Ex’s & Oh’s Lyrics
Well, I had me a boy, turned him into a man
I showed him all the things that he didn't understand, woah
And then I let him go
Now there's one in California who's been cursin' my name
'Cause I found me a better lover in the UK, hey-hey
Until I made my getaway
[Pre-Chorus]
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
'Cause I'm the best baby that they never gotta keep
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave
[Chorus]
Ex's and the oh, oh, oh's
They haunt me like ghosts
They want me to make 'em oh, oh, oh
They won't let go, ex's and oh's
[Verse 2]
I had a summer lover down in New Orleans
Kept him warm in the winter, left him frozen in the spring, my, my
How the seasons go by
I get high and I love to get low
So the hearts keep breaking and the heads just roll, you know
That's how the story goes
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
'Cause I'm the best baby that they never gotta keep
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave
[Chorus]
Ex's and the oh, oh, oh's
They haunt me like ghosts
They want me to make 'em oh, oh, oh
They won't let go
My ex's and the oh, oh, oh's
They haunt me like ghosts
They want me to make 'em oh, oh, oh
They won't let go, ex's and oh's
[Guitar Solo]
[Pre-Chorus]
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
Climbing over mountains and a-sailing over seas
One, two, three, they gonna run back to me
They always wanna come, but they never wanna leave
[Chorus]
My ex's and the oh, oh, oh's
They haunt me like ghosts
They want me to make 'em oh, oh, oh
They won't let go
Ex's and the oh, oh, oh's
They haunt me like a-ghosts
They want me to make 'em oh, oh, oh
They won't let go, ex's and oh's
About
Elle King sings about her old lovers and how they all come back to her wanting her love.
In the song, Elle King flips the stereotypical “love ‘em and leave 'em” mentality by ascribing it to a female singer through a series of biting innuendos.
The title, “Ex’s and Oh’s,” simultaneously evokes Tic-Tac-Toe, signaling that the singer treats relationships as a game, as well as plays off of colloquialisms for past relationships (Ex’s) and climaxes (Oh’s).
Trisha Yearwood similarly has a song called “XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl).”
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“Ex’s & Oh’s” peaked at #10 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
On January 20, 2021, “Ex’s & Oh’s” was certified 4x multi-platinum by the RIAA.
- 2.Ex’s & Oh’s
- 10.Jackson
- 11.Make You Smile
- 12.See You Again
