Blades (ft. redveil)

Even with a bunch of people around, house parties can still feel lonely as hell. But just seeing a familiar face in the crowd can make all the difference. On "Blades" Arlo Parks recalls bumping into a friend at a gathering whom she'd fallen out with.

I'm exhausted watching like Claire Danes through the water Kitchen light like blades through your body The party's ablaze We grew apart when you were fighting with your sister Parks starts off the song with a nod to My So-Called Life. In the teen drama TV series, Claire Danes plays a teenager named Angela Chase who's always looking at the world as if she's outside of it. The lyric says the singer's feeling the same way - like she's watching the person she's singing about from a distance. The next line describes the intense physical and emotional sensation Parks is experiencing. The singer compares the harsh, bright light in the kitchen to the sharpness of blades, suggesting she is feeling overwhelmed.

After seeing her long-lost friend across the room, Parks realizes she truly can't live without them, so she starts making her way over. And you're with Ahmed Plum red slacks and tequila fraser And you laugh the same Hand on mouth 'cause you hate your teeth And I love your teeth And I'm scared to speak 'Cause I catch a whiff of your rosetip tea When Parks gets there, her friend is hanging with Ahmed, looking all sharp in plum red pants and sipping on their tequila drinks. But even though they're different, they still laugh the same, with a hand over their mouth to hide their teeth. She's kinda nervous to say anything 'cause she can smell the rose hip tea they're drinking and it's just so darn intimate. "I imagine this moment at a party where you see someone across the room that you haven't seen in a while, you felt yourself growing apart, and you're like, should I, should I not?" said Parks. "And then you find the courage to approach them."