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bravetemptation · 1 year

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FAITH IN THE FUTURE - LYRIC ANALYSIS

This is about to be the longest thing I’ve ever posted, so buckle up and prepare yourselves cause I’ve been typing this out for three hours.

Disclaimer for any who need it - these are my personal thoughts and opinions as someone who has been in the fandom for 12 years, has listened to the album 10+ times in the last three days, and got to experience some of the new songs live. You don’t have to agree with me. You don’t have to like what I have to say. But you do have to remain respectful, and if I see any nonsense you’ll just get blocked cause I don’t have time to deal with childishness in my inbox.

Below are my thoughts on each of the 16 songs on Faith in The Future. Please enjoy my ramblings 💙💙

The Greatest:

This song has two very clear meanings to me, and I believe them both in equal measure, which is unusual for me, because usually one of the concepts that I see in a song is a bit of a reach, but hear me out. This song is both about his relationship with his fans and how, when apart, it's not special, but together they are far more powerful than they are apart (alone we're only / just as good as the rest / together we're the greatest). In that respect and with that concept, it's the perfect album opener (can personally attest to it being PHENOMENAL as a show opener - the drums beat right in your chest, it's amazing). The other concept is, of course, a relationship, one that they were comfortable in until they had to hide it away (said I had a plan for us / time it came and changed it all / we had to disappear). But even though they did that, how they feel about each other still shows (the way you know something / your face reminded me / of a love you cannot hide / but don't need to tell me why) and reminiscing on the old times, being able to just exist in them in the present when they're together, making up for the time they spend apart when they're together again and the opportunities they missed because of the life they lead and getting to experience those things in their own way (back dancin' in the dark / back to the very start / finding pieces that can fit / making up for what we missed). It ends with the last line of the chorus (Life for us is never over) and it's such a powerful message - that no matter what or when or how, together they're better than they are apart and they will never give up on that.

Written All Over Your Face:

This is truly just Louis writing about Harry being the dramatic aquarius that he is. It's sexy, it's edgy, it's got that really super catchy guitar riff to start it off, and the lyrics just speak of an experience that Louis is very well accustomed to and has dealt with on many occasions (when you don't want coffee in the morning / I know I'm in a hole). That line isn't metaphorical, it's specific. The entirety of the second verse is just pure gold - he's said these things before, he doesn't know why they keep happening, but he knows that when it's over, they'll have the best sex they've ever had. Then, of course, you have the last line of the chorus (So when you find out what we're fighting for / I'll be ready to talk) which again speaks to experience, knowing that he has to wait until Harry figures out what the petty thing is that's bothering him, and then he'll be there waiting to talk it out.

Bigger Than Me:

I've talked about this one at length so I will try to keep it short, but this song is just so powerful in its use of metaphors while also being direct as fuck. It also has a double meaning - one rooted in his experience in the industry, and one rooted in the concept of being queer. The lines that stand out most to me with the first analysis are those at the end of each verse (all of these voices, all of these choices / I don't hear them anymore). So many people have tried to tell him what to do, where to go, who to date, how to do this or that, and he's made mistakes along the way, but now that he's here, comfortable in what he's doing and who he is as an artist and a person, he doesn't hear those voices anymore. When people in his life told him that the music industry would change him, he would just smile and nod, but there was an innate fear that he would lose himself in that process (When somebody told me I would change / I used to hide behind a smile / When somebody told me I would change / I was afraid I don't know why). But he came to the conclusion through all of his experiences that it's okay to change, it's okay to adapt, because the whole thing, the world and his career and the relationships he made along the way were way bigger than just him.

In the concept of the lyrics standing for the journey of queerness, again we come back to the beginning of the chorus. As he grew, matured, figured out what and who he wanted, people always had an opinion on it, would always be giving their two cents to him, and of course he was scared of who he would become because the reactions would be so varied, could take away everything he'd worked for. The longer he kept the secret, the harder it would be to tell the truth. People would say he lied to them, that he changed, but people do that. They change, they grow, they learn, and it's okay to do those things as long as you're staying true to yourself. And he probably felt isolated in his experience. Even knowing that other artists had been through this before, it's hard to look at it that way when it's happening to you, but he finally realized that it's bigger than just him. It's a whole industry, a whole world, of people just like him who are struggling, who are learning, who are going to change, and that thought was a comfort.

