LovelyLyrics
The song "Isn't it lovely" by Billie Ellish and Kaled is about a person who is mentally, physically, and emotionally trapped in depressed feelings and at the same time, having the intention to move away from it and move forward in life.
This song can be interpreted in many ways and one possible way would be an instance where a person feels low, lacking freedom, is tormented, and being discriminated in the place where he/she is living.
Some people live in houses that are equal to living in hell. The place we all humans learn and begin life is home and a family is an individual entity that creates society but we should keep in mind that all families are not equal and all homes are not equal and that is why the world is corrupted today. However, being exposed to the feelings of depression is not natural or sudden as if it starts with new things; it starts with sadness which repeats over and over again. Discrimination and imbalance all start within the family. If one has been at least once discriminated or felt entrapped at the place of living, this feeling of depression starts to grow.
The starting lines of this song emphasizes how this feeling grows within a person and how it repeats over and over again even though he tries to move away from it, thinking that he has found a way out. The feeling of depression is addressed as “you” in this stanza by personifying it because it is something that lives within a person.
Thought I found a way
Thought I found a way, out (found)
But you never go away (never go away)
So I guess I gotta stay now
In order to describe the feelings of depression, it is important to take a look at its root cause. So, what can cause depression?
I strongly believe that words have power. Words can bring happiness and at the same time, they can tear us apart. Just imagine a home where there is frequent discrimination, lacking inner peace, and self-satisfaction. A home where there are frequent quarrels and noise. A home where there is no freedom, a home where there is no mutual understanding. This type of home causes depression to all its living. According to this song the person who is having depression and who is trapped inside this home needs to move away and get rid of this feeling of depression. This person is living with the hope that he could get out of it someday. Without caring about the time wasted, “Even if it takes all night or a hundred years”, this person believes that he could fly and get out of this disorder. Especially the lyrics state that he wants to feel alive, he yearns for it which means this person is not living the life until he finds a better place with freedom.
Oh, I hope someday I'll make it out of here
Even if it takes all night or a hundred years
Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near
Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear
The chorus of this song is sarcastic and awakes this person from his illusion. Which says how “lovely” is it to live in a hell all alone bearing this feeling, knowing that the heart is not strong enough to overcome, by just having an intention to move away. Each time he thinks of getting rid of this feeling he falls back again to the same position where he is destined to live with this depressed feeling. “welcome home” can be returning to the same state or addressing the listener saying this is my home and this is where I live and it is as if living in hell.
Isn't it lovely, all alone?
Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone
Hello, welcome home
No one knows the inner sufferings of this particular person yet he lives as if he is living and enjoying life. He goes to the world and experiences new things trying to get away from this feeling. Externally he seems better and tries to avoid the negativity by living like a normal person, but continuously he is having this feeling inside which never goes away.
Walkin' out of town
Lookin' for a better place (lookin' for a better place)
Something's on my mind (mind)
Always in my headspace
Finally, the song ends with the words “welcome home” which means the person realizes that he cannot get rid of this feeling of depression and decides to live with it. If you have watched the official music video of this song, it is clear that once the feeling of depression stings it is inevitable, and it will live within a person neither it can be treated medically.
Despite moving into medical treatment, it is important to be aware of and prevent causing the feeling of depression at first instance. As human beings, it is necessary to take a break and ponder our behavior. It is important to avoid penalizing or depressing others because unknowingly a simple utterance or behavior can hurt or depress another. Depression is not an illness to be treated medically, it is something created by humans and the surrounding we live in. Therefore, there is hope that this feeling can be healed by human behavior itself and it is important to always be conscious and live with mutual understanding for a depression- free better world.
Dear reader, do you think depression is an illness? If so, do you think it can be treated medically?
First of all, I have to say that this is such heart touching piece of writing. Every line you have wrote made me miserable as it made me empathize with people who have depression.
ReplyDeleteIt is inevitably true that depression is mostly caused by the surroundings and the people around them. “Scientists believe that as many as 40 percent of those with depression can trace it to a genetic link. Environmental and other factors make up the other 60 percent” (Stephanie Faris, 2017). And it is also believed that While depression can be treated, and symptoms can be alleviated, depression cannot be “cured.”
The line “Isn't it lovely, all alone?” has a huge impact as it depicts the unbearable pain of the person indirectly. It is truly sad that people actually feel like this and cannot do anything about it even if they want to. But I believe if the people around them help them consistently with emotional support depression could be treated to a certain extent. With consistent receiving of feeling loved and cared for, won’t they feel a little bit better?
So if you can help someone even by words, it will be great. Because if you can make someone’s life better even by 0.001% wouldn’t it be so amazing?
Yes, it is the human words and behaviour that cause the feeling of depression. We should be very cautious of our reactions, because even though some may seem better externally, they might be suffering inside.
DeleteYes, I really love the interpretation you have given considering the lyrics of the song. I would really loved this more if you had given your interpretation about the music video as well because in my opinion the music video really helps to reinforce the idea given by the lyrics.
ReplyDeleteTalking about the video, the clip is set entirely within a glass box and there's Eilish and Khalid lumbering wearily around their confines, staring out at the void beyond. Above them, a single rain cloud unleashes a torrential downpour and eventually the water freezes over, ice shrouding the walls as Khalid and Eilish hold each other inside. But as “Lovely” drifts towards its aching end, the ice thaws to reveal the box is finally empty. So the music video is a visual representation of feeling trapped and overwhelmed by mental health issues, while fighting to overcome depression. so it is evident that the video goes hand in hand with the lyrics aiming to highlight the struggle one has to face in the process of trying to overcome depression more than highlighting what depression is.
Thus adding to this the verses are a somber cry for freedom and safety in a time of need and many lines describe what it is to feel when being trapped in ones own mind. so what I believe is that, depression is seen as a mental illness until that person stops thinking about it as a mental illness and it can be cured if only that person stops tagging it as an illness and stops trying to overcome it and as you have pointed, if that person tries to live with it that is the best way this can be cured.
Yes, it is the official music video which highlights the meaning of this song. The video consists of symbolism such as rainy clouds, dark colours and a glass box where the two singers are trapped in. Throughout the video these symbols provide evidence as to how a depressed person is challenged even though he/she yearns to get out of it.
DeleteYes, according to your point of view it is true that regarding depression as an illness can be avoided at the moment that person stops thinking of it as an illness. This is the normal saying, but according to this song where the reality of a depressed person is denoted, this feeling is not that easy to avoid. As if it is a living creature, once it stings it tries to live in a person. So the best is to avoid causing such a feeling at first instance.
If one says it is too late, no it is not. Because, the environment and the ones around this particular person can help him/her out of this hell.