (first and ever woman to do so)
or when she won her Oscar...
Yesss I loved that detail. Adds so much to the video!
Very interesting analysis, thank you for sharing. Another thing stood out to me in the lyrics of this song too; the lines have parallel meanings representing either the Barbie translation on one hand or Billie's struggle with depression on the other hand. "I was an ideal / Felt so alive, turns out I'm not real / Just something you paid for" on the one hand represents Barbie as a concept representing a literal ideal of feminine presentation for little girls ('I was an ideal'), Barbie finding out that her very thoughts and emotions in Barbieland are not her own, but projected onto her by her owner in the real world ('turn's out I'm not real'), and Barbie being a commercial item sold in stores ('something you paid for'). At the exact same time, a reading of Billie as the main character is also happening, presenting an entirely different interpretation of the lyrics - Billie is 'an ideal' as a performer whose immense talent has landed her worldwide fame and success at such a young age, an example of the dream of perfect career trajectory for budding young singers. She felt so alive being swept up in the giddy experience of watching her creations come to fruition from her imagination onto the screen and into recordings. But at the same time, she realises she's 'not real, just something you paid for'; with fame comes the phenomenon of parasocial interactivity, where suddenly everyone 'knows you' but doesn't actually *know* you - your very identity becomes a caricature of yourself in your fans' minds, a shared illusion by the masses, your literal voice - one of the literal symbols of identity - having become a commodity for sale. *Something you paid for.* Somewhere along the line, the reality blurred from an individual person creating things to share with the world, to a magazine name whose every piece of work the world feels entitled to as purveyors. The duality of the lyrics' applicability to both Barbie and Billie likens one to the other, showing how Billie's increasingly hollow feeling of fakeness is akin to the purpose of a Barbie doll - something that only exists for the entertainment of the consumer audience.
Very well put!
I think one way to understand this song is that there is a universal desire in all of us to please other people, to be what other people expect us to be. For example, one of the verses (the most striking for me) - "I'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend" - relates to a common desire to present ourselves to others as the embodiment of their own ideals - to present ourselves as if we could be the perfect friend or perfect companion for that person in that moment. The composers ability to strike this common chord is one of the things that makes the song hit so hard. It's a great approach in that it also wonderfully magnifies one of the themes from the Barbie movie - false ideals and expectations versus complicated feelings and messy realities. This song is masterful both in composition and performance!
how are you such a small content creator?! your editing skills and filming are like professional level like i actually thought you had at LEAST 100k before i went to go check for myself! you broke these lyrics down so well. you earned yourself a subscriber ❤
Oh my gosh! Well I really appreciate that, thank you 🥺. I’m glad you’re coming along for the ride! 🥰 I’m just a little channel with a big dream 😆🤗
Yupp, same. :-)
I think one of the greatest lines is "I don't know how to feel", because idiomatically, when we say that we mean "I don't know *which* emotion to feel". But the next line "but I wanna try" tells us she means it literally; she doesn't know how to have emotion at all. It's a nice, gentle flip on our expectations.
Love this!
I was a singer/songwriter in the 70's and most often wrote from my heart about things I was going through. Many people simply can relate and it makes for a great song. This one deserves every award there is. Cuts right to the heart.
I feel like the line "just something you paid for" could be related to fame - we pay for Billie's music and assume she's fine despite the dark tone of the lyrics, but thats just an ideal we are buying into
As for the "taking a drive" line - my interpretation was her driving through town past people who think they know her and still believe the ideal, and her wondering "why is everyone else ok but me?" Thats just how I interpreted it
her singing technique here is amazing. its like she was crying and you cant help but cry along with her
Such a beautiful song, I hope you make more videos on her songs
Great reaction. 👍 Loved the poetry angle. Billie's songs are like a direct I.V. drip into your soul. You're busy distracted by her sighs and rhymes before long the song's over and your soul's permanently affected. I found the same sneak attack in these other songs by her: "When the party's over," "Therefore I am," and "30th".
“A direct IV drip into your soul” - love that! I’ll have to check those songs out. And thanks for watchin 🥰
The line: "Don't tell my boyfriend, it's not what he's made for," is so damn smart. Men aren't taught to be empathetic. And if they have the empathy, they're often discouraged from showing it. He can be happy... but don't dare be weak. The focus in the song and the film on the expectations and limitations placed on women is analogous to similar limiting constructs for men. Captured perfectly in just one line without taking any power or focus off her POV. Great reaction.
