Weeknd Down Low
Badomero Schoulund
The Pop Song Professor project is all about helping music lovers like you to better understand the deeper meanings of popular song lyrics so that you know what your artist is saying and can enjoy your music more.
I'm going to give you a peek behind the curtain. This may be the only song explanation you've ever read or ever will read by me, but I want to take a moment to be transparent. I'm sitting on my couch in my living room at 1 in the morning furiously typing out this song meaning explanation. It's two cold in here, and I'm exhausted.
And I'm writing this because I whole-heartedly believe the The Weeknd's music is going to go big and that many people are going to be asking what his songs are about. That's why you're here after all, right?
But here's the thing: "Party Monster"'s meaning is different than many of the other songs I've explained: "Can't Feel My Face," "Starboy," "The Hills," etc. A lot of the time, he'll get solemn in his songs, and he'll get into some deeper meaning-of-life discussion or reverie. Not so with "Party Monster" or "I Feel It Coming" for that matter. I recommend you check out my post explaining "I Feel It Coming," and you'll see what I mean there too.
But I have a theory. I think that the song "Starboy" is a self-aware acknowledgment of his party-boy status, and I think for that to stand he has to release songs like "I Feel It Coming" and "Party Monster" because they represent the party-boy status he was talking about. If he doesn't release these songs, then "Starboy" means nothing, right?
At the most basic level, "Party Monster" is about having sex with a wildly attractive woman (a woman who is possibly in a relationship). This song really cements The Weeknd's life as a "Starboy" as it emphasizes him not even knowing the name of the woman he wakes up next to in the morning. His lifestyle certainly is wild, and as the title predicts, "Party Monster" is going to tell us more about that.
In the bridge, which oddly is the first stanza in "Party Monster," The Weeknd sings, "I'm good, I'm good, I'm great / Know it's been a while, now I'm mixing up the drank." The Weeknd is doing well and enjoying life. The "been a while" may reference sex; he appears to be on the lookout for a possible hookup. To emphasize this, he sings, "I just need a girl who gon' really understand"--a girl who will do sex his way and perhaps one that understands his need to have sex.
It doesn't take The Weeknd long to find a girl. He finds a particularly sexy one who he has "seen . . . get richer on the pole." She pole dances and can hold her alcohol quite well. The Weeknd has seen her "take down that tequila / Down by the liter . . ." After seeing her aggressive and confident "accomplishments" in these two areas, he realizes, "I knew I had to meet her."
He meets her and sings, "Oh, she mine, oh, girl, bump and grind," as they sexy dance on the dance floor. In describing her, he sings that she has "lips like Angelina [Jolie]" and an "ass shaped like Selena [Quintanilla]." He appreciates her physically, and that's enough for him for now.
In the chorus, The Weeknd sings, "I'm like, got up, thank the lord for the day / Woke up by a girl, I don't even know her name." After having had sex the night before, he's especially happy and optimistic about life, but it's a lonely optimism. This woman who he shared a night with--he doesn't know her name or much about who she is. But it doesn't matter. he had the sex he wanted, and his life is going well.
In the second verse of "Party Monster," The Weeknd sings about his drug use: "I've been popping, just took three in a row." He's popping pills to stay high, and he's ready to have sex again. He sings, "I'm down to do it again, I'm on a roll." But now he's got competition: "I've seen 'em outside tryna reach her." Other men want to be with her; he appears to be in her house and to have seen them passing by or knocking on the door.
But he also finds out that she has a boyfriend. Of course, she tells him that she's "tryna leave him" and that The Weeknd is "the reason." But The Weeknd doesn't believe her. He sings, "Tell me lies," because he knows that this is just a temporary thing. He wants her to say she's his, and he tells her, "I'm yours for the night." This is a temporary arrangement and won't last long. He's okay with that because all he really wants is sex right now. He sings, "Head by genius, dick game be the meanest." Sex matters, and relationship doesn't right now, but he's okay with that.
