The Only Heartbreaker
Producer
If you would just make one mistake
What a relief that would be
But I think for as long as we're together
I'll be the only heartbreaker
[Chorus]
I'll be the only heartbreaker
I'll be the only heartbreaker
[Verse 2]
So I'll be the loser in this game
I'll be the bad guy in the play
I'll be the water main that's burst and flooding
You'll be by the window, only watching
[Chorus]
I'll be the only heartbreaker
I'll bе the only heartbreakеr
[Bridge]
(I apologize)
(You forgive me)
(I apologize)
(You forgive me)
About
“The Only Heartbreaker” is the second single released from Mitski’s sixth album Laurel Hell. It was released on November 9, 2021, alongside a music video where she burns down a forest, then the planet simply with her presence. After the song’s release, Mitski’s social media announced the album and pre-sale of merchandise.
In a statement for Rolling Stone, Mitski explained the core inspiration behind the song:
[It is about] the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame. It could simply be about that, but I also wanted to depict something sadder beneath the surface, that maybe the reason you’re always the one making mistakes is because you’re the only one trying.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
This is the first song in my entire discography of however many albums I’ve made where I have a co-writer, and it’s because this song was this puzzle that I couldn’t solve. And I was just sitting on it forever. I have so many iterations of it. Nothing felt right. And right when I was stewing over it, I was actually in LA, doing co-write sessions for other artists. And we had this one day, or I had this one day with Dan Wilson. I had every intention to write for somebody else, but then I just sat down at his piano, and I was like, he’s one of the best, smartest songwriters in the world. Maybe he can help me with this song. And so I brought the song to him, and it turned out he’s really good. He helped me solve so many of the problems and kind of lead me out of the labyrinth of it. And yeah, I’m really glad that I took that chance with him.
- 3.Stay Soft
- 4.Everyone
- 6.The Only Heartbreaker
- 7.Love Me More
- 10.I Guess
- 11.That’s Our Lamp
