Lorde – What Was That: Meaning, Lyric, Quotes
Lorde – What Was That : Looking Back Through the Haze of Intense Young Love
Okay, let’s dive into a track that really paints a picture, you know? Lorde’s “What Was That” isn’t just background music; it feels like stepping right into someone’s memory, complete with blurry edges and intense feelings. It’s got this vibe of looking back at something potent, something that maybe felt like everything at the time, and now trying to make sense of it all. It’s like sorting through old photos, but the photos are feelings and intense moments.
Unpacking the Vibes: Lorde’s “What Was That” Explored
Right off the bat, the song sets a pretty specific mood. It feels… solitary. Almost like waking up after a wild night, but the wildness was maybe weeks, months, or even years ago, and the quiet aftermath is lingering.
Setting the Scene: Alone in the Aftermath
Lorde kicks things off with images like “A place in the city, a chair and a bed,” “cover up all the mirrors,” and “wear smoke like a wedding veil.” Doesn’t that just paint a picture of someone kind of hiding away? Covering mirrors feels like not wanting to face yourself, maybe not recognizing the person staring back. And the “smoke like a wedding veil” – that’s interesting, right? Veils are for hiding, for ceremonies, maybe suggesting a past commitment or intensity that now feels hazy, like smoke. She makes a meal she won’t eat, steps out into the street “alone in a sea.” It screams isolation, feeling disconnected even when surrounded by life. That feeling just “comes over” her – bam, inescapable nostalgia or sadness.
Echoes of the Past: Missing More Than Just a Person
And then, the chorus hits: “Oh, I’m missing you / Yeah, I’m missing you / And all the things we used to do.” It’s simple, direct, but heavy. It’s not just the person she misses, it’s the shared experiences, the vibe they had. It’s that whole world they built together that’s now gone, leaving a noticeable void.
Flashbacks in Vivid Color (and Haze)
This is where the story gets really specific and intense. “MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up / We kissed for hours straight, well baby, what was that?” Whoa. Talk about a potent memory! It captures that feeling of reckless abandon, heightened senses, and maybe slightly blurry reality that often comes with young, intense connections (and maybe party favors). It felt huge then. She remembers thinking, “This is the best cigarette of my life” – a perfect snapshot of a peak moment, feeling completely present and alive, wanting to hold onto that exact feeling, that exact person: “Well, I want you just like that.”
Then there’s the “Indio haze, we’re in a sandstorm and it knocks me out.” Indio often links to Coachella, festivals, chaotic energy. A sandstorm adds to that feeling of being overwhelmed, maybe losing yourself in the moment, in the relationship. It was powerful, consuming.
The Awakening: Hindsight Hits Hard
But here’s the twist, the reality check: “I didn’t know then that you’d never be enough for–”. That cutoff feels deliberate, doesn’t it? Enough for what? For life? For the long run? It’s a realization that dawned later. “Since I was seventeen, I gave you everything / Now, we wake from a dream.” That hits home. Giving your all at a young age, feeling like it’s forever, and then suddenly… the dream ends. You wake up, look around, and think, “Whoa. What just happened? What was that intense thing we lived through?” The title question becomes the central theme – a bewildered reflection on something that felt so real but maybe wasn’t sustainable or fully understood at the time.
Present Day Hauntings
The feeling isn’t just locked in the past, though. Verse two brings it crashing into the present. “Do you know you’re still with me / When I’m out with my friends?” Even in mundane social settings, the memory, the feeling, the person is still there, like a ghost at the table. She stares at her friends’ “painted faces,” maybe feeling a disconnect from their “current affairs” chat because her mind is stuck on that past intensity. It’s a stark contrast. Then there’s the line, “You had to know this was happening / You weren’t feeling my heat.” A hint of blame, maybe? Or just acknowledging a growing distance that perhaps both felt but didn’t address. And finding clarity, or at least facing the music, in the “blue light, down at Baby’s All Right” – a specific place, grounding the abstract feeling in a real-world moment of confrontation with herself. “I face reality.”
