Posted by Mitski returns in 2023 with her seventh album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, set for release on September 15, and the world was shaken by its leading single, Bug Like an Angel, shared in July. The song is a fascinating descent into the singer’s poetic world, with lyrics that hide a mysterious meaning. In this article, we will analyze it, and you will also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can watch the official video for Bug Like an Angel below.
Bug Like an Angel: the song lyrics & meaning
Bug Like an Angel is a poetic song whose lyrics explore the concepts of self-destruction and evil. The American artist describes herself in the act of drinking, implying that she is in a condition of isolation and despair. From this point of view, the “bug which looks like an angel” could represent the Devil, the symbol of evil and temptation, who was also an Angel who fell out of the grace of God.
The song lyrics begin with the artist drinking. She looks at her half-empty glass and imagines the bug (evil) at its bottom.
There’s a bug like an angel
Stuck to the bottom
Of my glass, with a little bit left
Alcohol seems Mitski’s companion in this phase. Indeed, she compares it to family, implying a condition of isolation and loneliness.
Sometimes a drink feels like family
When the chorus arrives, we hear a gospel choir opening and closing the lyrics in Bug Like An Angel. This could represent the introspective moment of the song, where the artist speaks to herself: she asks what’s happening. She reminds herself of all the broken promises that are harming her life.
Hey, what’s the matter?
[…]
Did you go and make promises you can’t keep?
Well, when you break them
They break you right back
It’s a self-analyzing song. Mitski reflects on her condition and her conduct, expressing frustration and despair. This leads us to the conclusive lyrics of Bug Like an Angel, where the singer pictures herself “bent over,” overwhelmed by her own vices. In this precise moment, evil is leading her existence. Nevertheless, she decides to see it from a philosophical perspective: evil is a creation of God, too. And it has all its right to have a place in our life.
When I’m bent over
Wishin’ it was over
Makin’ all variety of vows I’ll never keep
I try to remember
The wrath of the devil
Was also given him by God
Bug Like an Angel is a mysterious song with introspective lyrics that go deep inside Mitski’s existence, and its beauty lies in the meaning that can assume different forms. Every listener is free to read in them their perspectives. After all, we all deal with pain and confusion, and songs like this help us cope with life.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
There’s a bug like an angel
Stuck to the bottom
Of my glass, with a little bit left
As I got older
I learned I’m a drinker
Sometimes a drink feels like family
Family
Hey, what’s the matter?
Lookin’ like your sticker
Is stuck on a floor somewhere
Did you go and make promises you can’t keep?
Well, when you break them
They break you right back
Amateur mistake
You can take it from me
They break you right back
Break you right back
When I’m bent over
Wishin’ it was over
Makin’ all variety of vows I’ll never keep
I try to remember
The wrath of the devil
Was also given him by God