Eilish says she was in a pretty deep depression when writing this. And it helped her come out of it. Saying it saved her. So the character is both Billie and Barbie. Captures how a lot of people feel, and I've seen even a lot of people who thought they knew where they were at or felt their place, be jarred by the song, making them question.
Aw, the healing power of music and creating is truly incredible! Thanks for sharing this
What a great reaction!!! Thanks for taking the time to video, edit and put out content!!! As to your question...ANYTHING by an artist names Ren..."Hi Ren" or a 3 part video " Jenny's Tale, Screech's Tale, Violet's Tale", are all amazing!! also, an early song from Pentatonix and at that time one of their few originals, "Run To You".
So glad I found this channel... Billie's lyrics are a great habbit hole to dive into, Everything I Wanted is a great choice to do next!!!! Or Idontwannabeyouanymore!!! subbed ;)
Yay! So glad you're here ^.^ Thanks for the recs!!
Billie,(and her brother) only had so much time,to come up with a song for "Barbie".And she captured it,beautifully.💜
I loved your lyric analysis! I've watched a few vocal coach, musician, and just regular layman analyses, too, and it's been very educational looking at Billie and Finneas' work from all these perspectives. I think Billie does have a gift not only in her singing, but in how she puts words together. And it was interesting hearing how you, as a writer, couldn't normally include elements like a musical sigh into works like prose or poetry in the same way they could be added to a song. Certain styles of writing fit better in some mediums but not others. Thanks for your insight.
Glad you enjoyed it! ^.^
"Don't tell my boyfriend, is not what he es made for"
That line for me means that sometimes, anxiety makes you scared to say what you're feeling, being afraid of not being understood, and can cause even more trouble.
Exactly! Omg you explain so clearly something that i couldn’t explain ❤
I took this line to be more about it not being her boyfiend's job to make her not be sad.
Billie out here really showing what depression feels like
For realz
so cool that you break down lyrics for songs, Ive seen so many do it musically but this is a really cool twist on reactions ,I really enjoyed it, thank you .I agree this song is so sad, the vibe and the lyrics.
Thank you tons! I have a lot of fun doing it :). And yes, haha SO sad oh man
Every lyric is describing what the character Barbie goes through in the movie BARBIE (2023), and yet Billie has also said that every lyric is about her.
She wrote this for the Barbie movie, but made it so personal. The last 7 years have been so overwhelming she's really releasing a bit of herself. You probably didn't see much of the video, but those outfits were all ones that Billie had worn, she's trying to organize her past, but unable to.
If you are in a very sad situation, you can really feel the pain of losing yourself and not finding the way out, every word of this song describes that feeling... No explanation needed
this song makes me cry everytime... some of my favorite lyrics are from Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince from taylor, it's about the political environment of USA during the elections disguised as a highschool love song! I also love how "happiest year" from james young is a sad song but in social media its become a happy nostalgia song lol. but honestly your reactions and comments are awesome
I think the line about taking a drive has two meanings. In the movie, Barbie literally drives out of Barbieland to find out that she's a forgotten doll essentially. While for Billie, in a lot of her other songs or interviews, she talks about how she thinks about her life while she's driving and that seems to be the time when she's by herself to really reflect on it.
Love this!
It was a nice reaction to the song, thank you for it. 😉
Thanks a bunch! ☺️
I should have added earlier that as far as lyrics go, I think Billie and Finneas are top tier. A lot of times the “meaning” of songs are left kind of ambiguous and Billie says she likes for the listener to be able to interpret their own meaning and derive their own feelings from the song. Also, she’s a creative genius when it comes to visuals and sometimes you can pick up a lot from how she visually presents the song. I’d love to see your interpretation of her song “When The Party’s Over”. I think the visuals in that particular video are as important as the lyrics. Enjoy!
I’m excited to look at more from her! Thanks for the rec. I did love what she did with the music video for this one as well 😍
"Something you paid for" is also a meta-reference to how we pay Billie for her music. The Billie we know is not real, none of us know her. We get a persona that consumes more and more of her life and energy, and that persona isn't real. It's something we paid for.
More broadly, I think this song has such a beautiful arc. She starts mourning the loss of how she used to be and wondering what she was made for, but even in that state, when she doesn't know how to feel, she senses that there's a future where things could be different. That's such a small glimmer of hope, but it is hopeful and that tiny thread draws us through the story of the song. Where she's realizing how she DOES feel - sad - and that she doesn't want her boyfriend to know. Not because she knows what he's made for, but because she feels that fixing her problems ISN'T what he's made for. And from that place of caring and wanting to protect what he's made for, and recognizing that she's sad, she realizes that one day she can be happy and that happiness is what she's made for. So by the end of the song, she's answered the question. I was made to find my happiness.
