Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men
“Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men tells the story of a relationship facing the struggles of communication and understanding. It is a heartbreaking reminder of the impossibility of harmony between two people who are too caught up in their own issues, including the lead singer, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir.
The band emphasizes how difficult it is to tell the other person some of the deeper thoughts and struggles that we keep hidden away, illustrated through the opening verse, “Hey! Hey! Hey! / I don’t like walking around this old and empty house / So hold my hand, I’ll walk with you, my dear.” These lyrics portray the singer’s willingness to open up to their partner, but the fear of doing so or perhaps not being heard when they do.
The song continues with Nanna’s plea of being accepted and understood when she sings “We’ll be alright / You can run into my arms / It’s alright, I don’t mind.” The lines are both a reassurance and a call for understanding between the two of them.
The refrain is arguably the most heartbreaking part of the song. “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn/ But that’s alright, because I like the way it hurts.” This line serves as a confession of the singer’s self-destructive behavior as a way to cope with the current situation.
At the end of the song, the singer is finally resigned to the fact that communication has become too difficult between them. The last two lines of the song are, “But you’re not here; I’m glad you can’t see me / You said it yourself we’d be alright.” This shows that Nanna is accepting of the fact that the two of them may never quite be able to communicate in the way that they used to.
“Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men is an emotional and thoughtful song that delves deep into the struggles of communication within a relationship. Its lyrics offer both a reflection on the difficulty in opening up to someone but also a message of hope, that somewhere beneath the hurt and misunderstanding, two people can still have a meaningful connection.