Melodrama Analysis: Part II- "Sober"

Oh wow! What an interesting change! I love it! Thanks for watching ❤❤❤

English Teacher KP

In her first album she has a line "Dancing around the lies we tell" and here she says "It's time we danced with the truth" ah I just love it

Anna

I can do that! I get a lot of mixed opinions about this, so thanks for sharing yours! I can do a few blind reactions as well. I haven't listened to the entire album yet!

English Teacher KP

I do wish you'd go into the analysis blind but I understand if you're more comfortable listening to it beforehand. For me, my favorite part is having you decipher what's going on in the song and exploring that with us. Along with you hearing the music for the first time.

Jake Jax

Yes, it's definitely happened before! I don't know if I see it as cheating with an ex, but I think it's a super interesting theory that could definitely work! Thanks so much for sharing, and thanks for being here!

English Teacher KP

Hi! Welcome! Thank you so much for joining! If you go back and look at my posts, there's a poll where everyone voted on what album they wanted to focus on. The different options were all recommended by patrons, so it might give you some insight to the tastes of the patrons here!

English Teacher KP

Thank you so much for sharing this! I absolutely love the metaphor of love/sex/attraction being as powerful as a drug!

English Teacher KP

The way that I always understood the song that may shine a different light on your analysis was the topic of cheating with an ex. They’re getting a rush or a high from the action, and that helps explain the bridge as well. “In the morning, you’ll be dancin’ with all the heartache and the treason” because the person the speaker is referring to the regret that is coming the next morning when they’re sober…and the reason I believe it’s an ex that is cheating with her is because of the lyric “my hips have missed your hips” meaning that it happened before.

HI guys! I'm a new patreon here. How's the process of song requests executed, and what kind of music taste you all have?

As someone who’s taken ecstasy way in the past recreationally and now takes adderall for adhd, it’s true that no drug in the world can compete with the rush of being mutually attracted to someone

This makes total sense. That feeling of anxiety really comes through in the song!

English Teacher KP

lorde said this song is about "being a little bit involved with someone and it’s magic when you are out…you’re maybe committed and you haven’t talked about it.” and she also said she had moments where she felt like she had to get drunk to tell this person how she felt. so i think the sober metaphor is a bit of both, from the love-drunkness and the actual drunk ness and how when you're always out in a high energy environment with someone, is it something that can really work on just a regular day? which is where the sleeping through all the days comes from and all the anxiety

Grace

I especially like your second paragraph. You're right--the initial high of a relationship is absolutely intoxicating! What happens when it is gone? That can be a scary thought for sure!

English Teacher KP

This makes a lot of sense because love itself can be very intoxicating!

English Teacher KP

Woah! You know what's funny? I always thought of "crown" in the nursery rhyme as meaning like the top of his head, but I oove the idea of it being a physical crown! You're right-- it'd work perfectly here with the King and Queen imagery!

English Teacher KP

Ok thank you! That threw me!

English Teacher KP

Thank you!

English Teacher KP

I was kind of getting ex vibes as well!

English Teacher KP

omg sorry last comment. In the nurseryrhyme Jack and Jill, jack is wearing a crown which breaks when he falls so lorde could be referencing that when she says they're king and queen of the weekend!! cause who's known for wearing a crown ?!?! kings and queens !! god I love her

ky

the B-bodies part was just her stuttering for effect in the song haha not sure why it was written out here

ky

Also at the end of the she says "can you feel it? can you feel it?" even though it's not written there, its important to remember this line for Sober II (melodrama) ! <3

ky

Lorde also refers to love as a drug throughout the album so this song could also be "what will we do when we're out of love ?"

ky

I always had a very simplistic way of looking at this song. Like, she’s saying what a good time she has with this person and the fun and the dancing and, I guess, all the decisions you make while you are at an emotional high. But when the morning comes, you have to face the reality of what you did the night before and the reality of your own life. As if partying was a different reality- one where she can forget about her heartache and stuff. And when the morning comes, she’s back to her reality… what will she do now that she is sober ? (I also think she might be talking about her ex? So they’re no longer a couple, but they find each other partying and dance together and have fun, but will come to regret it in the morning)

Adorado

To me, she’s kind of comparing a relationship to a night out of partying and drinking. It’s really fun when they’re together just like it’s really fun when you’re out partying but what about when it’s over? In the morning you’ll be hungover. She says in the song “in the morning you’ll be dancing with the heartache.” So to me, it’s kind of like she’s saying being with this guy feels like the best night/weekend ever but she might regret it later. Another theory I have comes from the line “but what will we do when we’re sober?” This line makes me think that they’re barely starting the relationship and when you start a new relationship, it’s really amazing and you’re on this high but… will it last? Will they still be into each other when they’re not on that new-romance high?