Drift Down

“Drift Down” by TV Girl delves into the ephemeral and often disheartening nature of romantic relationships. The song paints a vivid picture of unreciprocated feelings and the inevitable drift that occurs when two people are not on the same emotional wavelength. The opening lines, “Face it kid / She never really did,” suggest a harsh realization that the affection or love one person felt was never truly returned. The metaphor of words falling “like spit into her drink” emphasizes the futility and insignificance of the speaker’s attempts to connect, highlighting a sense of rejection and disillusionment.

The song continues to explore the theme of emotional distance with the imagery of one person lying awake, contemplating how long it will take to return to their own space and find another “cloud to drift on.” This metaphor suggests a desire to escape and find solace elsewhere, indicating a transient approach to relationships. The idea of drifting on a cloud conveys a sense of aimlessness and the search for temporary comfort, rather than a stable, lasting connection.

In the second verse, the focus shifts to the perspective of a woman dealing with the fleeting nature of male affection. The line “Boys were made to fly away” underscores the notion that men are inherently transient and unreliable in their romantic commitments. The imagery of standing on a chair, trying to reach an angel in mid-air, symbolizes the futile effort to grasp something unattainable and pure. The repeated phrase “drift on / and drift down” encapsulates the cyclical nature of these fleeting connections, where moments of hope and elevation are inevitably followed by a return to reality and disappointment.