Softly

Producer

After coming out in May 2018, Clairo began releasing more songs that openly used female pronouns. Leading into the more overt track “Sofia,” “Softly” sees Clairo confessing… Read More

Aug. 2, 20191 viewer160.7K views

Softly Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Is it alright
To feel this way so early?
But am I blind?
All the sweet nothings fallin' in love overnight

[Pre-Chorus]
Didn't mean to get so close
And I know that I should probably go
But I got this feeling
Tell me, girl, I gotta know

[Chorus]
Touch you softly, I call you up late at night
Know that it isn't right, but you could be my one and only
You get me in the mood, know what I'm tryna do (Oh)
Do you think that we can move closer, baby?
I want you, yeah, yeah (Ooh)

[Verse 2]
And all my life
Been wanting this forever (Mm)
And in my mind
Think of ways to ask you "Why don't you come over sometime?"

[Pre-Chorus]
Didn't mean to get so close
And I know that I should probably go
But I got this feeling
Tell me, girl, I gotta know

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[Chorus]
Touch you softly, I call you up late at night
Know that it isn't right, but you could be my one and only
You get me in the mood, know what I'm tryna do (Oh)
Do you think that we can move closer, baby?
I want you, yeah, yeah (Ooh)

[Outro]
And I don't care what they say
And I don't care what they say
Care what they say to me, I'm doing it differently
Baby, I'm doing it differently

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About

Genius Annotation

After coming out in May 2018, Clairo began releasing more songs that openly used female pronouns. Leading into the more overt track “Sofia,” “Softly” sees Clairo confessing her love for another girl, a feeling she battled with as a teenager.

She told them in May 2019:

I’ve been struggling with this my whole life. I know I love people and I’m acknowledging that as something that’s happening to me.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What have the artists said about the song?

Genius Answer

I’m also talking about girls in that song – when you see a girl that’s just so beautiful and you’re falling in love overnight and you just have all of these pure-hearted emotions. When you first start to like someone, it’s exciting and it’s fun, and to me, when I hear that song, I picture someone frolicking down the middle of a New York City street being so in love, kind of like that scene in ‘(500) Days Of Summer’ where he’s just dancing and there’s a flash-mob and he’s just so happy about this girl. That’s kind of the feeling that I have, but it’s more me looking at this girl across the room and she doesn’t know anything. She doesn’t know how I feel, but I’m stoked on her.

– Clairo, Coup De Main Magazine

What did Clairo say about "Softly"?

Genius Answer

I remember walking into Rostam’s studio and being like, ‘I want to make a Sisters With Voices song!‘ I just really wanted a song that felt like it could be in a teenage high school movie. I wanted that “Unwritten” Natasha Bedingfield feeling but for me and my experience. Rostam started doing that crazy guitar and it was history from there.

– Clairo, for triple j

Translations

Genius Answer

• Spanish Translation

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