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"Sober" is the second promotional single from Lorde's sophomore album Melodrama. [1] She started writing it in 2016 reportedly. [1]
Background
She revealed this song convinced her she was on to something good, and decided she wanted to make the whole album a concept album about a "one house party." [1] This is apparently Lorde's favorite track from the album. [2]
8 days before the release of Melodrama, Lorde released "Sober" on Spotify in New Zealand. She also revealed she would release it as a promotional single in honor of the Melodrama World Tour being announced.[3]
Writing and composition
On her Twitter, Lorde spoke about the song, saying:
"i wanna tell you about sober, so the first inklings of sober came to me in the back of an uber, and then properly at jack and lena's kitchen table. i BOLTED to the studio. i'll never forget writing the first demo it was like a trance i guided jack to the chords almost wordlessly with my hands on his shoulders. it was this really intense booming slow synth thing with a drum outro for ages then malay came thru on my birthday & cracked the code on it. came up with the "midnight, lose my mind" pitched sample on a sinfully hot day in palm springs and also started sober II that day as well. but this song was so important to me because it felt like pop music i hadn't heard before, this sprawling brass & strange vocal syncopation & i think we expressed the emotions so purely- it's leaning & drawling, juvenile & triumphant - impressing someone then embarrassing urself & that late-saturday-night declaration "WE PRETEND THAT WE JUST DON'T CARE / BUT WE CARE" tasted as fresh & new in my mouth as ice water."
Lyrics
[Intro]
Limelight
Lose my mind
Limelight
Lose my mind
Limelight
Lose my mind
Limelight
[Verse 1]
Oh god I'm clean out of air in my lungs
It's all gone
Played it so nonchalant
It's time we dance with the truth
Move along with the truth
Ooh (hey)
We're sleeping through all the days
I'm acting like I don't see every
Ribbon you used to tie yourself to me
[Pre-Chorus]
But my hips have missed your hips
So let's get to know the kicks
Will you sway with me?
Go astray with me?
Ah ha
[Chorus]
We're King and Queen of the weekends
Ain't a pill that could touch our rush
But what will we do when we're sober?
When you dream with the fever
Bet you wish you could touch our rush
But what will we do when we're sober?
These are the games of the weekends
We pretend that we just don't care
But we care
(But what will we do when we're sober?)
When you dream with the fever
Bet you wish you could touch our rush
But what will we do when we're sober?
[Verse 2]
Oh God I'm closing my teeth
Around this liquor, wet
Limelight, lose my mind
I know you're feeling it too
Can we keep up with the ruse?
Ah ah (hey)
Their bodies all through my house
I know this story by heart
Jack and Jill got fucked up and possessive
When we get dark
[Pre-Chorus]
But my hips have missed your hips
So let's get to know the kicks
Will you sway with me?
Go astray with me?
Ah ha
[Chorus]
We're King and Queen of the weekends
Ain't a pill that could touch our rush
But what will we do when we're sober?
When you dream with the fever
Bet you wish you could touch our rush
But what will we do when we're sober?
These are the games of the weekends
We pretend that we just don't care
But we care
(But what will we do when we're sober?)
When you dream with the fever
Bet you wish you could touch our rush
But what will we do when we're sober?
[Bridge]
Damn it, we’re fading
Till daylight, we’re jaded
We know that it’s over
In the morning, you'll be dancing with all the heartache
And the treason, the fantasies of leaving
But we know that, when it's over
In the morning, you'll be dancing with us
Oh, dancing with us, oh, dancing with us
(Can you feel it, can you, can you)
Dancing with us, us
But what will we do when we're sober?
[Outro]
When you get to my high
When you get to my-
Live Performances
Lorde performed "Sober" live on April 14th, 2017 at a pre-Coachella gig. [4]
References
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