Tate McRae – Dear god. Lyrics & Meaning
Tate McRae – Dear god : A Desperate Prayer to Erase a Ghost
Ever been in the middle of a perfectly good day, maybe even feeling great with someone new, and then BAM! A ghost from your romantic past decides to crash the party in your head? It’s not that you want them back, not really. It’s just… their memory is a stubborn stain you can’t quite scrub out, and it shows up at the most inconvenient times.
It’s that frustrating, unwelcome guest who still has a key to your thoughts, a phantom touch you can still feel. Tate McRae perfectly bottles up this exact feeling and turns it into a raw, desperate prayer in her song “Dear god”. This isn’t just another breakup song; it’s a vulnerable look into the messy, non-linear process of trying to heal. Let’s dive into this heartfelt plea and unpack what makes it hit so close to home.
The Unwanted Guest in Tate McRae’s “Dear god”
Right from the get-go, Tate sets a scene that’s painfully relatable. She isn’t actively seeking out this memory; it’s an intruder. It just shows up, uninvited, lingering in the back of her mind like a house guest who has long overstayed their welcome.
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Lay there, back of my mind
He stay there, pops up time to time
Like, “Hey there,” haven’t seen you in two years
But baby, we still breathe the same air
The line, “we still breathe the same air,” is so powerful. It highlights the maddening reality that even when you’ve completely separated your lives, the simple fact that this person still exists on the same planet can feel like too close a connection. The real kicker is the context she gives: she’s in a new relationship, one that’s “almost working.” That “almost” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It suggests this lingering ghost is the very thing holding her back from fully committing, the final piece of the puzzle that just won’t fit.
A Prayer Born from Frustration
This internal conflict drives her to a point of pure desperation. She’s tried to move on by herself, but it’s not working. So, she turns to a higher power, not with a gentle request, but with a series of urgent, almost surgical demands. This is where the song’s title, “Dear god”, becomes a literal plea.
Dear God
Take his kiss right out of my brain
Take the pleasure out of my pain
Take the way he used to say, “I love you”
Notice how specific her requests are. She isn’t just asking to forget him. She’s asking God to fundamentally alter her memories, to strip them of their power. She wants to take the “pleasure out of my pain”—acknowledging that there’s a strange, bittersweet comfort in reminiscing, and she wants it gone. She wants to erase the sound of his voice, the feeling of his kiss. It’s a painful admission that the memories are still potent, still vivid, and still affecting her present.
More Than Just a Memory: The Physical Haunting
The song digs even deeper than just emotional memories. Tate makes it clear that this haunting is a physical one, too. The intimacy she shared with her ex has left a phantom presence that taints her current experiences. It’s not just about the emotional baggage; it’s about the physical echoes that refuse to fade.
Dear God
Get his imprint out of my bed
Take amazing out of our sex
Take away the way I still might want to
The imagery of an “imprint out of my bed” is incredibly striking. It’s this idea that a person can leave a mark so deep it feels tangible, even long after they’re gone. And her plea to “take amazing out of our sex” is heartbreakingly honest. She’s admitting that the past was so good, it set a benchmark that her present can’t seem to meet. It’s a raw confession of a struggle many people face but rarely say out loud: how do you move forward when your past feels more vibrant than your future?
She’s trying to be a better person for her new partner, promising she’s trying to be good, but the past keeps pulling her back. The repetition of the chorus and the frantic, layered vocals in the background that chant, “I play ’em all, play ’em all, play ’em all back,” perfectly mimic the feeling of intrusive thoughts spiraling out of control.
Is It Him, or the Feeling, She’s Missing?
Towards the end, the prayer shifts slightly. There’s a new layer of uncertainty and desperation in her voice. She’s on the verge of breaking, and her plea becomes a frantic, repeated question to the heavens.
Dear God, I hope you’re listening
I pray it ain’t him I’m missing
This is perhaps the most profound moment of the song. After begging to have every detail of him erased, she reveals her deepest fear: what if it’s not even him she misses, but the feeling he gave her? It’s a moment of painful self-awareness. This internal battle shows the complexity of letting go. It’s rarely a clean break. It’s messy, confusing, and full of doubt.
Ultimately, this song is a raw, brutally honest look at the messy side of moving on. It teaches us that healing isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes, you take two steps forward, and a single memory shoves you one step back. The real strength isn’t found in instantly forgetting; it’s found in the act of trying. It’s in the prayer, the hope, and the desire to be free, even when your own brain feels like it’s working against you.
“Dear god” is a powerful anthem for anyone who has ever wished for a magic wand to selectively erase parts of their past. It’s a reminder that you’re not alone in that struggle. But that’s just my take on it. What do you hear when you listen to this song? Does it resonate with a past experience, or do you see a different meaning in her prayer? Let’s talk about it!
