Music

Steve Lacy, Bad Habit: inside the meaning of the lyrics

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Bad Habit is a song from Steve Lacy from his album Gemini Rights, released in the summer of 2022. After the release of the first official single, Mercury, the official video of Bad Habit has been shared on Youtube by the American artist, and it’s again another song about love relationships and being a Gemini. People loved the track and often quoted its lines, like the popular “I wish I knew you wanted me.” This article will analyze the lyrics and interpret the song’s meaning.

You can find the official video of Bad Habit below.

Steve Lacy - Bad Habit (Official Video)
Watch this video on YouTube.

Bad Habit: the lyrics and their meaning

Bad Habit is a song about the missed opportunity to be with a girl we liked. The girl liked him, and he wanted her, but he didn’t try hard enough for some reason. In the song, Steve Lacy admits that he wished he knew she liked him, and he asks himself if it’s too late to try.

I wish I knew you wanted me

If I knew I’d be with you
Is it too late to pursue?

In the chorus, he mentions his bad habit of biting his tongue, symbolizing how often he steps back from an early intention. He knows it, and he accepts his nature. Things happen for a reason, after all. And he’s a Gemini, a double-faced profile that was already the main topic of his previous single, Mercury (we analyzed the song here).

I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit
Kinda mad that I didn’t take a stab at it
Thought you were too good for me, my dear
Never gave me time of day, my dear
It’s okay, things happen for
Reasons that I think are sure, yeah

It’s a situation that many of us can relate to. You are never 100% sure that approaching a person who interests you is the right thing to do, and we are never spontaneous; we never take it easy enough to make our move and see the results. Our nature is to think carefully, often too much, trying to avoid disappointments, and this way, we can miss the chances. And that prevents us from making clear decisions.

Now that you’re back, I can’t decide (I wish I knew)
If I decide if you’re invited (I wish I knew you wanted me)

Getting at the bottom of the meaning of the lyrics, Bad Habit is about all the times we step back and avoid taking a decision we would be pleased to chase. Because we always have many voices inside us and many doubts arise. While accepting this part of us, the song tells us about the consequences of this behavior.

Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave

The complete lyrics

I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me

What you, ooh, uh, what you do?
Made a move, coulda made a move
If I knew I’d be with you
Is it too late to pursue?

I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit
Kinda mad that I didn’t take a stab at it
Thought you were too good for me, my dear
Never gave me time of day, my dear
It’s okay, things happen for
Reasons that I think are sure, yeah

I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me (I wish I knew)
I wish I knew (Oh), I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew (Yeah), I wish I knew you wanted me (Oh)
I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me

Please say to me (Please, just say to me)
If this could wind up
I wish you wouldn’t play with me
I wanna know (Oh, no)

Uh, can I bite your tongue like my bad habit?
Would you mind if I tried to make a pass at it?
Were you not too good for me, my dear?
Funny you came back to me, my dear
It’s okay, things happen for
Reasons that I can’t ignore, yeah

I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew (Wish I knew), I wish I knew you wanted me (Oh)

You can’t surprise a Gemini (I wish I knew)
I’m everywhere, I’m cross-eyed (I wish I knew you wanted me)
Now that you’re back, I can’t decide (I wish I knew)
If I decide if you’re invited (I wish I knew you wanted me)
You always knew the way to wow me
F**k around, get tongue-tied and
I turn it on, I make it rowdy
Then carry on, but I’m not hidin’
You grabbin’ me hard ’cause you know what you found
Is biscuits, is gravy, babe

You can’t surprise a Gemini
But you know it’s biscuits, is gravy, babe
I knew you’d come back around
‘Cause you know it’s biscuits, is gravy, babe
Let’s f**k in the back of the mall, lose control
Go stupid, go crazy, babe
I know I’ll be in your heart ’til the end
You’ll miss me, don’t beg me, babe

Published by Carlo Affatigato

Carlo has been a web content creator for over 10 years. He founded Auralcrave in 2015, envisioning it as a new space capable of offering different perspectives on topics that passionate all of us. With a scientific background, Carlo developed an interest in music, cinema, literature, and art at a young age, transforming it into a complementary dimension to his professional growth. For years, he was a music journalist specializing in electronic and dance music, writing for the most important Italian magazines (both online and print). Movies and TV series have been a true obsession in many phases of his life: during university, it was not uncommon for him to set the alarm in the middle of the night to watch classic films airing on TV. With the advent of the Internet, Carlo became a keen observer of web and social phenomena, addressing light topics such as advertising, trends, fashion, and general themes. He is the main author of Auralcrave and personally manages its social media, editorial line, book publication, resource management, and business expansion. A former engineer, life coach, husband, and father, he believes that every area of knowledge has interesting stories that deserve to be told and is convinced that doing so makes the world a better place.