Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: indie-pop
Song Meaning of “Eric” by Mitski
Eric is a song about lost love and how people cope with it. It is deeply nostalgic and painfully honest, with Mitski exploring her emotions and vulnerability. The song is about a past relationship with someone named Eric who she misses and loves, even though it has ended.
The song speaks of feelings of longing, guilt, heartache, and regret, as Mitski sings of how she wishes she could take back some of the things she said or did during the relationship, asking “Should I have kept you from leaving?” Her memories of Eric are bittersweet, as she remembers the good times laced with the pain of missing him. The lyrics focus on how easy it is to forget when you love someone, or how you can never truly know what someone else is thinking – “Was I just a warm body for you?” All of these feelings together demonstrate the complexity of love and how it can be hard to let go.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with Mitski coming to terms with her decision and realizing that she can continue to love him, even if they are no longer together – “Love made it clear, I’ll keep you in my heart”. Through this song, Mitski shows how lost love can be hard to cope with, but also how it can be transforming as it helps us grow and move on from pain.