“Octahate”, Ryn Weaver – Lyrical Analysis

LISTEN: https://m.soundcloud.com/rynweaver/ryn-weaver-octahate

Artist: Ryn Weaver is an up-and-coming American pop star. Her song “Octahate” was uploaded to her Soundcloud account a couple months ago and immediately racked up well over a million plays. As a result, many critics are predicting that the song and she herself will blow up in 2015. I am completely convinced of it as well.

Misconception: Honestly, Ryn Weaver is too new to the music scene to have had a general misconception made of her… as of now. But surely, her lyrics hold deep meaning.

Song: “Octahate”

Watch it. Watch it. Watch it.

The song starts off with a bubbly instrumental and Ryn speaking the words “watch it”. Here, she is telling the man who broke her heart to stay away from her. Last time she let him close, he broke her heart.

Lost in the cracks
Of the landslide.

Love came and hit Ryn out of nowhere. She didn’t see it coming and was most likely opposed to the idea of ever falling for a man. As a result, Ryn was awkward and disoriented at the beginning of her love relationship. This line suggests her inexperience with love. It’s safe to say, this song is a description of Ryn’s first serious relationship.

You saw me slipping on
My blind side.

She knows that it was evident to her lover that she was caught off guard. Often, when people first “fall in love”, it’s not very promising. Typically, when one meets another who treats them differently (maybe pampers them or makes them feel special) than others have, they waste no time and immediately dive into a love life with that person because they are excited. To summarize, this line tells us that Ryn didn’t know how to react to the temptation of this man’s love, so she just let it happen.

I’m feeling lost
Feeling tongue-tied.

This line continues to explain how love-struck Ryn was by this guy. She wasn’t thinking straight and lost control of herself.

And now I’m frozen
In your headlights.

Ryn is now talking about the current state of her relationship with this man. She allowed herself to fall for him without even evaluating whether or not it was a good idea. So, now Ryn has no idea how to escape him. Perhaps she thinks it would look bad if she suddenly showed a loss of interest in this guy after being all “head-over-heels” for him.

Deep in the haze
Of your love high.

Ryn is too far into this relationship now to simply escape it without causing drama.

I used to soar on
The live wire.

Ryn used to be happy with herself before this relationship. She was alive and independent. This line could also be describing how, at the beginning of the relationship, Ryn was “high in love”. Now, the honeymoon phase is over and reality hits her! This relationship is a joke.

I’m coming down
From your supply.
And I don’t know
If you can make right

By “supply”, Ryn is referring to the supply of love that her lover gave her to make her “high” for him and become thoughtless enough to fall in love. Ryn doubts that there is anything her man could say or do to make her stay.

[Chorus]
I can’t take it.
From the day I saw
My heart start breaking
No one saved me.

Notice that as the chorus hits, the beat of the song changes completely. Suddenly, Ryn’s vocals sound panicky and frustrated. This is a great sonic depiction of how eager she is to escape this relationship.
In this line, Ryn tells us that nobody warned her how troubling this relationship would be. Often when somebody falls in love, a friend or family member will object their relationship and try to steer them out of it if they sense it isn’t any good. Ryn is confused as to why nobody, herself included, could see from the beginning that falling in love with this man was not a good decision.

I can’t take it
Can’t believe I went and
Lost you baby
Earth keeps shaking, all around.
Oh you let me down.

Ryn can’t believe that a relationship that seemed so perfect in its first chapter could turn out to be so horrible. The “earth keeps shaking” line is depicted sonically by the hard foot-stomping instrumental.

And I can’t take it
From the day I saw
My heart start breaking
No one saved me.

Ryn is trying to figure out why, when her relationship took a turn for the worst, nobody had the decency to help her out of it.

[Verse 2]
Shot through the cracks
Of the earthquake
My body’s moving
Into retrograde.

Now, Ryn has finally escaped the relationship. Still, she is confused and upset by the whole ordeal.

I’m feeling loose
Feeling untamed.

For the first time in forever, Ryn feels like she has control over self. Her “shackles” are gone and she can move freely. However, her relationship has left her furious and she is incapable of controlling herself when it comes to wanting to repay her ex for all the trouble he caused her.

And you’re the dynamite
In my chains.

Ryn’s ex-lover is the reason and the motivation behind her anger.

Deep in the trench
Of the crossfire.
You shot me down
From the live wire.

When Ryn’s ex-lover began acting so out of character, she became aware of how delusional she was. Her man was a bad man and as a result she fell from his grip.

Tossed to the loss
In your love game.

Ryn’s ex-lover treated their love like a “game”. It was all just a joke to him and she lost because she couldn’t make it work.

You beat me cheek-to-cheek
And now I can’t play.

This man hurt Ryn to such a great extent that she can no longer be in love with him and his “love game”, or anyone else’s for that matter. What a horrible first-love experience.

[Chorus Repeat]

[Bridge]
Hit the ground
Running up from you.

Once Ryn finally “fell” from her ex-lover’s “love high”, she immediately took off. She didn’t second guess leaving him once she saw what a bad man he was. She ran and didn’t look back.

Baby you know I don’t want to
No I want you.

Ryn is telling her ex-lover that she didn’t want to leave him. She would’ve loved for their relationship to work out but he left her no choice. She had to do what was best for her.

But there’s nothing
Left to say.

Ryn doesn’t feel like she should have to further explain herself. The man’s bad behavior was very evident.

Lost in the riddle you gave me.

Ryn’s ex-lover must’ve said something very poetic and convincing to her that made her fall for him. This is usually how relationships start.

Caught in the middle.
You played me;
See so plainly.

It is so clear to Ryn, now that she’s left her man, that he was nothing he seemed to be. She can’t believe that she was so consumed with love that she couldn’t even see what was right in front of her.

But there’s nothing left to say…
I should’ve known
I should’ve known.

Ryn realizes that she should’ve known from the beginning that her lover was a bad man. It seems so obvious to her now.

[Chorus]

[Outro]
Watch it

Ryn is saying “watch it” as a way of warning her ex-lover to watch his back. She plans on getting revenge on him one way or another and he better be prepared.

Conclusion: Ultimately, what this song tells us is that love can be deceiving. Never be so love-struck that you can’t think for yourself and look beyond the first pretty words a person says to you. Don’t allow yourself to be so devoted to one person that you become delusional to who they truly are.