For other songs with wonderful lyrics you could react to, I'd be fascinated to hear you react to Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche" from his album "Songs of Love and Hate".
This is just so pretty and peaceful and so thought provoking I love the visual to when it started raining how she looked up so confused like everything is going wrong why is it now raining on top of everything else it just gets me the first line that gets me is the I'm just something you paid for
Yes...another perhaps hidden obscure message is akin to a child sex survivor...
Trying to feel, feelings of repeated sadness, confusion...what's real what's not, loss of ideal .. Loss of identity, loss of heart loss of soul, loss of meaning and love in life, shock, disbelief, hurt
anger, hopelessness, learned helplessness...ie nothing I do will stop
These men from taking my childhod, my adolescence, my whole life essentialy.
I was a child victim of rape...now a survivor...isolation no one to talk to,
to listen & validate your reality, this is crazymaking & gaslighting. Wow
numbness, .ie Am I just made for sex? depersonalization
I think you'd love moon song by phoebe bridgers or her lyrics in general. she has such great metaphors
😍😍😍Thank you! Adding it to my list ☺
I took “I’m sad again, don’t tell my boyfriend. It’s not what he’s made for” as her saying, her boyfriend is not responsible for her happiness or making her happy.
This conflict she’s having is within herself
You are doing a great analysis.. You are using close reading as a methodology to analyze the lyrics
Well thanks!
nice breakdown of this song!
Thank you tons! 🫶🫶
I'd highly recommend checking out her song My Future, its one of my favorites of hers! A lot of slant rhymes, fun meter shifts, and overall a very pretty song with a subtly powerful message. Also, the music video is beautiful :3
Love the reaction and breakdown
Thank you! I'm so glad!
They wrote the song for the movie..but Billie said she realized like a day or two after they wrote it.. that the whole thing is about her. She said every word is exactly how she feels about herself.
Driving my car I was an Ideal...
I have not done any safety back-up fact checking on this subject matter or seen more from the movie than what previews could be found on TH-cam but going through about 30(ish) reactions to this video I remember that I read somewhere in one single comment that IDEAL was the name of one of the first companies that launched and produced Barbie Doll(-like) products.
Supposedly Barbie (the doll) drives a car - amongst going through other fantastically luxurious experiences in the beginning of the movie. If I got it right this very clip is a/the part of the movie where the plastic Barbie doll character then morphes from being just a sensless toy doll to becoming a real life person with feelings and a persona of her own.
I used to float (by kids carrying around and holding her up) now I just fall down (having to trust her own self)...
Enjoyment ...a very clever way to rhyme (and rhythmize) with the word boyfriend
Something I'm not, but something I can be
Something I wait for
Something I'm made for
Leaning forwards to her Barbie case (in the video) - her successful , but somewhat stormy past? - pondering her future...
I haven't seen this theory being launched anywhere else yet but could it be a reference to her biological clock starting ticking...?
If you've had the luck of achieving all the attainable (creative and worldly) success at such a young age what is then left but looking forward to finding the right life partner, become a caring and loving mother and to live in a healthy and organized family as an adult? But who is that perfect partner if Ken obviously isn't made to be it/him/that...? What/wich are the sustainable alternatives that steers You clear from loosing faith in the future while still trying to keep a healthy steady or slightly upgoing lifecurve without having to go through too many more earthquakes and rainstorms...?
My suggestion is from way back in 1987, Jane Siberry "The White Tent The Raft". ( it's something that almost everybody owns and keeps in their house or apartment, and Jane gives it away several times in the song if you are paying attention. The song also gets into the passion and torment of being in a relationship. )
I appreciate your commentary. You should watch the movie for context. I personally am not a fan of the movie, but I love this song.
Thanks!! And yes I’ve seen it now :)
Achingly beautiful.
Yes, perfectly put ❤️🥲
I enjoyed your reaction! Other songs from Billie that have great lyrics you could react : Everything I wanted, When the party is over, Getting older, Happier than Ever, Your Power, I love you, TV and Idontwannabeyouanymore
Thanks doll!! Appreciate the recs - I want to do more Billie ^.^
the real life Rory Gilmour :)
She’s driving home late at night having a hard conversation with herself about who she really is. She’s idolized by so many including herself, putting in performances after performances feeling alive but after it’s all done and over is she genuinely happy or is she just something that people pay for. Hence the Barbie connection, Barbie makes you feel happy and excited too have but eventually she just becomes something you paid for.