Lucky Again:

I've had much longer to think on this one than some of the others, since I've had the leaked version for quite some time (shh don't tell). It took me a while to figure this one out in my own brain, because it didn't quite seem to fit into one solid storyline or concept at first, but thinking about it after having heard Harry's House (and we'll get into the parallels between this album and that one later cause DAMN) and after seeing the Sushi video, I had a few ideas, though still not a solid storyline. I feel like this song is more of a letter to H, especially in the first verse and pre-chorus - talking about how Louis has watched him work really hard to be himself, to be able to express that while still in an industry that isn't open like it should be, and how he gives so much of himself, his kindness, to other people that don't necessarily care about him unless he's making them money, and that he could maybe slow it down a little. But I think it could be conceptually about H possibly being so taken with the idea of wanting to be good, to be enough, to make something of his life, and knowing that Jeff could give it to him. The pre-chorus leans into that idea heavily (if you believe that guy is Superman / they're selling tickets at the cinema) - Jeff being Superman, of course. Louis doesn't trust Jeff, but he trusts Harry to do what's right for himself. But if that life and those things are what helps H get through darker times, then he has to do it, but be careful and hold on tight as he does. The chorus can really relate to Louis - it really says to me that at one point Louis was lost, he didn't know where to go in his solo career, but he figured it out. They had such luck being in 1D, and Harry already has it, and Louis fully believes that he could find that luck again on his own.

Face The Music:

Gay gay gay gay GAY.

Those were my thoughts when I heard it the first time. That first verse is so potent - society tells you what's right and wrong, what's good and bad, what's love and what's hate, and all of that depends on the reality that you live or are taught, but in the end it's all subjective. But Louis knows what he's experienced, and he wants to stay there (I just wanna stay in this moment the rest of my life). He knows what society expects of someone in his position, and he doesn't want to face that reality, so he's choosing to stay with the person he loves, to dance with them, to keep buying them time even when they shouldn't. when it could ruin both of their careers. He doesn't care, because those people are wrong in their outdated expectations. He reminds that person that it's going to be okay, they just need to breathe, take their time, that those luxuries they have aren't as important as what they themselves have with each other, and Louis is okay with forgetting about them (close your eyes and count to ten / if your standing on the edge of falling / open up and looking down / everything that matters is forgotten). It's basically saying "fuck them, I choose you". Beautiful.

Chicago:

When we were told by a radio interviewer that we would know exactly who this song was about, I was so confused when I then read the lyrics because in my mind I'm going "none of his exes, real or fake, have both a brother and a baby so what the fuck". And then it hit me - Zouis. Of course. Because Zayn and Louis were best friends, and much more in tune with their emotions than most men. They would have talked about everything and anything - including what they would name their future kids. Zayn would have been like a brother to Louis, so in turn any of Zayn's friends would be like brothers to Zayn - I think he could be referencing the Naughty Boy incident here (And is your brother doing ok / is he still getting out of fights). The pre-chorus just punches you because Louis probably hated that Zayn was leaving the band but supported him because he knew that's what he needed to do, even if it fucked everything up for everyone else, and then their friendship just kind of blew up and they're both stubborn as fuck and refuse to talk about it. So Louis would be sitting here after all these years wondering if the bitter end to their friendship would turn sweet, if it had been long enough for Zayn to forgive Louis for the things he said and did. While the song has some lines that can allude to this being about a romantic relationship, I think that it's more geared toward a really close friendship that he lost. And I'm also aware that Zayn doesn't live in Chicago, but saying "and if you're lonely in Mechanicsburg" doesn't quite have the same ring to it. This song ended up being one of my absolute favorites.

All This Time:

I also get extreme GAY vibes from this one, and it touches on the theme of wasted time (It's not how you spend the time, it's if you waste it) which Harry has now engrained into my brain, so thanks for that, Harold.

