JP Saxe – I WANNA MOVE TO BROOKLYN. Lyrics & Meaning
JP Saxe – I WANNA MOVE TO BROOKLYN : The Dream of Escape vs. The Messy Reality
Ever have one of those days, or maybe one of those months, where you just want to pack a single bag, leave everything behind, and start over somewhere new? You picture a completely different version of yourself living a cooler, more artistic, and definitely less complicated life. You’d be the main character in a story where all the messy parts of your current reality just… disappear. That feeling of wanting to hit the reset button is a powerful one, and it’s the perfect entry point into a song that seems to be about one thing on the surface but is actually a gut-wrenching confession about something else entirely. JP Saxe’s “I WANNA MOVE TO BROOKLYN” might just be the most brutally honest song you’ll hear about the fantasies we build to avoid our own truths.
Unpacking the Heartbreak in JP Saxe’s “I WANNA MOVE TO BROOKLYN”
Right off the bat, JP Saxe paints a picture that’s so vivid you can almost smell the coffee and old books. He doesn’t just want to move; he has a whole new identity planned out. It’s a romantic, bohemian dream that feels straight out of a movie.
The Brooklyn Fantasy: A Perfect Escape
He lays out this perfect vision of a life where he’s a prolific writer, a regular at a cozy bookstore cafe, and channeling the legendary artist Patti Smith. It’s an idealized persona, a curated existence free from the problems he’s currently facing. Listen to how he builds this world:
I want to move to Brooklyn
And write a thousand words a day
I wanna live around the corner
From a bookstore cafe
Romanticizing all of it
But then, he hits us with a line that cracks the whole fantasy wide open: “Be somebody that I’m not / Or maybe / Somebody that I’ve always been.” And bam, that’s the real theme. This isn’t about Brooklyn at all. It’s about a deep internal conflict. Is this escape an attempt to become a new person, or is he finally trying to connect with a truer, more authentic self he’s been suppressing? This question hangs in the air as the music shifts, pulling us from the dreamy escape into a cold, hard reality.
When “I’m Sorry” Loses All Its Meaning
The transition from the verse to the chorus is jarring, and that’s the whole point. We’re snapped out of the Brooklyn daydream and thrown directly into the messy, painful core of a failing relationship. He’s not running to a new life; he’s running from the damage he’s causing. The song becomes a raw confession, a list of apologies that feel more like self-indictments than genuine pleas for forgiveness.
A Cycle of Selfish Apologies
Let’s break down this chorus, because it’s absolutely devastating in its honesty. He’s not just saying sorry; he’s explaining why his apologies are worthless. He’s fully aware of his toxic patterns but seems powerless to stop them.
I’m sorry that I use you, sorry I confuse you
I’m sorry that I only show up when I’m scared to lose you
I’m sorry that I want you, but don’t choose you
“I’m sorry” don’t mean what it used to
Each line is a separate, painful admission. He uses his partner for comfort but gives nothing back. He sends mixed signals (“I want you, but don’t choose you”), which is a classic recipe for emotional turmoil. Worst of all, his affection is driven by fear of loneliness, not genuine love. And the final line of the stanza is the knockout punch: “‘I’m sorry’ don’t mean what it used to.” He has said it so many times, without any change in his behavior, that the words have become hollow, empty shells. They’re just sounds he makes to temporarily smooth things over.
The Painful Self-Awareness of It All
If you thought it couldn’t get more painfully real, the second verse dives even deeper into his self-awareness. He knows the relationship is doomed, and he knows he’s the problem. He poses a question that many people in a toxic relationship have probably asked themselves:
How long can we hold on to something
We’re gonna let go of?
Does nothing help
If we’re hurting each other by being ourselves?
This is such a tragic thought. He’s admitting that their fundamental personalities are now just instruments of pain for each other. Yet, even with this profound understanding, he can’t let go. He says, “I keep you so selfishly.” He knows it’s wrong, he knows an apology is useless because he has no intention of changing, but he still asks his partner to stay. It’s a perfect depiction of emotional dependency and the selfishness that can come with it.
The beautiful, heartbreaking lesson in this song isn’t about being a perfect partner. It’s about the incredible importance of self-awareness. JP Saxe is holding a mirror up to his own worst behaviors. Recognizing your own toxic patterns is the first, and hardest, step toward actually changing them. The song serves as a powerful reminder that apologies are meaningless without action. True remorse is demonstrated through changed behavior, not just repeated words. It’s a call to be better, to be more honest with ourselves and the people we claim to care about, and to make our apologies mean something again.
In the end, “I WANNA MOVE TO BROOKLYN” is a song of stark contrast—the beautiful, romanticized fantasy of who we want to be versus the ugly, complicated truth of who we are in our weakest moments. It’s a masterpiece of lyrical honesty that resonates with anyone who’s ever wanted to run away from their own mess. But what do you think? Does the Brooklyn fantasy resonate more with you, or is it the painful honesty of the chorus that hits closer to home? I’d love to hear your take on it.
