Soccer Mommy’s “royal screw up”
I understand that sad songs isn’t for everyone, but for those who love to soak up the melancholic tunes of sad artists, I introduce you to “royal screw up” by Soccer Mommy.
Something that I’ve love about the indie artist is her ability to write self-deprecating songs with an upbeat tune that at first makes the listener think nothingness before the gravity the lyrics weigh in. It’s like when you try to fake-it-to-make-it in vain or laugh off a mean comment before realizing how mean it actually was. Ouch.
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I understand that sad songs isn’t for everyone, but for those who love to soak up the melancholic tunes of sad artists, I introduce you to “royal screw up” by Soccer Mommy.
Something that I’ve love about the indie artist is her ability to write self-deprecating songs with an upbeat tune that at first makes the listener think nothingness before the gravity the lyrics weigh in. It’s like when you try to fake-it-to-make-it in vain or laugh off a mean comment before realizing how mean it actually was. Ouch.
While every song of Soccer Mommy’s color theory album address her struggles with mental and physical illnesses, “royal screw up” is arguably the most personal. In the song, she sings of her story of a princess who lost her love and is held captive by her own self. It’s as if Friedrich Nietzsche were to right an indie song with his famous words, “Every man is his own worst enemy.” And aren’t we all?
In an interview with UPROXX about the creative process on the song, Soccer Mommy replied:
“I wanted it to start really empty, and really feel like it did when I was writing it. Sitting in my bedroom, playing it on acoustic guitar, it felt raw. I wanted it to feel really raw, and empty at the beginning, and then slowly build in — not only the band, but these beautiful, gentle sounds around it, gentle little guitar plucking, and kind of like synthy guitars, like this big performance slowly building in, almost orchestral. Some of the things the song is about are like me being honest about being performative sometimes, and being self-destructive a lot of the time. When usually, I’m not being honest about it.”
Lyrics:
I am a liar
And my truths are shackled in
My tension of fire
I’m the princess of screwin’ up
And you wear your armour
And you save pretty girls like me
But I’m not so pretty
When I am naked
You are a mirror
Say, I’m the fairest of all
I am fake it ’till you make it in a can
And you have a calmness
That I could never understand
But you let me in it
You will regret it
‘Cause I’m only looking
For my skewed reflection in
You’ve fallen out of
What I thought was love
‘Cause you are a question
That I thought I could solve
But you don’t need solving
You’re just not what I want
And I want an answer
To all my problems
There’s not an answer
I am the problem for me
Now and always
I will break my own bones
Till my legs stop walking
And my bed is my throne
My room is a kingdom
For the princess of screwin’ up
And I’ll be the dragon
I’ll hold me captive
My world is sinking
And I am the captain of it all
Of it all
Of it all
Of it all, mm-mm
Despite the feelings cruel rawness of vulnerability the song evokes, it’s a reminder that at the end of the day, having a good relationship with yourself is so important. And it is. Because when no one is there, you’re stuck with yourself.
Rebecca is world-traveler whose experience has allowed her to understand cross-cultural communications and diversity first hand. Skilled in Photography, Editing, and Creative Writing with a Bachelor of Arts focused in English Language and Literature from Rowan University, she is currently a contributor to First Icon Agency's blog.