5SOS, Caramel: the song lyrics and their meaning

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Caramel is one of the most popular songs from 5SOS5, the fifth album released by the Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer. 5SOS released the album on September 23rd, and the fans immediately identified Caramel as a sexy, beautiful song. The lyrics have an interesting meaning, and people want to know more about them: this article will provide an interpretation of the song’s message. You will also find the complete lyrics at the end.

You can find the official streaming of the song below.

5 Seconds of Summer - Caramel (Official Visualizer)

Caramel: the lyrics and their meaning

Caramel is a song about the decline of a love relationship. In the track, the singer remembers the beginning of that relationship and realizes that now things are different, somehow broken. The caramel is a symbol of something very sweet, representing the first phase of love: it gives you strong sensations when you taste it, and after that, you experience the comedown, which relates to the stage of love 5SOS sing about here.

The chorus successfully exposes the comparison between the beginning of love and its evolution:

It used to be easy
Now you can’t even look at me in the eye
A visceral feeling
That I can never leave behind
And it’s under my skin, but I can’t reach in
When you know where I’ve been, so we play pretend
It used to be easy
It used to be easy

In the beginning, when both parts of the relationship are experiencing the peaks of their love, being together is very easy. Now you feel something different, a “visceral feeling” that 5 Seconds of Summer even avoid describing. But that’s the decline the author feels, and it’s like hell, as another part of Caramel lyrics say:

I know it well, caramel, I feel the comedown
We’ve been to hell, I can tell we’re slowin’ down now
Oh, you bring up the past, didn’t ask, give me the know-how
(I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry)
So we make it last, ‘nother glass until we come ’round

From the lines above, it seems they are still trying to make the relationship work. Despite the difficulties, they refer to another glass, trying to change their opinion and agree on how to proceed. The singer recognizes that the relationship now is different, but he still wants it:

It’s been a while since you and I been where we started
I don’t wanna let it fade away

The song ends with a meaningful line, which represents a potent symbol of how sometimes love relationships are:

Love like a landslide, I kiss you goodnight

Sometimes we experience love as a rush of feelings, and at the same time, when the emotions evolve, it might look like a landslide, from the strength of a crush to the quiet sensations of a stable relationship. Kissing goodnight after comparing love to a landslide might mean that the author of Caramel accepted the evolution of love and confirmed his commitment to that relationship. The real meaning behind the lyrics, therefore, is: our love is different than the beginning, and sometimes it looks awful, but I still want to be with you. I remember how sweet our love was and believe it’s still worth our efforts.

Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave

The complete lyrics

Run to the east, gotta leave, I need a way out
Lookin’ at me colourin’ out of the lines now
You only break when you take the bend too far
Don’t like it fake, I relate, I think it’s true love

It’s been a while since you and I been where we started
I don’t wanna let it fade away

It used to be easy
Now you can’t even look at me in the eye
A visceral feeling
That I can never leave behind
And it’s under my skin, but I can’t reach in
When you know where I’ve been, so we play pretend
It used to be easy
It used to be easy

I know it well, caramel, I feel the comedown
(Feel the comedown) Yeah
We’ve been to hell, I can tell we’re slowin’ down now
Oh, you bring up the past, didn’t ask, give me the know-how
(I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry)
So we make it last, ‘nother glass until we come ’round

It’s been a while since you and I been where we started
I don’t wanna let it fade away

It used to be easy
Now you can’t even look at me in the eye
A visceral feeling
That I can never leave behind
And it’s under my skin, but I can’t reach in
When you know where I’ve been, so we play pretend
It used to be easy
It used to be easy

Love like a landslide, I kiss you goodnight
Love like a landslide, I kiss you goodnight
It used to be easy