On her gorgeous and unique single “Eulogy,” Liang Lawrence mourns the end of a relationship and reflects on the decisions that brought it to a close.
follow our Today’s Song(s) playlist
Stream: “Eulogy” – Liang Lawrence
“Eulogy,” a stunning song from singer/songwriter Liang Lawrence, draws you in from the very beginning, thanks in large part to its unforgettable opening lines:
Intentional or not
I keep on wearing black out to the shops
Now we’re talking outside Tesco
And it looks like I’ve been mourning for months
With lyrics like that, it’s no surprise that Lawrence has quickly become a rising star in the music world. The artist had a unique upbringing, living in eight countries before she turned 18. During this time, she taught herself to play guitar and started writing songs, finding comfort in music as one of the few constants in her life. Now she brings her unique experiences and perspective to her songwriting, telling stories from her everyday life that are clearly resonating with her growing legion of fans.
After such a striking beginning, “Eulogy” goes on to describe what happens when the artist, in her all-black outfit, runs into the person she used to be with:
I think that you notice
‘Cause you hug me like we’re grieving
Oh, I’m fine with you not loving me
I’m just not fine with still breathing
The situation unfolds in a way that is very theatrical and a bit surreal, and that’s the point. Lawrence explained the inspiration behind the song in a recent BBC Music interview: “I was thinking about how dramatic it all felt when I first broke up with my partner,” she said. “And I really wanted to kind of make fun of that difference — how you feel months later, you’re like ‘I’m so fine now,” but then months before you were feeling really horrible.”
While the song’s imagery and the details of the story it tells may be highly specific, it describes a scenario many people will likely find relatable — it’s that feeling in your stomach when you run into an ex out in the world, and the flood of emotions that accompanies such a chance meeting.
After this dramatic opening, “Eulogy” takes a more serious and reflective tone, with Lawrence thinking back to what caused the relationship to end and wondering if things could have been different:
If you knew all you had to do was say sorry
Would you do it over, do it over again?
Sonically, the song unfolds in three acts — the acoustic opening, a middle section that introduces drums and additional instrumental layers, and a final section in which a crunchy electric guitar accompanies Lawrence as she repeats the question she can’t get out of her mind: “Did you love me?”
But the version of the song that’s now on streaming services was far from the only arrangement Lawrence tried in the studio.
A snippet of “Eulogy” first went viral before the song even had an official studio version, so Lawrence and her team scrambled to record and release the full song after its initial success online. During this process, they continued to reinvent and tweak the song’s production.
“We must have gone through 40 versions of the song,” Lawrence told the BBC of the recording process.
Lawrence has also performed and recorded alternate interpretations of “Eulogy,” including a gorgeous, wistful acoustic version for that same BBC interview. This ability to reimagine her songs is a testament to the strength of Lawrence’s songwriting and musical creativity, and it makes me even more excited for her new EP What’s Dead and Gone, which will be released on July 26th via The Other Songs.
So now that we’re here
Shall I read you out my eulogy?
Oh, I’ll speak in remembrance
You can say all you should have said to me
And we’ll gather our friends
Paint a picture of an end
That’ll help them all find closurе
Spare the details of thе gore
You say wait ’til it blows over
And if you knew all you had to do was say sorry
Would you do it over, do it over again?
Do it over, do it over again?
Do it over, do it over
Both of these versions of “Eulogy” are excellent, but the acoustic arrangement has a different emotional impact than the studio version. While in the fully produced version of the song, the drums and electric guitars blunt some of the song’s sadness and give the listener lots of intricate musical layers to tune in to, the palpable tension between trying to move on from a previous relationship and feeling the need to revisit moments from the past has nowhere to hide on the acoustic rendition.
But no matter what instruments accompany Lawrence’s gorgeous, breathy vocals, “Eulogy” still ends with the same haunting question: “Would you do it over again?”
So sat in the first row
Will be all our closest family
We’ll give them all our thanks
And they’ll say “It was never meant to be.”
Once we lay this to rest
One last time we’ll go to bed
And for the first time in a long time
I won’t wonder if you love me
If you loved me, if you loved me?
Did you love me, oh, love me?
Did you love me, did you love me?
Did you love me?
Did you love me, oh, love me?
If you knew all you had to do was say sorry
Would you do it over, do it over?
— —
:: stream/purchase Eulogy here ::
:: connect with Liang Lawrence here ::
Stream: “Eulogy” – Liang Lawrence
— — — —
Connect to Liang Lawrence on
Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© Mila Austin
© Mila Austin
:: Today’s Song(s) ::
follow our daily playlist on Spotify
:: Stream Liang Lawrence ::
