Jun. 27, 20201 viewer89.5K views
...well, better than the alternative Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Pink lemonade on autumn bomber coats
Peter Pan collars, but my daughter’s growing up
She’s gonna be a lot like me
But I don’t wanna be at all like me
Oh, yellow buzz-cuts, pulling out stingers
You’re telling me I’m holding up eleven fingers
And stranger things than death can happen
To lab rat girls and pretty white rabbits
[Pre-Chorus]
But everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s in on everybody’s business
This isn’t my first Christmas
I know mistletoe when I see it
[Chorus]
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how I’m right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how and if I’m still pretty?
Pink lemonade on autumn bomber coats
Peter Pan collars, but my daughter’s growing up
She’s gonna be a lot like me
But I don’t wanna be at all like me
Oh, yellow buzz-cuts, pulling out stingers
You’re telling me I’m holding up eleven fingers
And stranger things than death can happen
To lab rat girls and pretty white rabbits
[Pre-Chorus]
But everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s in on everybody’s business
This isn’t my first Christmas
I know mistletoe when I see it
[Chorus]
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how I’m right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how and if I’m still pretty?
[Verse 2]
Cigarette burns, laugh lines, wide dimples
If they could see the future back when times were simple
Would they kiss your cheek or yank the bandage off?
Let you speak or take advantage of how
If everyone’s sick, well then, nobody can catch it
And if everybody’s different, how could anybody match?
And we’re looking through the pockets of the hand-me-downs we laid out
Wondering if we’ll fit into the yesterdays we played out
[Pre-Chorus]
Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s all up in my god damn business
This isn’t my first kiss, it's better to be lost than loved, now, isn’t it?
[Chorus]
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how I’m right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how and if I’m still pretty?
[Post-Chorus]
(You can stop growing up, but you can't grow down
Either way you're gonna wonder 'til you're done and underground
You can stop growing up, but you can't grow down
Either way you're gonna wonder 'til you're done and underground)
Cigarette burns, laugh lines, wide dimples
If they could see the future back when times were simple
Would they kiss your cheek or yank the bandage off?
Let you speak or take advantage of how
If everyone’s sick, well then, nobody can catch it
And if everybody’s different, how could anybody match?
And we’re looking through the pockets of the hand-me-downs we laid out
Wondering if we’ll fit into the yesterdays we played out
[Pre-Chorus]
Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s all up in my god damn business
This isn’t my first kiss, it's better to be lost than loved, now, isn’t it?
[Chorus]
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how I’m right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how and if I’m still pretty?
[Post-Chorus]
(You can stop growing up, but you can't grow down
Either way you're gonna wonder 'til you're done and underground
You can stop growing up, but you can't grow down
Either way you're gonna wonder 'til you're done and underground)
[Bridge]
Walking bikes home with a scraped-knee, sunset smudged across your brow
Warmer tears than you’ve grown used to since then
A toast to the nosebleed seats and the big dream sequence where you’re found
Guilty of your innocence and gently sent right back to bed
Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s all up in my motherfucking business
This isn’t my first anything
This isn’t my first anything
Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s in on everybody’s business
This isn’t my first lyric
I know exactly how I should finish it
[Chorus]
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how I’m right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
After all of that's been done to me, could you tell me how, could you tell me how, could you tell me
[Chorus 2]
What’s so wrong about what’s wrong with me?
I’m just trying to do what’s right by you
What’s so wrong about what’s wrong with me?
Oh, I’m just trying to do what’s right by you
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
After all of that's been done with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how
Could you tell me how?
Walking bikes home with a scraped-knee, sunset smudged across your brow
Warmer tears than you’ve grown used to since then
A toast to the nosebleed seats and the big dream sequence where you’re found
Guilty of your innocence and gently sent right back to bed
Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s all up in my motherfucking business
This isn’t my first anything
This isn’t my first anything
Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody’s in on everybody’s business
This isn’t my first lyric
I know exactly how I should finish it
[Chorus]
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what’s wrong with me
Could you tell me how I’m right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
After all of that's been done to me, could you tell me how, could you tell me how, could you tell me
[Chorus 2]
What’s so wrong about what’s wrong with me?
I’m just trying to do what’s right by you
What’s so wrong about what’s wrong with me?
Oh, I’m just trying to do what’s right by you
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
After all of that's been done with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how
Could you tell me how?
About
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Genius Annotation
From the premiere of the single via New Noise Magazine:
Speaking to the song’s inspiration, Will states, “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t have a daughter—I don’t always write from my own perspective. Besides, I think the last thing I want is to put someone through the deeply traumatizing experience of being forced to live an entire life without their consent. It almost always messes them up mentally.”
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
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Writer
Release Date
June 27, 2020
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