I think it's something unique to the queer experience where you figure out that you're not like everyone else, that there's something that makes you different, and you hold that close to your chest for a long time (I'm tryna find the words to say for ages). You know who you are and sometimes it scares you, sometimes it excites you, and sometimes it can just be downright confusing and demoralizing. Even when you come to a time where you are comfortable with who you are and that maybe other people will be okay with that version of you, and you know where you want your life to go, you can get into a place of doubt (but the truth is I still doubt that what I do can get me home). Even when you find someone that understands your journey, that might have gone on a similar journey of their own, even when you have everything with this person, it's still scary. But in the end, it's been true and real the whole time and it's worth it. Everything is worth it for that person to be in your life, for you to get the chance to love them.

Out of My System:

Honestly, the allegory to queerness and that journey on this album is insane, and this song I think perfectly captures the concept of figuring out you're queer and not wanting it. It was something I encountered in books and movies, actually, the concept of "oh I'll just do it once, get it out of my system, and I'll be normal again", and that's what this song says to me. He talks about moving quickly towards disaster, like he knows deep down that this won't be a one time thing, that it won't fix the problem, but he's ignoring that. The chorus basically says "I've lived my life with this dirty little secret, but I need to get through the rest of my life without this stalking me so I'll do it once". The demons imagery in the second verse reminds me of the same type of imagery in Kill My Mind, which is just a nice callback. BUT these lines are interesting because they can be interpreted one of two ways - either that the demos are the voices of people telling him that his feelings are wrong and he's shoving them away so he can feel alive by being with the person he wants to be with just once, or the demons are the queerness itself, and shoving it away will somehow make him feel more alive. Either way, super powerful. Also, the punk rockness of this song makes me so happy, and it's also a banger live. The energy is unmatched.

Headline:

This one was pretty clear - it's about a relationship that went badly because the person only saw Louis as what he was in the papers, who the papers thought him to be, not as an actual person with feelings. They were quick to believe any story they saw, no matter what information they had to the contrary, and that's why they're no longer in Louis' life. I could see this as something more abstract, where it's not necessarily about Louis personally but as a famous person trying to be with someone who isn't famous/is easily swept up in the tabloid drama. Pretty straightforward, definitely a jam.

Saturdays:

This. Fucking. Song. Wow.

Like ... Louis always has such a way with words, but this one really blew me away.

Stay with me - this one is also about Zayn. Now I can get where people would see it as a romantic song, but I feel like sometimes losing a best friend - not to death or anything but to fued or disagreement - holds a different kind of pain, a more visceral kind, and that's how this song strikes me. Louis and Zayn did everything together those last few years of 1D. They went out, they smoked, they got drunk, they partied, they were ride-or-dies. And Louis himself has said that, in years past, he has not been in a mature enough position to contact Zayn or to talk to him about what happened between them, but lately he has been far more open to the idea. But that doesn't mean that he hasn't been thinking about him (I've been wondering about what you're up to / not for the first time / not for the last time) or remembering the good times they had (and I've been thinking 'bout the things we used to do / not for the first time / not for the last time). There has always been many sayings about drowning your sorrows in drinks, drinking to forget, going out on a Friday/Saturday night, and Louis really leans into that here with a simple yet devastating lyric (We always used to say / "Saturdays take the pain away") and I think Louis thought he would always have that with Zayn, that connection of two people who understood each other on such a deep level, and he never expected it to change. But it did. And now he no longer has that person in his life.

Then you get to the next verse where he talks about how he thinks he sees this person, or he sees two people who remind him of how he once was with his friend, and he freezes cause he has no idea what he would do if it was actually them, or if he had to face what he'd lost, and then he pushes it away (A shadow of you sticks me to the carpet / try to ignore it). But he has to keep reminding himself that some things change, and yeah it sucks, and yeah, his heart might be broken at the loss of his friendship, but he refuses to let it destroy his life (My heart might be broken / but I won't be broken down). And then how all the instrumentals and backing vocals just drop out for the final lines of the chorus, it's almost like as he reaches the end of the song, he actually believes what he's been telling himself this whole time, and it resembles starting to let go of the pain and resentment and moving forward. One of, if not THE, best songs on the album, don't come for me. (Also I truly can't BELIEVE he ended his set like this on Friday, I left depressed as fuck haha)

Silver Tongues:

Before I go into this one, I just have to say that the transition from Saturdays to Silver Tongues is absolute genius. That is all.

