We all have parts of ourselves that make up a whole. The part that fears the spotlight and the one that craves attention, or the one that is cautious with its rival that longs to feel reckless. No one is one single person all the time, we are all puzzles with different pieces fitting together to create a work of art. She, in my opinion, is Harry dwelling on that part of himself that he longs to express, that part of ourselves we all hideaway, but all long to show the world.
Those parts of yourself that you hide become the focal point of our daydreams, you never really can push them away forever. You can play pretend and tell yourself it’s not there, but you always hear it nagging in the back of your head. After a while, it becomes the only thing you can see and hear, consuming your sight and plaguing your mind. When I hear She, I am reminded of the girl I wish to be, the girl I never could be. She only lives when my eyes are closed, but when she is allowed to, she truly exists with no regrets. I think what Harry is telling us with this track is to not let your fear control who you are. Let all the different parts of yourself shine through brilliantly.
And while the lyrics and story behind this beautiful track weren’t enough, the melody behind it is absolutely breathtaking. From the first beat, you know this is going to be one you remember. At certain parts, you can do nothing but let the music wash over you, engulfing you in a wave of goosebumps and psychedelic melancholy. In its 6minutes, She takes you on a journey that ends with Mr. Mitchell Rowland becoming an absolute madman on the electric guitar, leaving fans and Harry starstruck.
Burying the true parts of yourself does nothing but leave you smothered. So discover all the puzzle pieces and put together the beautiful work of art that is your soul. Don’t let your fear restrict you from becoming the truest form of yourself you can be.
Bri’s take-
We all have that version of ourselves that we’ve created in our head, maybe they’re fearless, reckless even, maybe they’re happy-go-lucky, or maybe they’re just living in a state of pure blissful contentment. Regardless, we all have someone we wish we could be but are too scared to let out for whatever reason.
This track tells the story of a man who has someone else living inside him, who he tries desperately to conceal but wishes he could let out. If we label the man as Harry, in my interpretation of the track, She is about the feminine side of Harry and even other sides of him who live inside, but out of fear of not being accepted he has to keep them hidden away and present what he believes the world desires to see. This track expresses a deep need for freedom, while also expressing a confusion and a fear that festers deep within. The lyrics to this track also suggest that identity comes and goes and that there is almost a fluidity to the question of who you are. I come back to this track often debating what it's about and I think that's the beauty to it. It raises questions of what makes you who you are, and how easy is it for you to change. Harry sings, “I don’t know who she is /… / she, she lives in daydreams with me, and I don’t know why / I don’t know where she is,” which shows how we may come to face times where we lose all sense of self and identity and reassures us that it's alright to be unsure of who you are, but not to let any part of us go unseen despite the fear that lurks within. This track directly speaks to my interpretation of the album that it is essentially about self-acceptance, discovery, and is a message to all of the sides of Harry and is telling him that there is someone inside of him who he hasn’t fully met, but is meant to be shown. In a sense, this song reminds me of the legend, David Bowie, and how he would express every part of himself with no shame whether it be Ziggy Stardust or the Thin White Duke.
Aside from the lyrics, the instrumentation of this track is truly masterful, with the inclusion of a guitar solo from Mitchell Rowland that takes you on a journey, making the 6 minutes pass faster than you realize, and leaves you in awe of the talents of Rowland. There is a deep psychedelic thrill to this track that is relentless and doesn’t let you breathe. It features haunting trills and deep baselines that just carry you through the melancholic voyage of wondering who you are, it is both a terrifying experience and a comforting one.
She is just one of those tracks that is an experience and it sounds as though it would perfectly fit onto a Pink Floyd album or could be one of the darker Beatle’s tracks. The psychedelic, almost jazzy, classic rock sound of this song is beautiful and the tale it tells though heartbreaking offers a sense of comfort to anyone who doubts who they are. It is a message to embrace the confusion and uncertainty and to let go of fear in favor of authenticity.
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