I liked your analysis of the song. The narrative style is definitely different than last week’s Taylor’s songs. I have to say it was a rough song, I know that it ends on a note of hope, but to me it felt sad all through the end. Great video though, maybe balance it out with an upbeat one for the next one.
It does feel sad all the way to the end, and I think that speaks to how she's not quite to the place where she's happy yet. Definitely a heavy song! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I will for sure keep the tone of these in mind as I go forward
in a vanity interview with her brother she told that she was writing for the character but after few days she started to fel connections to the lyrics as it was autobiographic
Hey there, there is an album by Pink Floyd called "Animals" that is kind of one long epic poem set to music. Of course, the 1970's era psychedelic rock music tends to be "too long" to new ears, but, reading the words is kind of powerful, like the artist(s) are trying to 'sneak in' philosophy to an audience used to just 'getting high' and tripping out, or chilling... Worth a glance, and then you could choose to react on camera. -Jon. (BTW, Floyd has stacks of albums with powerful lyrics. A "gold mine" for reaction channel views.)
Thanks for this!! Definitely want to branch out into some older artists!
I would love to see you break down Dolly Parton’s song The Grass is Blue!
Ohhh Dolly! That would be so fun! ^.^
I Love all of Billie’s writing but I think a song that would be fun to dissect as a writer is “My strange addiction”
Loved the word Ideal as it reminded me of Fishers Price Ideal toys.D. Hollywood Songwriter
There are very specific references to the movie in the lyrics. Float/fall down, take a drive, just an ideal, maybe I’m not real, something you paid for. Some are actual references to visuals.
Yesss so true! Loved that once I saw the movie
Something you paid for- Billie sells albums, concerts tickets, merch etc. I think that’s the Barbie parallel.
You should check out more Billie Eilish, Halsey and Dermot Kennedy they all have great poetic lyrics!
Great video. I think Hozier's Cherry Wine would be a good song to react to
Thank you tons! And oooh awesome, I'm adding it to my list ☺
I'd love to see you react to mitski's lyrics! maybe one of her newest releases "bug like an angel". her lyrical style is very poetry-like and can be difficult to understand at times so i feel like it would be interesting to see your thoughts
Ooh thank you for these suggestions!!
(Someday Maybe Tomorrow)
Please forgive me
For the hurt
I will give you
In fear of having
To hold you forever
When you leave me
Alone with the sorrow
Maybe someday
Maybe tomorrow
(Buttons)
How is it fingers know
Which keys push
Buttons descending
Unaware of me
And scars beneath
The pulse of my disguise
Sheets what I wear for
Above what I care for
The man's workin' on poems! We love to see it ^.^
If you haven't checked out the lyrics to her previous song, the 30th, it's one of a kind.
ive watched a couple of these great reaction videos to her music video. I have not had anyone pick up on the video part with the anxiety she is going through, you can just feel it in her actions, during the wind, the rain, like those dreams you have when things keep going slightly wrong, you have a goal but things get a bit worse and anxious, it builds up that acting with the lyrics just a feeling or anxiety? Did anyone else get that, not just sadness and some hope.
Totally! I only looked at the lyrics while I filmed this, but the sense of overwhelm in the video is almost hard to watch. I want to go and block the fan, haha
It’s WILD to me how you were essentially able to glean the whole plot of the movie just from this song! 🤯
Also, if you haven’t seen the movie yet, you *definitely* should. It’s phenomenal.
I have seen it!! ^.^ Would love to discuss the writing on it one day if I can get access to it lol
@@meganmaclaine That would be amazing! 😍
Love your feedback! What can I read that you have published? Any books or short stories?
Aw thank you! And thank you for asking. My fiction pubs are all in short story/poem anthologies atm ^.^
I always loved Bon Jovi's "Dry County" lyrics. Give it a go, if you will. I'm sure you'll love it too.
I think the line "Turns out I'm not real, just something you paid for" definitely fits the Barbie narrative, but I also wonder if it could be autobiographical in the way that Billie is famous and therefor people pay lots of money to go to her concerts and buy her merch, etc.
i love all of ur reactions! u get all the little details and it just itches my brain 😭❤️ PS: did u watch the barbie movie yet?
Thank you! And yes I’ve seen it 😍
loved this one!! I would love a reaction to louis tomlinsons "defenceless". Has has some of my favourite lyrics :))
Oooh thanks Viktoria! Putting it on my list 😍😍
Coming in super late... another song with interesting story/writing (and will also make you cry), 'Hi Ren'
I believe the "don't tell my boyfriend (Ken)" line refers to that rhythmically-structured sentence you mentioned before: "When did it end? All the enjoyment."
