The Naked Truth: Lizzy McAlpine’s I Guess Strips Away Pretence

by Alex Harris

14th March, 2024

The Naked Truth: Lizzy McAlpine's I Guess Strips Away Pretence

An Authentic Glimpse into the Human Condition

Straighten your tie; we’re not alone; I’ll tell a lie just to bring you home.” From the opening lines, Lizzy McAlpine’s I Guess pulls you into an unvarnished story that cuts to the core of human vulnerability. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter holds nothing back as she invites listeners into the most intimate moments between two souls grasping for connection.

Timing is Everything

The chorus acts as the song’s philosophical anchor: “I guess it’s all about timing; I guess it’s all about the things you want but never get.” With these words, McAlpine encapsulates the central tension of the human experience: our yearning for fulfilment coupled with the uncertainty of whether we’ll ever truly attain it. When she sings “I guess it’s all about dying to love someone,” she posits that to genuinely love is to surrender our controlled facades. 

Unflinching Honesty

As the story unfolds, Lizzy McAlpine meets each fragile moment with unflinching candor. “And now we’re equal, more or less,” she observes with the morning-after clarity of two bodies laying bare. Her voice then took on a resigned melancholy with, “Now I am sick, and you’re probably drunk; you’re saying things, and they sound like love.” The illusion of romantic projection inevitably fades with sobriety’s harsh light.

The Eternal Human Struggle 

Perhaps the song’s most poignant line comes in the final verse: “Wish it was easy; I wish I knew what I was doing, but I never do.” Here, McAlpine gives voice to the eternal human struggle of trying to make sense of this confusing, messy experience we call life. Her rumination, “Here we go,” signals a surrender to the endless cycle.

Sonic Intimacy

The sparse, delicate production of intertwining piano and vocals envelops the listener in a sonic intimacy befitting the subject matter. The repetitive, breathy chorus of “oh’s” in the outro lingers like a heavy sigh, unable to be shaken. You’re left suspended in the aching ambiguity the song lays bare.

Tour Information 

Lizzy McAlpine is set to embark on her “Older and Wiser” tour, which will kick off in the fall of 2024. The tour will support her album “Older,” featuring the single I Guess. Fans can expect to experience the raw emotion and lyrical depth of McAlpine’s music live as she performs across various cities in North America and Europe. The tour dates and ticket information will be announced on her official website and social media platforms.

Continuing the Narrative

I Guess shares thematic similarities with another of McAlpine’s unreleased songs, “Come Down Soon,” further exploring the complexities of human connections and the stories that unfold in the quiet moments after the music fades. As the second single from her upcoming album “Older,” I Guess represents a pivotal moment in Lizzy McAlpine’s artistic evolution. The album, as McAlpine describes it, is a reflection of her growth over the past three years, both personally and artistically. 

Anticipation for Older

In the lead-up to her third album, OlderI Guess has raised anticipation to a fever pitch. The song premieres alongside an evocative bathroom performance video McAlpine shared on March 7th, continuing her pattern of new releases on the 13th—a number holding special significance as her father’s day of passing in 2020. 

A Closer Connection

While viral hits like Ceilings helped spotlight McAlpine’s lyrical talents, she says her new music like I Guess feels “closer to her heart.” Indeed, there’s an inescapable authenticity to this particular composition that transcends any gimmick or trend. McAlpine doesn’t offer tidy resolutions or well-worn tropes, just an unflinching expression of the messiness and complexity inherent to the human condition. For anyone who’s ever felt unsure, unravelled, or underlying it all—simply human—”I Guess” will feel achingly familiar.

You might also like:

Lizzy McAlpine I Guess Lyrics

Verse 1
Straighten your tie
We’re not alone
I’ll tell a lie just to bring you home
We dance together
You’re not that good
I’ll tell a lie, but it’s understood

Chorus
I guess it’s all about timing
I guess it’s all about the things you want but never get
I guess it’s all about trying
To love someone you’ve never met

Verse 2
We eat our dinner
Then we undress
And now we’re equal, more or less
(Mm)
Now I am sick, and
You’re probably drunk
You’re saying things, and they sound like love

Chorus
I guess it’s all about timing
I guess it’s all about the things you have but didn’t want
I guess it’s all about dying
To love someone

Verse 3
Wish it was easy
I wish
I knew
What I was doing, but I never do
(Here we go)

Outro
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
(Mm)
(Mm)

Previous post

Be the first and never miss an update!

2024 © All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy
neon-logo
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram