The song is about the intense, often painful yearning for a person who cannot be openly loved, likely due to social or personal barriers. Mitski beautifully captures the bittersweet feeling of loving in secret. The song, therefore, becomes a poignant expression of unfulfilled desire and the pain of keeping one’s emotions concealed.
There’s a whole world beneath those lyrics, an intricate story of hidden feelings and unspoken emotions. Keep reading, and let’s unravel this lyrical puzzle together!
“Once More to See You” Lyrics Meaning
The lines, “In the rearview mirror, I saw the setting sun on your neck,” immediately set a scene of longing and introspection. The setting sun could symbolize the end of something beautiful or a fleeting moment. The physical distance implied by the rearview mirror contrasts sharply with the intense closeness she feels, highlighted by “felt the taste of you bubble up inside me.”
The next lines, “But with everybody watching us, our every move / We do have reputations,” reveal the crux of the song: a secret relationship. There’s a constant awareness of external eyes, societal norms, and perhaps the fear of judgment. This tension between public perception and private desire is palpable throughout the song.
The chorus, “So come inside and be with me, alone with me / Alone, with me alone,” emphasizes the need for privacy and intimacy away from prying eyes. The repetition of ‘alone’ underscores the isolation they feel in their love, confined away from the world.
Mitski then introduces an interesting element with “If you would let me give you pinky promise kisses / Then I wouldn’t have to scream your name.” This line juxtaposes childhood innocence (pinky promises) with the depth of adult emotion, suggesting a yearning for a simpler, more open expression of love. The image of screaming a name “atop of every roof in the city of my heart” speaks to the intensity and scale of her feelings, confined within her.
The repeated lines, “If I could see you / Once more to see you,” convey a deep longing. It’s not just the physical presence she craves but the freedom to openly acknowledge and express their relationship.
The Story Behind “Once More to See You”
The sense of forbidden love and hidden desire in the song likely mirrors Mitski’s own experiences with relationships that, for one reason or another, couldn’t be public. This could stem from a variety of reasons – cultural expectations, personal circumstances, or even the struggles of public figures to keep their private lives out of the spotlight.
In this context, the rearview mirror is not just a literal reflection but also a metaphor for looking back at a relationship that is perhaps behind her, yet still impacting her deeply. The setting sun could symbolize the end of a phase in her life, a love that had to be let go despite the deep emotional connection.
Mitski’s use of imagery, like “pinky promise kisses” and screaming a name from the rooftops, suggests a clash between childlike innocence and the complexities of adult relationships. It’s as if she’s yearning for a time when love could be simple and unguarded, contrasting sharply with her current reality where love must be hidden, constrained by the ‘reputations’ they have to uphold.
In writing “Once More to See You,” Mitski taps into a universal feeling: the agony and ecstasy of loving someone you can’t have in the way you desire. It’s a poignant reminder of the often unseen emotional battles people face in their personal lives, particularly when their love exists outside societal norms. This song, therefore, becomes not just Mitski’s story, but a voice for anyone who has loved in secret.