It could reflect the transition from Barbie childhood-play to adolescence (which Ken did not experience???).
Just a thought. Ask the source for clarification?
i think that taylor swifts song "no body, no crime" has pretty clever writing
The “something you paid for” line to me has always struck a chord for me. Obviously there’s a more literal meaning for the film but also I’ve always taken it as to do with male entitlement and the dehumanisation of women when seen in the context of the feminist undertones of the film. Kinda like a “of course I’m not real to you, you’ve never seen me as a real person - just a commodity to buy and use”.
Like I think one of the key themes in the film is the realisation every woman has at one point that some people (often men) will never see you as an autonomous person with thoughts, feelings and ambitions. This stanza is that moment of realisation in my opinion and the whole song is this journey through womanhood and learning to navigate in a world that isn’t necessarily made for you.
"Dont tell my boyfriend, it's not what he's made for". That line to me, feels like a commentary on expectations between men and women... that men aren't made to listen to, or care about our feelings. Especially combined with the Barbie storyline and the outdated beliefs of the time period that Barbie originated, and the clothing Billie is wearing in the video.
Nice analysis!!!!
Thanks!
"Turns out I'm not real, just something you paid for" i took to mean her fans, consumers, labels/music industry etc buying her image/ideal.
Paid for can also reference fame to a degree and pop star as her image is what the industry and fans “pay for”.
Kenn was not designed to understand complex emotions, he is more like arm candy for Barbie. And both of them are ideally supposed to be perfect, so Kenn was made for a perfect Barbie not a depressed one; that’s not what he was made for
I’m English and thought the same knowing full well that Finneas was American 😊
Thank you, this makes me feel much better 😆
I imagine the song reflects the movie theme, the Barbie character, and her life after she came out. She's going to let herself be happy. Though, I think she may have known she was a lesbian for a while. But, she's young…so maybe not that long.
New subscriber here! You seem like someone who loves literature and I was wondering if you could analyze Lorde’s song “The Louvre” from her critically acclaimed album Melodrama. By the way, you’re very pretty. 😍
Welcome!! ^.^ I do love lit haha - thank you for the recommendation and the compliment!
I have a song suggestion, you will never hear this one live: Forget me not - Marianas Trench, from their album Astoria. Josh, the lead, wrote it about his late mother.
I want more girl
Check out the recent interview with vanity fair. It gives another insight to the writing of this song.
I think the line "... just something you paid for" lends itself to Barbie, but also to her music. She's not real to her fans. She's just something they paid for. They paid for an idealized version of a person.
not what hes made for : he wouldn't understand, or shes trying to protect him.
Words are hard. Writing is deep. I'm brain injured from brain damages 😢
i always saw constantly fixing the clothing rack kinda like how people are constantly maintaining their lives and sometimes it feels like you cant keep up. so it's easier to just pack it up and try again later.
I agree! Trying to maintain control but it's becoming too much
Please react to I don't want to be me anymore by Billie eilish
Please react to Outside by Mariah Carey, its gonna be the best lyric that u ever read. Love the vídeo thxx
I loved your reaction, would love to see you react to Eminem lyrics.
Thank you! And ooooh yes that would be super interesting!
I really enjoyed your logical analysis and reaction to this song. Could you react to Aurora's "It Happened Quiet", live at The Current? It is also a sad song and said to be about domestic violence and maybe more.
th-cam.com/video/9U-N6LqzdIM/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Billie Eilish credits Aurora for getting her started in show biz after listening to Aurora's "Runaway" video. Thank you.
Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney
Wow, what great analysis for not knowing the background of the song or watched Barbie.
Well thank you!
"It's not what he's made for" Means he's not made to fix her.
You should check out Ren -Hi Ren
interesting analysis, but much of the genius of the lyrics is lost not having seen the movie....e.g., "I used to float, but now I just fall down," the multiple meaning in the word "how" in "I don't know how to feel," etc.
True!
Ideal
lwas the brand who made the brand Barbie
Desperado
i can’t tell if you’re saying “an affera “ or “a naffera” and it’s making googling difficult lmao
UPDATE: IT WAS LITERALLY NEITHER 💀 😂 she’s saying “anaphora” in case anyone else was curious
Haha yes anaphora!! It should be in the description haha I’m sorry 😆
Brie Larson, is that you??