“Give me a second”: the lyrics behind the TikTok trend

We know it, TikTok is a machine gun producing viral trends day after day. One of the last enigmatic trending videos spins around the words: “Give me a second I, I need to get my story straight, my friends are in the bathroom…” with creators singing the lyrics of an unmentioned song. People, of course, want to know more about this trend, how it started and what’s the music behind those words. Let’s discover it together.

You can find a collection of videos about the “give me a second” trend here: you will find many non-sense videos with people in funny situations who, at some point, start singing the song’s lyrics.

What’s the “Give me a second” song? Here are the lyrics and the meaning

The song behind the “Give me a second” lyrics is We Are Young by the American band Fun. It was a big hit in 2011 when it was released. You can find the official video below.

Fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Watch this video on YouTube.

The song’s lyrics talk about a guy who did something wrong: he beat his girlfriend sometime before, and she still has a visible scar. He apologizes for his lousy lifestyle (he drinks alcohol and uses drugs). In the first lines, he’s trying to make up a story covering his altered status and his girlfriend’s scar, probably for the questions made by the police. Below you can find the lyrics present in the TikTok videos.

Give me a second I, I need to get my story straight
My friends are in the bathroom
Getting higher than the Empire State
My lover, she’s waiting for me just across the bar
My seat’s been taken by some sunglasses asking ’bout a scar

And I know I gave it to you months ago
I know you’re trying to forget it
But between the drinks and subtle things
The holes in my apologies

You know, I’m trying hard to take it back
So if by the time the bar closes
And you feel like falling down
I’ll carry you home

Let’s open the symbols of the lyrics: the protagonist needs a second to make up the story. His friends are using drugs in the bathroom (getting higher than the Empire State is a funny metaphor), and some sunglasses (the urban slang for police officers) are waiting for him on his seat next to his lover. Then the singer talks directly to his girlfriend: he gave that scar to her months ago, but he knows she didn’t forget him. He’s aware that he won’t be forgiven even that night, so he proposes to be there for her, enjoying the time at the bar together and then going back home.

The song’s chorus tries to move the attention to the present: they are young and can enjoy the time together and live intensely that night.

Tonight
We are young
So let’s set the world on fire
We can burn brighter
Than the sun

Discover other viral TikTok trends on Auralcrave