Now. When I heard this for the first time, it was like blue and green alarm lights were going off in my brain, not gonna lie. While I do think that this song has an overarching theme of found family and having the best time of your life with people who understand you and never wanting to go home after being with those people, I just ... see it as a song about being in love with your best friend. The pre-chorus and chorus really say it all - there is one person who understands Louis like no other, who makes him the happiest he's ever been, who he shares inside jokes with and has written songs with and only the two of them can understand what it's like. And we both know that Harry would be the one to call it a night on a night out and Louis would be the one who would want just one more drink, so there's that for you. And then you go into the second verse which is so fucking domestic and adorable, because even when Louis is like you're such a hypocrite, you say I can't like weed cause it's bad but you can drink vodka and it's fine, he's still like I love you, I get you. (You said grass was a dirty drug / you like to preach with my vodka in your mug / I love all the things you know). Then we hit PEAK VOCALS (so far) with that next part, where he admits that they can both be stubborn, they can both say stupid shit, but in the end, they love each other, they have a plan, everything is better when they're together and they'll keep making it work because neither of them want anyone else (you and me until the end / waking up to start again / there's no where else that I would rather be).

I could also see the argument of this being about Louis' time in 1D and this song being nostalgic, looking back at the good times, knowing that no one will ever understand him like his boys do, but no matter what you believe, this song is just happy, bouncy, amazing all around. (And would be a great show ender in the encore cause we are all so much happier at concerts and we never wanna go home - it’s amazing to scream that with Louis).

She Is Beauty, We Are World Class:

I had to listen to this one several times before it grew on me - the lines were short and coming right after Silver Tongues, I don't think my brain was ready for it (which is exactly how I felt when I heard Sushi for the first time). But I think this one is about the music industry. Someone did an in depth analysis of this concept already, so I won't repeat what they said, but each line refers to a different aspect of the music industry - knowing what to say and when (Conversation is currency), dealing with paps (Finding faces in the trees), not knowing whether you're your own person or a brand or both (Are we one or are we two? / Are we me or are we you?), and constantly being in the spotlight with every single step you make (surrounded by light). It's a really innovative way to talk about the reality of the industry without calling anyone or anything out directly.

Common People:

This song brought up so many pictures in my mind - Louis as a kid growing up surrounded by such a good parental figure in Jay and being part of a big family (I came from a good home / a house full of terrace dreams) and being okay with living that life because that's all he knew (that was enough for me), but knowing others who didn't grow up that way wouldn't understand (you know, you had to see it to believe). He talks about Doncaster with such reverence, such nostalgia, and you can tell that his heart will always consider that home. He was one of the common people, and at his core, he will always see himself that way, even when his fame becomes apparent to him through others (common people, nothing's changes / you'll hear strangers singing your name). The first line of the second verse (I took her to the local) made me immediately think of him taking Bebe there to film the video for Back To You, and how she asked for sushi and he was like HA no, we don't have sushi here. Just introducing someone who didn't live that life to the intricacies and excitement of something simple in a place that you love can be a really grounding experience.

Angels Fly:

This one was a really hard one for me, because I had an immediate thought and then I was like ... IDK if I wanna talk about that one, it seems tooooooo personal (if you had the same thought as me you'll know exactly what I mean). I think it can be a comforting song - there are definitely good lyrics for that in there (You'll be okay, we can talk tomorrow .../...I wanna hear all that, but right now / you know it's not where we're going). But it also almost feels like a song you would write in retrospect after losing someone. There's a theme running through here of saying "it's alright, I know you're hurting or you have something to say, but there's always tomorrow, we can wait, take your time" when we all know that there isn't always tomorrow. Shit happens. We lose people. And when I think of that, the last bit of the chorus makes a kind of haunting sense (If every star is an eye in the sky / you'll see angels fly) - it makes me think of telling a dying child that they're going to heaven, trying to make things seem beautiful when they're terrifying and horrible. Either way, this song rips me apart in both the best way of someone actually caring to come and take care of me when I feel like shit, and in the worst way of losing someone and not having the time you thought you had with them.

