Although Billie Eilish is a “role model” for many children around the world, the underlying meaning of her new song “Therefore I Am” is terrifying. It’s one thing to be completely satisfied with the way your body looks, but it’s another to be completely satisfied with the way your body looks. It’s one thing to release a video about how one doesn’t have to care for their body and can eat whatever they want, including unhealthy foods, thereby encouraging gluttony.
The underlying meaning of the song’s lyrics, “Therefore I Am,” is that a person can do anything to make their life more fulfilled. The music video for “Therefore I Am” promotes gluttony, implying that if it makes you happy, you can live an unhealthy lifestyle without taking care of your body.
Album Info
Single
Billie Eilish’s fourth single since the release of her Grammy-winning debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? presents a play on the famous philosophical quote, “I think, therefore I am.” Eilish tells those who try to use her name for clout to cut it out because she’s “not their friend.”
A self-directed music video was released alongside the song, in which Eilish is shown wandering through an empty mall, playfully grabbing snacks and drinks as she dances past the stores. She’s ultimately told off by mall security and runs out.
Intro
The lyrics of ‘Therefore I Am’ speak volumes for the “bad guy” when it comes to addressing society’s beauty standards for women. We agree that beauty standards are harmful. However, we should not go out of our way to eat unhealthy bakery items, as Billie Eilish does in her music video, in order to accept our bodies as they are. It’s one thing to advocate for self-acceptance and body positivity. It’s quite another to suggest that one can stop caring for one’s body and eat whatever they want, especially when Billie’s main fan base is made up of teenagers and pre-teens.
She implies that her behaviour is acceptable, even if the food you’re eating makes you obese or unhealthy. This is completely unacceptable, and Billie Eilish and her team should reconsider what they are promoting to their primary audience, which is primarily children. Billie Eilish is powerful enough to not care about her body, but that does not mean that everyone should.
Therefore I Am Lyrics Meaning
Let’s dissect the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘Therefore I Am’ by Billie Eilish section-wise in detail.
[Chorus]
I'm not your friend
Or anything, damn
You think that you're the man
I think, therefore, I am
I'm not your friend
Or anything, damn
You think that you're the man
I think, therefore, I am
This was the second version of her pretending to be a “bad guy,” and we all saw that coming. In the very least, the song “Bad Man” was enjoyable. Every aspect of this new release is problematic. Billie Eilish appears to be hesitant to change herself by listening to other people’s opinions. She’s rather stating unequivocally that she doesn’t care what other people think of her, even though those views aren’t all negative.
Now, this is a grey area; on the one hand, I applaud and admire her courage in defying society’s arbitrary standards; on the other hand, we are social animals, and while some of the standards are unfair and unjust, others may not be, and should be followed.
[Verse 1]
Stop, what the hell are you talking about? Ha
Get my pretty name out of your mouth
We are not the same with or without
Don't talk 'bout me like how you might know how I feel
Top of the world, but your world isn't real
Your world's an ideal
The narcissism that resulted from her power and influence may have contributed to her reluctance to alter. She wishes for others to refrain from discussing her. However, given her power over youth, her portrayal of “gluttony is acceptable” into them is deeply troubling and upsetting. Allow me to remind you that the only way for a person to mature and reinvent themselves is for them to be willing to change.
Star kids like Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone, Lindsay Lohan from The Parent Trap, and even Justin Bieber have done it before. Early fame and fortune can lead to a sense of recklessness, and learning how to deal with it takes time. Billie may be going through a similar phase and is expressing it through her song.
[Pre Chorus]
So go have fun
I really couldn't care less
And you can give 'em my best, but just know
The rude and nihilistic attitude toward people who give you advice, even though it is uninvited, is a narrow way of life. It’s one thing to be self-assured enough to follow one’s values; it’s quite another to be unable to hear what others have to say. When you’re told not to have an unhealthy diet, not everybody wishes to take away your independence. So, ladies and gentlemen, get to the gym. Pay no attention to Billie Eilish on this one.
[Chorus]
I'm not your friend
Or anything, damn
You think that you're the man
I think, therefore, I am
I'm not your friend
Or anything, damn
You think that you're the man
I think, therefore, I am
[Verse 2]
I don't want press to put your name next to mine
We're on different lines, so I
Wanna be nice enough, they don't call my bluff
'Cause I hate to find
Articles, articles, articles
Rather you remain unremarkable (Got a lotta)
Interviews, interviews, interviews
When they say your name, I just act confused
It’s real that Billie Eilish has received a lot of criticism from the public for her body and how it seems. However, encouraging children to be gluttons is not a good way to challenge the media and assert your strength. She believes the papers are tarnishing her reputation. She, on the other hand, is doing so by spreading one of the seven deadly sins to her core audience of children who will watch Eilish yawn for hours on end.
[Pre Chorus]
Did you have fun?
I really couldn't care less
And you can give 'em my best, but just know
[Chorus]
I'm not your friend
Or anything, damn
You think that you're the man
I think, therefore, I am
I'm not your friend
Or anything, damn
You think that you're the man
I think, therefore, I am
[Bridge]
I'm sorry
I don't think I caught your name
I'm sorry
I don't think I caught your name
[Chorus]
I'm not your friend (I'm not your friend) Or anything, damn You think that you're the man (They wanna, they can try) I think, therefore, I am (I am) I'm not your friend (Friend) Or anything, damn (They wanna) You think that you're the man (You're the man) I think, therefore, I am (Therefore, I am)
Conclusion
The gluttonous vibe presented in the song “Therefore I Am” is inappropriate. Because of society’s beauty expectations, certain people are able to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. As a result, the music video denigrates obesity and overweight people.
Some Fun Facts About The Song
1. The music video was filmed inside the shopping mall, Glendale Galleria. Billie Eilish has been a very loyal customer since she was young.
2. Billie actually admits the video to be careless and this is not the type of influence her core audience full of children should be exposed to.
About the artist
Billie Eilish
18-year-old global pop-phenom Billie Eilish has fast become one of the biggest stars to emerge since the release of her debut single “ocean eyes,” and continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout, Billie’s album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? debuted at #1 in the Billboard 200 in the U.S, as well as in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland and many more. It is now the biggest North American debut of the decade (male, female or group), shifting 313,000 units in the first week and has already hit NUMBER 1 in the Billboard 200 album 3 times since its release in March, earning Billie more than 15 billion combined streams worldwide to date – and has won her 5 GRAMMYs (Best New Artist, Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album). Billie is currently on her sold-out WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WORLD TOUR and about to embark on her Arena WHERE DO WE GO? WORLD TOUR.
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Eilish
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/billieeilish/