The Struggle to Let Go
The bridge really nails the difficulty of moving on: “I try (I try) / To let (To let) / Whatever has to pass through me, pass through / But this is staying a while, I know / It might not let me go.” It’s such an honest admission. You want to process it, let it fade, but some things just stick. Some memories, some connections, have roots that go deep and take time to loosen their grip. It’s okay that it’s taking time.
So, What’s the Takeaway? The Moral Message?
Ultimately, “What Was That” feels like a journey through the fog of intense young love and its confusing aftermath. The moral isn’t necessarily a neat lesson, but more of an acknowledgment. It acknowledges the power and allure of those heady, all-consuming experiences, even if they involved substances or situations that seem reckless in hindsight. It validates the confusion that comes when you “wake from the dream” and try to reconcile the past intensity with present reality. The message seems to be about accepting the complexity of memory, the bittersweet nature of nostalgia, and the slow, sometimes sticky process of moving forward. It’s about understanding that some experiences shape you profoundly, leaving you questioning, “What was that?”, long after they’re over. It’s a nod to growth, born from looking back with clearer eyes, even if the feelings linger.
Beyond the overall narrative, some lines in this song just really stand out, you know? They capture specific feelings or moments so perfectly that they almost feel like little nuggets of wisdom or at least super relatable truths. Let’s dig into a few of those.
- Lorde – What Was That: Meaning, Lyric, Quotes
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- Lorde – Ribs: Meaning, Lyric, Quotes
- Lorde – Supercut: Meaning, Lyric, Quotes
Finding Gems: Inspirational Quotes Lurking in Lorde’s “What Was That” Haze
Okay, maybe “inspirational” isn’t the first word that jumps to mind with a song drenched in hazy memories and lingering confusion. But sometimes, inspiration comes from honesty, from recognizing a shared human experience. There’s strength in acknowledging the tough stuff.
Embracing the Slow Heal
This part from the bridge is just so real:
Meaning: This isn’t your typical “just get over it” advice. It’s a powerful acknowledgment that healing and processing aren’t always quick or easy. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, feelings linger. Recognizing this, accepting that some emotional baggage takes time to unpack, is actually pretty empowering. It gives you permission to not be okay instantly, to be patient with yourself. It’s a quiet strength in admitting the struggle.
Acknowledging Past Intensity (Without Judgment)
This line captures a peak moment so vividly:
Meaning: While maybe not a life motto, this quote speaks volumes about recognizing moments of pure, unadulterated feeling. It’s about remembering the intensity of a connection or an experience. The “inspiration” here is subtle; it’s about valuing those peak moments for what they were, even if they’re gone. It’s an honest reflection on desire and the power of memory to recall visceral sensations. It reminds us of our capacity to feel deeply.
The Clarity of Hindsight
This pair of lines marks a significant shift:
Meaning: This is all about growth and perspective. Looking back, especially on intense young relationships, often brings clarity. Realizing you “gave everything” and that it felt like a “dream” acknowledges the depth of past feelings. But the “waking up” part is key – it signifies gaining awareness, seeing things perhaps more realistically than you could at the time. It’s a nod to the wisdom that comes with experience, the ability to learn and re-evaluate the past, which is definitely an inspiring part of growing up.
Finding Ground in Reality
A moment of grounding in the present:
Meaning: This line highlights the importance of confronting things head-on. Whether “Baby’s All Right” is a literal place or a state of mind, the “blue light” feels like a moment of stark clarity. It’s about those times when the haze lifts, and you have to deal with what’s real, right now. Finding the courage to “face reality,” even when it’s uncomfortable or involves processing difficult emotions from the past, is a crucial step in moving forward. It’s about being present and dealing with the now.
So yeah, “What Was That” is layered. It’s nostalgic, a bit sad, confusing, but also incredibly honest about looking back at intense times and trying to figure them out. It captures that specific feeling of being haunted by a past self and a past relationship that felt like the whole world. What do you think when you listen to it? Does it bring up different feelings or memories for you? I’m curious to hear if you interpret the haze and the awakening differently. Let’s chat about it!
