Jealous by Labrinth Song Meaning
If you are looking for the meaning of the song Jealous by Labrinth, you are not alone. This song has touched many people regardless of age and nationalities with its simple yet powerful lyrics and melody. I will try to explain what this song is about and why it resonates with so many listeners.
Jealous is a heart-breaking ballad that Labrinth wrote in Nashville with Josh Kear and Natalie Hemby. It was released in 2014 as the second single from his album Take Me to the Truth. The song is addressed to one of Labrinth’s parents, who left the family when he was four years old. Labrinth said that he wanted to write the song from the perspective of how his family felt at the time, but also make it relatable to anyone who has experienced loss, betrayal or abandonment.
The song starts with Labrinth singing “I’m jealous of the rain that falls upon your skin, it’s closer than my hands have been”. He expresses his longing for physical and emotional intimacy with the person who left him, and his envy of anything or anyone that gets to be near them. He continues with “I’m jealous of the wind that ripples through your clothes, it’s closer than your shadow”. Likewise, he feels like he is so far away from them that even their shadow is closer than he is. He also implies that they have moved on with their life and are happy without him.
The chorus reveals the main theme of the song: “I’m jealous of the nights that I don’t spend with you, I’m wondering who you lay next to. Oh, I’m jealous of the nights. I’m jealous of the love, love that was in here, gone for someone else to share. Oh, I’m jealous of the love”. Labrinth confesses his jealousy of not only the physical aspects of their relationship, but also the emotional ones. He misses the love that they used to have, and he is hurt by the fact that they have given it to someone else. He feels like he has been replaced and forgotten.
The second verse shows Labrinth’s vulnerability and regret: “As I sink in the sand, watch you slip through my hands. Oh, as I die here another day, ’cause all I do is cry behind this smile”. He compares his situation to sinking in the sand, implying that he is helpless and hopeless. He watches them slip away from him, and he feels like he is dying inside. Furthermore, he hides his pain behind a smile, but he can’t stop crying.
The bridge reveals the twist of the song: “It’s hard for me to say, I’m jealous of the way you’re happy without me”. Labrinth admits that he is not only jealous of what they have with someone else, but also of their happiness without him. He realizes that they are better off without him, and he wishes he could be happy too. He acknowledges that he has no right to be jealous, but he can’t help it.
The song ends with Labrinth repeating the chorus with more emotion and intensity, showing his raw and honest feelings. The song fades out with him singing “I wish you the best of all this world could give, and I told you when you left me there’s nothing to forgive. But I always thought you’d come back, tell me all you found was heartbreak and misery. It’s hard for me to say, I’m jealous of the way you’re happy without me”. He reveals that he still loves them and wants them to be happy, even if it’s not with him. He also reveals that he hoped they would come back to him, but they never did. Furthermore, he ends the song with a bitter irony: he is jealous of their happiness, but he can’t say it.
Jealous by Labrinth is a song that captures the pain and complexity of losing someone you love. It is a song that speaks to anyone who has ever felt jealous of someone else’s happiness, or who has ever wished for someone to come back to them. It is a song that shows how simple words and melodies can convey deep emotions and stories.
