#square mitski

[penissexual]

What is that quiet of snow in the night?

The dark rings with white noise

As you stand and drown

Maybe it's all of these snowflakes, screaming

A choir of mute

As they brace for the ground

Square – Mitski

[bolsche-wiki]

Square - Mitski

Your room was square

I once noticed from there

In your bed, as you slept

And I held my breath

Everything had its own place

And I wondered what space would I take

In the order you kept

The beginning of the song builds this character that the narrator is presumably dating. This guy has a square room, everything in it has a fixed place. That's probably how his life is built as well, clean, organized. He has a place in this world and so does everything that belongs to him. At this point of the song, the narrator seems rather scared in this relationship. Not feeling like they belong until their partner determines their space.

The instruments and vocals are calm, it sounds like the narrator is simply talking to their partner.

I tried to eat like your girlfriend

Just tea in the night, I'd end up

Too hungry to sleep

So lying awake

I would follow the aching inside

I would find

It's for you won't be mine

The narrator doesn't eat to fit a mold that was set by the guy's previous relationships. They do whatever they think will make them more desirable to the guy, not caring if it leaves them awake at night. It's also notable that the narrator is playing a role because they think that this dude will like that role more than their genuine self. I also feel like the narrator is hungry for more, they want this dude to like them so bad, they want that guy's affection, attention, approval so bad. They just long to have a place in this guy's world. They are so hungry for his love that they are willing to water themselves down for him.

The instruments start to slowly intensify

I tried my hardest, for I'd never learned

God's very simple and love shouldn't burn

And I would've offered you all that you yearned for

But I was still waiting for something to earn

The first time this chorus plays, it sounds very sad, the narrator is still yearning for this guy's love. They tried SO hard to make this relationship work but they just couldn't learn how to properly play their part. And they know that this is not how it should be, love isn't meant to be confusing, it doesn't burn. The narrator bent over backwards to give their partner all they could but got nothing in return.

The vocals are emotional but they aren't mad, it's more of a disappointment in oneself, like they could have done more. And I think you can really feel the desperation.

What is that quiet of snow in the night?

The dark rings with white noise as you stand and drown

Maybe it's all of these snowflakes

Screaming a choir of mute

As they brace for the ground

This first half is the narrator talking about their relationship in the past. Now they are talking about their last date in the presence. It's all so vividly described. A cold winter night, it's snowing and the stars are shining. Even though all of this sounds like they are talking to him, I don't actually think that is what's happening. The snowflakes are falling - the narrator is burning up in this relationship. Screaming a choir of mute - the narrator would rather play the role, staying quiet than be vulnerable with him. Brace for the ground - the narrator knew this relationship was doomed for a long time now, just a matter of time till they finally reach the end.

This part gets a lot more intense, you can hear the frustration especially on the snowflake part when you can just hear the narrator just realizing how much they were actually hurting in their relationship.

Well, that's my ride

Hope you had a good night

You know, you made me happy

Here, shake my hand

You make such a good man

Never once did you know me

But then quickly before you think that's when the narrator cracks, actually breaking their role they get interrupted by their taxi. The music settles back down and the narrator just keeps going like before. It was a good night, you were a good boyfriend, let's shake hands. Calm and sweet and then the last line just so bitter. The narrator wasted so much energy into this relationship and he never even got to know them. They haven't been once vulnerable with this dude. From the beginning, it was just play pretend.

I tried my hardest, for how do you learn

God's very simple and love doesn't burn

And maybe you'd offered me all that I yearned for

But I was still waiting for something to earn

Silly me, waiting

The second time the chorus starts playing it's so much more frustrated. They are mad at themselves for going along with this fake relationship for so long and for him to have never given something back. The first time it was "love shouldn't burn" knowing this is not right but still putting up with it and this time the like being "love doesn't burn" being certain that this is wrong. And god maybe he actually did give them everything they yearned for but they just couldn't belong in this relationship. They are left feeling empty. Yet they are still waiting for something to get out of this, calling themselves silly for still yearning.

[videoangels]

some screenshots from the Retired from Sad, New Career in Business music videos

[strapkitty]

feeling the internalized homophobia it's probably mitskis fault

[moonmitski]

We finally found him girls... the girlfriend that drinks just tea in the night

[ID: an excerpt from a pdf of The Possessed by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, consisting of a short exchange between Kirilov and Govorov, the narrator, as follows:

[Kirilov] "I love tea at night, said he. "I walk much and drink it till daybreak. Abroad tea at night is inconvenient."

[Govorov] "You go to bed at daybreak?"

[Kirilov] "Always; for a long while. I eat little; always tea. Liputin's sly, but impatient." /End ID]

[the-heavenly-option]

me when I notice their room is square :(

[crm-3]

Square - Mitski