Cigarettes Out The Window

TV Girl's 'Cigarettes Out The Window' is a poignant reflection on the remnants of a past relationship and the habits that symbolize the presence and absence of a loved one. The song's narrative revolves around the character Liddy, who smokes cigarettes as a coping mechanism for insomnia. The act of smoking here is not just a physical habit but also a metaphor for the things we hold onto and the difficulty of letting go, as evidenced by the repeated line 'Poor little Liddy used to always quit / But she never really quit / She'd just say she did.'

The repetition of 'Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window' serves as a chorus that emphasizes the act of discarding, which could symbolize attempts to move on from the past. However, the lingering smell on Liddy's shirt and the taste on her lips suggest that some remnants are harder to get rid of, much like the memories of a past relationship. The setting of Los Angeles, with its never-really-dark nights illuminated by billboards, adds to the theme of inescapability—the city's constant light is a reminder that some things are always present, just like the memory of Liddy.

The song concludes with a series of lines that evoke a sense of emptiness and unrequited longing. The moonlit nights, once a romantic setting, now feel empty because the calls to Liddy go unanswered. The interjected dialogue, 'You mind if I smoke?' and 'I always smoke in the theater,' adds a cinematic quality to the song, suggesting that the relationship and its end are both a personal experience and a performance for an audience. The song captures the essence of TV Girl's lo-fi, indie pop sound, which often features narratives of romantic melancholy set to catchy, nostalgic beats.