In the third verse of "Party Monster," The Weeknd refers again to thanking "the lord for the day." He sings again, "Woke up by a girl, I don't even know her name," but he adds, "Bitches in a my new spot, crowdin' up my space / Had to check the safe, check the dresser for my chains." Apparently, this happens after his fling with the original woman. Apparently, there are many women willing to have sex with him, but he can't trust them. He's worried that they're trying to steal from him. Or, perhaps, this woman is the one he's worried about, and he's referring to other women who want to be with him.
In the interlude, The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey sing, "Paranoid / Paranoid / Paranoid / But I see something in you." He likes her, but he's conflicted. He doesn't trust her, but there's something different about her, and he may like her in spite of originally only caring about sex with her.
It tells a lot about where The Weeknd is at that he's willing to invoke expressions of love like "I'm yours" while simply admitting that he only really wants sex from her. This really is the "Starboy" personality shining through, and it's interesting to see how he deals with it. In the interlude, he hints at there maybe actually being something to the relationship. He sings, "But I see something in you." Maybe there's hope for this relationship to actually be something more than sex. Maybe it can grow and mature.
Hi! I'm a university writing center director who teaches literature classes and loves helping others to understand the deeper meanings of their favorite songs. I'm married to my beautiful wife April and love Twenty One Pilots, Mumford & Sons, Kishi Bashi, and so many others!
Louis Tompros: In general, copyright law gives copyright owners the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, or display their works, and to create derivatives of those works. I think of the impact of AI on copyright in two categories. One is the rights that AI-generated material itself has, and the second is what rights someone might have that they can assert against AI-generated material.
HLT: We saw the song get scrubbed from TikTok and some other places it initially appeared on the web, thanks to attorneys representing Universal Music Group. What are their best arguments for why it should be taken down?
At the end of the day, both of those things need to be held in balance. For the last 100 years, there has been a constant effort in copyright law to keep up with new technologies in a way that continues to create incentives and protect artists.
Tompros: I would love it if there could be a thoughtful and robust statutory amendment to the Copyright Act to try to address these changing technologies. I think that is probably unrealistic, in part because doing any kind of federal legal change is hard, and we add on to that the fact that the Copyright Act has to synchronize with a variety of international treaties. So, I think the odds of there being AI-focused Copyright Act statutory changes are quite low, though not impossible.
The Weeknd, known for his moody and often introspective music, delves into the complexities of desire and dependency in his song 'Coming Down.' The lyrics paint a picture of a person grappling with the aftermath of indulgence, likely in the context of substance use and the party lifestyle that often accompanies fame. The repetition of 'All alone' at the beginning sets a somber tone, emphasizing the isolation that the artist feels despite being surrounded by the trappings of success.
The chorus, 'I always want you when I'm coming down,' suggests a cyclical pattern of seeking comfort in a significant other during the vulnerable moments following a high. This dependency is portrayed as a double-edged sword; it provides temporary solace but also highlights the protagonist's inability to cope with the lows of life on their own. The Weeknd's candid admission of his flaws and the consequences of his actions ('Girl I been bad again') reveals a struggle with guilt and the desire for redemption in the eyes of someone he cares about.
The inclusion of Japanese lyrics towards the end of the song adds a layer of complexity, hinting at a deeper, perhaps personal narrative that might not be fully understood by all listeners. It suggests a plea not to be angered and an acknowledgment of past mistakes that the other party may not be aware of. The Weeknd's music often explores themes of excess, love, and the darker side of fame, and 'Coming Down' is a poignant example of how these elements can intertwine to create a haunting reflection on the human condition.
Poppin' again, I tried to quit again
I'm always tight with something I begin
That's why my niggas got me to the end
Supply what I take, I take what I spend baby
I ain't lied to nobody but me
And you, and me
But you especially
I always want you when I'm coming down
I always want you when I'm coming down
I always want you when I'm coming down
I always want you when I'm coming down
I always want you when I'm coming down
I always want you when I'm coming down