⋆ ♫｡ Song of the Week ˚♬ ﾟ⋆

Maggots for Brains 

- Olivia Rodrigo

Listed as track number 4 on Olivia Rodrigo's third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,  Maggots for Brains introduces the upcoming reoccurring themes of co-dependency and "head over heels" lovesickness expressed throughout the album. At an all time high of infatuation with a partner or love interest, at the same time causing one of the lowest lows one can feel, described as "being practically catatonic and unable to function properly without her partner..."

Which, at the risk of embarrassing even myself with the admission, is an experience I know all too well. It's one of those feelings I couldn't possibly wish upon even my own worst enemy. 

Maggots for Brains opens up with a pretty self explanatory verse, letting the listener know we're probably going to be relating on some level to this song. A connection with another person, that has reached the level of feeling like we need the other person all the time. 

"My day was so mundane, I don't think I left the house

Drank a pot of coffee, tried to write, nothing came out"

As a creative, this obsession may become our inspiration to create. To write, to sing, to draw. Without them, we reach an art block, unable to create without our muse.

" I'm a zombie in my body, I'm a train off of the track

I feel dirty, I feel rotten, and the colors are all flat

I'm a sad shell of a woman and I've got maggots for brains

But that's just the thing that happens when my

When my baby goes away "

It comes to the point that when we are not with them, we lose parts of ourselves. We become a shell of what we were before. Wondering how we even managed to exist before meeting this person. Functioning by ourselves is no longer something we feel we can do. We lose the energy, the motivation to do even the simplest of things if it's not with them.

"And sometimes, at a low point, I even wish for a tragedy

'Causе I know he'd come over and takе real good care of me "

Venturing out into a part of growing up for some, especially for children of neglect (emotional, physical, mental), is something we don't really talk about often for fear of shame. A wish that something bad might happen to us, that way we would hopefully get the attention of those who should be giving it to us. Some act out early in their childhood, getting into trouble or getting in a situation that might cause harm to them so that the adults meant to care for them might finally pay attention. A cry for help.

While this song might not be delving that deep, at least into that experience in childhood, it still touches on the intrusive thoughts of "would they care if something bad happened to me?"

" What can I do

But think of you? "

Maggots for Brains is still in the first half of the album, where we are still in the "lovesick" phase, and convincing ourselves that this is normal. This isn't limerence, this is love. It's just part of the "ups and downs" of love, surely. It's normal to feel this way, this intensely, to the point of a depressive phase when we're away from this person. Right? 

You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love does an amazing job at portraying the rollercoaster of emotions that is love, or what we think is love in the moment. Starting off strong with head over heels love songs, slowly giving way to the harshest truths we don't like to confess or even think about, expressed in The Cure. This isn't love, this is obsession. And the longer we desperately try to hold onto this connection, we get worse. 

Our emotional state deteriorates, we can't function the same as before. We realize us holding on isn't helping, this connection with this person turns bitter. This person, or more this unhealthy attachment, is the problem, discussed in What's Wrong With Me. Our self confidence is nearly gone. Only in songs like Expectations are pulled back up, we're back at a high but it's different this time. We are free, we're more hopeful. We're raising our standards, we won't let that horrid attachment happen again.

At least, we tell ourselves that.