We’ve all been there. At some point or another, we’ve sat down and gone to write a massive letter to our ex-flame only to find that we don’t know what to actually say. In times like this, we turn to our music messiahs to guide us down the path of eloquently turning our emotions into poetry. And arguably the greatest keepers of such skill are indie-pop trio LANY.
Turning their heartbreak into art and their longing into relatable nostalgia, LANY have lyrics that fit just about any romantic situation. From the one that got away to the one you’re unbelievably relieved got away, here are 10 lyrics to help you finally pen that letter to your ex.
1. “In the end I’m gonna be alright. But it might take a hundred sleepless nights to make the memories of you disappear. But right now I can’t see nothing through these tears.” (‘Thru These Tears’ 2018)
Off the breakup album to end all breakup albums Malibu Nights, the lead single details the feelings and emotions that one goes through right after the ending of a relationship. Inspired by his own breakup with Dua Lipa, lead singer Paul Jason Klein assures himself that he’ll eventually be okay and make it through, but first he just has to feel it all. Use this line for a fresh and raw breakup. To remind that person just how much you’re hurting, but that you’re going to be fine without them.
2. “Where did we go wrong? I know we started out alright. Where did we go wrong? I swear I knew we’d last this time. Where did we go wrong? Oh did you change your mind? How could you change your mind?” (‘13’ 2017)
Probably the most relatable line of all; the questioning. The emotional track, off the debut self-titled album, navigates its way around the conclusion of a relationship. Where did it all go wrong? How did we end up here? It’s a classic landmark on the journey of breakups, asking not only yourself but your other half why in fact everything fell apart. Use this line when you just really, really need the answer before you can successfully move on.
3. “It was love. I know you know that. It was us. I wish I could go back to sneaking around at night and thinking we had our whole lives.” (‘It Was Love’ 2017)
This one’s for the teenage love that really only fizzled out because of circumstance. For the right person, wrong time romances; the ones that got away when there was never a good enough reason as to why. Beautifully touching on his own young love, PJK opens up and reminisces about his teenage crush (who heartbreakingly moved on to his best friend before marrying someone else). There’s never really a time where we stop thinking about these lost loves and what might’ve been. Use this line if you’re brave enough to reopen communication.
4. “So go ahead and run, run, run back to who you were running from. Just make sure you don’t run back to me when you’re done.” (‘Run’ 2018)
A classic angry line for when you just need to tell that person exactly how you feel. Rumoured to be aimed at Dua Lipa after she went back to her ex after her and PJK called it quits, PJK makes it explicitly clear his remaining feelings. Sometimes when there’s just bad blood all you can do is say goodbye forever, after you’ve let them have it first, of course.
5. “Everything was better when you would call and I’d be like “yea, babe” we should talk about love again. Every night I’m wide awake. I almost call you, then I’m like “no way.”” (‘yea, babe, no way’ 2016)
Hitting the feeling of wonder right on its head, PJK paints a picture of wanting so badly to get in contact with an old flame but knowing you can’t. As he goes on to later add, his ex has found someone new so he needs to get over her, but he still can’t stop thinking about what would happen if he just picked up the phone. Use this line when you’ve got someone stuck in your web and you really just need to let them go once and for all. You know things ended for a reason, don’t let it start up again.
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6. “Don’t check my phone, I know for sure you haven’t called me. I fill my days with stupid s**t to keep me busy.” (‘okay ft. Julia Michaels’ 2019)
The first LANY track to ever feature a collab, Julia Michaels jumped on the breakup hit to add her flair for romanticising pain. Both Michaels and PJK narrate the woes of heartbreak and what it’s like to feel like you’re the only one who feels this way. Whether it’s true or not, it’s always a recurring thought that the other person is doing way better than you are and doesn’t miss you at all. Use this line when you know that, despite feeling the worst pain you’ve ever felt, you really are going to be okay.
7. “From the start, I never thought I’d say this before. But I don’t wanna love you anymore.” (‘I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore’ 2018)
There a comes a point in all breakups where you finally face the truth. You wake up one day and the weight of all your troubles just falls away and you realise you don’t want to love them anymore. This track sums up the feeling perfectly. It’s almost like a manifestation, a way of telling the universe what you’re going to do. No obstacles, no setbacks; you’re finally taking charge. Use this line when it’s time to properly move on.
8. “I think it’s time to give my heart a chance, even though it’s bleeding.” (‘Valentine’s Day’ 2018)
The last song written on Malibu Nights (on Valentine’s Day), PJK has finally begun to move on, but he’s taking a page out of the ex-flame playbook and almost asking his ex if it’s okay for him to move on. When you become so rooted in a love for so long, it’s hard to see yourself with someone else; and it’s even harder to not think about your lost love as you start up a new one. But as we all eventually realise, we all deserve a happy ending. Use this line when you’re ready to start a new chapter.
9. “It’s never the same after the breakup. It’s never the same love, don’t try to make up.” (‘The Breakup’ 2017)
A track literally titled ‘The Breakup’ unsurprisingly leaves very little to the imagination. Almost writing it as a letter to his future self, PJK touches on the aftermath of breakups and how quick he is to jump from love to love. This line in particular sends the message that once a breakup occurs, the relationship can never go back to being the same. People change and grow, and the crack that caused the love to break can never really be fixed. Use this line when you need a reminder to keep moving forward.
10. “But was it really love if you can leave me for something so innocent? Is this the end? Thought you’d be there through thick and thin.” (‘Thick and Thin’ 2018)
An ode to the confusion that surrounds a breakup. When your other half hits you with that unexpected goodbye and you have no idea what caused it. How are you to know that that last fight was going to be the last fight? Weren’t things fine just last week? Situations like this rely on communication, so use this line if you just absolutely need some closure.
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