Mess Is Mine

I believe that the song is about a boy who got a girl (very well could be his girlfriend) pregnant, and he tries to convince her that she should have the baby and not abort it. This is evident in many of the lyrics, specificly the chorus.

"Hold on my darling, This body is yours, this body is yours and mine."

In this part, he is saying that although the baby is in her body, he should have a say in what happens to it.

"This mess was yours, now this mess is mine"

Here he is saying that although this was a mistake, im here for you and we can do this together.

I think the verses goes more into their relationship and what happened before and after the pregnancy. He still needs her just as much as she need him.

Thebrueggson makes a very interesting connection with this song that I never once thought of, but after reading frostyfrost's comment that the artist said it was about love/a relationship, I think my original thoughts might be more on point.

I get the sense that these two have known one another for a while (like we used to do). Maybe they had tried to date in the past and failed (Shaping up and shipping out).

They begin connecting... getting to know more about one another. Literally asking questions about preferences (Do you like walking in the rain? When you think of love, do you think of pain?). It seems she/he is telling the writer about her/himself... maybe some bad things that would ordinary (perhaps historically) scare someone off, but he decides that he will choose how to interpret those things being shared (You can tell me what you see I will choose what I believe).

Next what I thought of was them becoming lovers... This body is yours meaning my body is yours sexually (This body is yours, This body is yours and mine).

As someone who has some baggage them self, I see this "mess" as being that baggage. Meaning that that person will ease the burden of that, take care of the other person the best they know how and take the weight off of the other person who always carries it (hold on, my darling This mess was yours, Now your mess is mine).

I could go into more detail on the rest of the lyrics, but I think they're mostly self explanatory. Anyway, once I put this song up against a feelings of being truly loved and fully accepted, faults and all, by a romantic partner, it brought tears to my eyes... It's one of the most beautiful gifts that can be given to another human being and this song seems to sum it up quite well in my opinion.

Two people grew up together deeply in love, one ran away , but wondered back asking to be accepted again with all their faults as nobody knows each other as they do

I read an interview[..] where Vance Joy said it was a love/relationship song.

However, I did get the vibe of what the Thebrueggs was saying as there are many lines which can be taken in that fashion.

Ok here goes with an analysis from the "left field":

The obvious meaning of this song would be about a complicated relationship.. and maybe that was the original thought behind the lyrics, BUT on closer view of the official video and whole new meaning emerges. Her are my thoughts:

"Talking like we used to do It was always me and you Shaping up and shipping out Check me in and check me out"

The video opens with a bedraggled looking polar bear clinging to a piece of ice and ends up washing ashore in a major city. Co-analyzing the video and lurics simulataneously we see HUGE metaphors at play here: The polar bear = Nature/Earth, The Bear is white= symbol of purity, It looks pathetic= the state of the world is pathetic.

In the lyrics: Before so called development of civilization man co-existed with planet earth "It was always me and you"- He could read the stars, the weather and natural cycles - they would tell him when rain is coming etc etc: "Talking like we used to do"

Verse 2: "Do you like walking in the rain? When you think of love, do you think of pain? You can tell me what you see I will choose what I believe"

In the video this coincides with the bear rummaging through trash cans/dumpsters- reducing himself to the lowest form of human life. In the lyrics Rain = life giving- walking as if lovers in the rain is a classical representation of love= mans love of natural beauty yet the video contrasts to this in that there is no beauty in trash cans. Man used to "walk in the rain hand in hand " with the natural cycles of the earth" Man can say what he sees- greenpeace/save the whales etc etc BUT nature/earth will choose what she believes is the real truth- All of mans efforts at "saving the earth" are underscored by 1) money/economics 2) someones gain /greed/politics etc etc....

Chorus: " Hold on, darling This body is yours, This body is yours and mine Well hold on, my darling This mess was yours, Now your mess is mine"

In the video the bear starts to see the world for what it is.. find himself on an ice rink, Ice= his real home. His demure is one of defeat with some sleaze-bag laughing at him = The sick part of mankind mocking the sad state of nature/earth.The bear then figures out how to steal an old car and learns to drive.

In the lyrics: This Body = The earth. Its "yours" = natures body. Its "Yours AND mine" Its natures body and its also mankind body- its supports mankinds life. The mess is yours" = Whatever satate the earthw as in was as a result of the natural processes... Now the "Mess is mine" = Man is responsible for the mess as it is now

Verse 3: "See you in the marketplace Walking 'round at 8am Got 2 hours before my flight Luck be on my side tonight"

In the video the bear discovers more human scum- Disabled people pulling fingers at him and mooning him. This is in stark contrast to the coinciding lyrics.

In the lyrics: The market place= symbolism for natures bounty- you would typically find fressh fruit and vegetables, natural products. Got "Two hours before my flight" - Flight= leaving.. man is already looking to the stars for alternative homes. "Luck be on my side tonight"= Luck for what? That he can leave before it all ends or that he will save this mess we live in before the night is up??

Verse 4: "You’re the reason that I feel so strong The reason that I’m hanging on You know you gave me all the time Oh, did I give enough of mine?"

In the video theres more of the sordid side of man- this remains a theme throughout the video. In the lyrics: feel so strong = man feels good because he thinks he has mastered his environment and is invincible in his so-called progress. Nature gave all the time= the time frames allowed by nature for man to reach this point (which ironically is so sad and sick). Did man give time back to heal the damage and sickness he has caused??

Bridge:"Bring me to your house Tell me sorry for the mess Hey, I don’t mind You’re talking in your sleep Out of time Well, you still make sense to me Your mess is mine"

In the video: The bear has converted his old car into a taxi cab and gives rides to all sort of people from drunkards to people having sex in the back seat and an array of dodgy characters.. youngsters kicking his car= abusing the earth. Someone urinating agaisnt the window in his face= Pissing on nature

In the lyrics: Bring me to your house = getting back to nature (which in that urban decayed environment is a bit of a mess). Nature is apologetic because it cannot be the true natural beauty you will find when man has had no impact.Talking in your sleep out of time = the signs of natures hurt are all around us -subtly if we care to listen and look. Of course it all makes sense to man... he can scientifically measure the degradation now because of his so-called progress, yet ironically nothing changes (after decades of talking and environmental summits blah blah have we really fixed anything when large sections of the man species are so shallow and of questionable character?? - they couldn't really give a damn anyway)- this mess is mine- its mans mess - he is responsible for this mess...

At 2:33 in video the bear and his taxi pull away from a refinery of sorts- Look out for the big tank with a label "Fresh Water"... is that fresh water truly fresh? How sad that is in big industrial tanks when nature gave it to us in rivers and mountain streams.. it couldn't be fresher than that..

Given the assumption that the bear and his taxi are metaphors for the earth/nature please look at at the video in light of the lyrics and think a bit further that a simple human relationship between two people.

I may be waaaay off the mark here and it could be just a love story.. but then WHY that video???

Feedback and discussion would be great!

I its about a girl who left him

I have a dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder formally)

It's a hard diagnosis to accept and this song was playing over and over in my head at that time. That's when I realized one of my alters sends me songs to help me cope and always had. We can talk now, kinda ,but yeah

For me this body is yours and mine has a way different meaning 😆