Posted by Emily I’m Sorry is one of the three songs released by the superband Boygenius in January 2023 in anticipation of their new album, The Record. As fans know, the band comprises Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. Still, everybody is pretty sure that Phoebe Bridgers wrote this song, directly referring to Emily Bannon, with whom she had a complicated relationship in the past years. Let’s explore the lyrics and extract the real meaning behind them. You’ll also find the complete song’s lyrics at the end of this article.
You can listen to the official streaming of Emily I’m Sorry below.
Emily I’m Sorry, the lyrics and the meaning: is it about Phoebe Bridgers and Emily Bannon?
Emily I’m Sorry is a song about the insecurities and the sense of loss you feel when your love relationship is deteriorating. Most like, the song was written by Phoebe Bridgers as a reflection on her relationship with the voice actress Emily Bannon after their recent breakup. In the lyrics, the singer expresses her wish for a second chance and tries to explain that all the misunderstanding could be just an effect of their young age and the fact that their identity is not yet entirely shaped.
The song begins with a poetic description of Emily sleeping on the back of the singer’s car, apparently peaceful, even though she’s having a bad dream. It’s a symbol that something is wrong in their life, and it’s confirmed by the subsequent lines, where Phoebe admits she feels like a survivor, coming out of a war and trying to head in the right direction. Although, her old partner Emily doesn’t seem to trust her judgment.
She’s asleep in the backseat
Looking peaceful enough to me
But she’s wakin’ up inside a dream
Full of screeching tires and fire
We’re comin’ back from where no one lives
Pretty much just veterans
When I pointed out where the North Star is
She called me a f**in’ liar
There is undoubtedly a relevant emotional distance between the protagonist and Emily. The singer believes it’s somehow her fault, which is why she feels sorry. She blames the fact that she’s still changing, growing up, in a continuous process of understanding who she is and what’s best for her.
And Emily (Emily), I’m sorry, I just
Make it up as I go along
Yet, I can feel myself becoming (I can feel myself)
Someone only you could want
Every time a love relationship doesn’t work, we feel a sense of failure in ourselves. A part of us secretly assumes that every relationship must work; if it doesn’t, something is wrong with us. It takes a long path of self-growth to realize that sometimes relationships end because they have to, and we don’t need to blame anyone. It’s a kind of awareness we usually acquire when we are older: as young lovers, we are somewhat confused, and we easily doubt ourselves after losing love. That’s why, typically, we would do anything to fix it.
Now I’m wide awake, spiraling
And you don’t wanna talk
Just take me back to Montreal
I’ll get a real job, you’ll go back to school
We can burn out in the freezing cold
And just get lost
The uncertainty culminates in the second chorus, where Phoebe says she’s changing, turning into something she may not like. Probably because this change pushed her love away, and a part of her believes that everything makes sense only if Emily comes back.
Emily (Emily), I’m sorry, baby
You know how I get when I’m wrong (You know how I get)
And I can feel myself becoming (I can feel myself)
Somebody I’m not, I’m not, so
Emily (Emily), forgive me, can we
Make it up as we go along?
I’m twenty-seven and I don’t know who I am (Don’t know who I am)
But I know what I want
This is, after all, the real meaning of the lyrics inside Emily I’m Sorry: you left, our love faded away, and I feel it’s my fault; I’m sorry for what happened, I feel I’m changing, and I’m not totally sure of who I am. I only know that I want you back, hoping this will dissolve every doubt I feel. It’s a song that perfectly expresses all the uncertainties and the sense of failure we feel after a breakup, and many will relate to it, recalling their personal experiences.
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The complete lyrics
Below you can find the complete lyrics of Boygenius’ Emily I’m Sorry.
She’s asleep in the backseat
Looking peaceful enough to me
But she’s wakin’ up inside a dream
Full of screeching tires and fire
We’re comin’ back from where no one lives
Pretty much just veterans
When I pointed out where the North Star is
She called me a f**in’ liar
And Emily (Emily), I’m sorry, I just
Make it up as I go along
Yet, I can feel myself becoming (I can feel myself)
Someone only you could want
Headed straight for the concrete
In a nightmare screaming
Now I’m wide awake, spiraling
And you don’t wanna talk
Just take me back to Montreal
I’ll get a real job, you’ll go back to school
We can burn out in the freezing cold
And just get lost
Emily (Emily), I’m sorry, baby
You know how I get when I’m wrong (You know how I get)
And I can feel myself becoming (I can feel myself)
Somebody I’m not, I’m not, so
Emily (Emily), forgive me, can we
Make it up as we go along?
I’m twenty-seven and I don’t know who I am (Don’t know who I am)
But I know what I want
Emily, I’m sorry
Emily, I’m sorry
I’m sorry