Holding on to Heartache:

This song is 100% about One Direction and how Louis felt lost and resentful after the band went on hiatus. I truly can't hear it any other way, and unless I'm crazy, he pulled off some pretty clever lyrics that lead me to this very point. The whole first verse is very much a person looking back, seeing something for what it was instead of what it felt like in the moment (we knew that all would change / creates the strangest feeling / just slowly waiting for the end). He still thinks about it often, how they lived every moment thinking it couldn't get bigger, better, but they also knew there was a time limit on it, something they ignored steadfastly until they couldn't anymore (The moments as they came .../... because we faded into darkness .../... I can still hear a clock that's ticking). Louis has said himself that he was finally finding his place, his confidence in the band, and then they were on a break and it wasn't something he wanted or was ready for, and I think, in holding onto that pain, he stopped himself from embarking on his solo journey for a long time. He didn't understand, he wanted answers (the questions that I'd ask you / "where did it all go wrong?"). Then the bridge - the glorious bridge that I can't wait to scream on tour with him - hits, and you can feel what he felt - the sensation of suddenly being on his own (you know the party's over / when you're standing in an empty space alone), the realization that he would need time to recover (And time can always heal you / if you let it make its way into your bones), the raw honesty towards himself (Nothing's ever easy / to be honest, I'm not easy on myself) and towards the others' careers (The second that I see you / the space between us just comes flooding back). As he fades out the last chorus, in comes again the realization that he might need to let go of any lingering resentment, because in the end, this was what was always going to happen with the circumstances they were surrounded with.

And it was at this moment on my tenth listen that I realized that some of the lyrics were referencing (in my opinion) One Direction songs - "It's gonna drag me down"; "the moments as they came"; "the nights, they change in seasons"; "the space between us just comes flooding back". These could be coincidences, of course, but I think Louis is clever with his writing, and that this might have been intentional.

That's The Way Love Goes:

This song surprised me with how much I liked it, and I think it's all down to the fact that this is not at all your typical love song, but rather the opposite. He's consoling a friend who broke up with their girlfriend, trying to pull them out of the funk they've been in since the relationship ended with a little tough love (Here are some words I know that you don't wanna hear / "I think she's moved on, mate, it's almost been a year") and just explaining to them that they aren't the only one to experience this, that it's a universal experience (that's the way, that's the way love goes). Then there's a beautiful callback to Miss You (Remember when you told me I should give it time?) and kind of a nudge to get a move on, put your shoes back on and rejoin society, it will all be okay in the end. And the brutal honesty in explaining that the level of pain felt directly correlates to how much you loved that person (When it cuts you, when you bleed / that's when you're feeling it the most). It's a beautiful song of reassurance in the classic Louis way, and a great way to end an album - on a sense of hope for a better, brighter future.

There was this one other point that I wanted to make about Louis as a lyricist - Louis does this thing where he changes the lyrics from the first to second verse/pre-chorus (See Bigger Than Me - All of these/those voices; All This Time - I/you still doubt that what i/you do can get me home; Out of My System - Gotta get it off of my chest/out of my head; Saturdays - the ones that you wore when you walked out the door/but you're not here anymore) that I love because it's such a small thing but words have such impact, such power, and a small switch can hint at a large change in perspective.

This album is no skips, absolute perfection, and perfectly encapsulates who Louis is as a person, the things that he's experienced, and his ability to craft relatable stories through his words, be they personal or abstract. His voice was clearly made for this genre, and I can't wait to hear even more when he tours next year and when LT3 starts cooking.

#faith in the future #solo louis #louis tomlinson #new music #lyrical analysis #album interpretation #louis #fitf lyrics #harry styles #one direction #larry

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