Released in 2013, Girls/Girls/Boys is an extremely popular song that represents the singer’s experiences with bisexuality. The song was written by Brendon Urie and Dallon Weekes. The song reached #31 on the Billboard music chart for U.S. Hot Rock and Alternative Songs.
Panic! At the Disco is a band that was originally started by Brendon Urie and his childhood friends. The band released its first album in 2005. After seeing many changes in band members as well as the kind of music they produce, the band is now one of the most well-known in the world.
Brendon Urie is synonymous with the band’s name, being the founding member and the musician that the band has been associated with throughout. He is known for his bold choices in creating different kinds of music rather than sticking to tried and tested genres that are guaranteed to be popular with audiences.
What does the title mean
The title presents the two main themes of the song, bisexuality and polyamory. The three words in the title are commonly understood to refer to a threesome, a practice that questions the traditional idea that only two people can be in a romantic or sexual relationship.
The title repeats the word “girls,” also suggesting bisexuality. It indicates that in the polyamorous relationship it refers to, two people identify as female and the third identifies as male.
The slashes between the words are also interesting and unusual. They are similar to a practice in fandom culture in which a slash is put between the names of characters who are in a romantic or sexual relationship.
Verse 1 – What does it mean
“I don’t wanna hear you’ve got a boyfriend
Sometimes you’re better off alone
But if you change your mind, you know where I am
Yeah if you change your mind, you know
Where to find me
‘Cause I don’t ever wanna be your boyfriend”
In the first line, the singer is in denial about his partner being in a relationship with someone else. He says he does not want to hear about it. From the very start, the song startlingly questions the traditional idea that one must always be in a relationship. He says that sometimes one is better off alone.
The line “I don’t ever wanna be your boyfriend” is very significant in the context of relationships. In conventional relationships, people use terms such as “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” to show their relationship status. But here, the singer says he doesn’t want to be the other person’s boyfriend, even though it’s clear that he has feelings for them.
So, the first verse seems to indicate that he wants an unconventional relationship that doesn’t use traditional labels to define the roles of the people in the relationship.
What does the pre-chorus mean
“And never did I think that I
Would be caught in the way you got me
Push another girl aside and just give in”
The pre-chorus shows the person’s mindset of pain and confusion. Their lover did something they were not expecting. They did not expect to be entrapped in such a situation.
Thus the pre-chorus anticipates an unexpected situation that takes the song forward into its main refrain.
What does the chorus mean
“Girls love girls and boys
Girls love girls and boys
And never did I think that I
Would be caught in the way you got me
But girls love girls and boys
And love is not a choice”
These iconic words celebrate different kinds of love and sexualities. The unexpectedness portrayed in the previous lines is developed in the chorus into a full-fledged celebration of how girls can love both girls and boys.
The classic line “love is not a choice” seems to be a response to those who think that being in a same-sex relationship is a ‘choice’ or a ‘lifestyle’. This line supports equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community by pointing out that we are born the way we are, and no one chooses who to love. Love just happens, and it’s outside our control.
Verse 2 – What does it mean
“Pose, you’ve gotta save your reputation
They’re close to finding out about your girlfriend
But if you change your mind, you know where I am
Yeah if you change your mind, you know
Where to find me
‘Cause I don’t wanna save your reputation”
The word “pose” has very interesting associations in terms of how we play roles in society. Our cultural contexts tell us how to behave, how to dress, and how to play our roles, especially in relationships.
In this context, the word refers to how the girl being talked about doesn’t want society to know about her girlfriend. She thinks that her reputation will be affected if people find out that she is in a same-sex relationship. This is a very common situation faced by people from the LGBTQ+ community, who constantly have to hide themselves away and pretend to be someone they’re not.
However, the singer makes it clear that he is open-minded and that he accepts the relationship. He says that he doesn’t care about reputations. Such a thought is very inspiring and encouraging to anyone who may be afraid to love whom they want to because of societal pressures.
What does the bridge mean
“I am just a villain vying for attention
From a girl
A girl who can’t decide and here’s the reason why”
The word “villain” has very serious associations in the context of this song. Society always makes it seem as though queer people are monsters. It sees them as abnormal while it celebrates hetereosexual and monogamous people.
By embracing the label of “villain,” the singer reclaims a negative word, just as people have reclaimed words such as “queer” from negative connotations. The words we use have very far-reaching implications. This use of a negative word also reminds us that we should choose our language carefully while talking to others. Language should always be inclusive and respectful of different kinds of identities. It should not brand people as monsters and make them feel that they are excluded from society.
The girl in the song is confused, torn between different people because social conditioning has told her that she can’t love two different people of different genders at the same time. The singer is trying to encourage her to be true to her own feelings without caring about what society thinks.
Conclusion
The lyrics of Girls/Girls/Boys are deceptively simple. The song could be seen superficially as being about a boy who wants a threesome with two girls. But it also has more serious implications.
As the singer tells us throughout the song, its primary message is to tell us that there is nothing wrong with unconventional relationships. Same-sex bonds and polyamory are not ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’ things that are practiced only by ‘villains’. The song assures us that it’s much more important to follow our own hearts than worry about what society thinks of us.
