“Bravado” is the opening track of The Love Club EP. It’s about the struggles of being a socially awkward introvert around extroverted people.
Lorde says this on the inspiration for this song:
I am quite reserved in general and I’m not a very confident person. But I knew I was about to be entering...
[Verse 1]
All my life, I've been fighting a war
I can't talk to you or your friends
It's not only you
My heart jumps around when I'm alluded to
This will not do
'Cause I was raised up
To be admired, to be noticed
But when you're withdrawn, it's the closest thing
To assault when all eyes are on you
This will not do
[Verse 2]
I'm faking glory
Lick my lips, toss my hair
And turn the smile on
And the story's brand new
But I can take it from here
I'll find my own bravado
[Chorus]
It's a switch flipped
It's a pill tipped back, it's a moon eclipse, whoa
And I can tell you that
When the lights come on, I'll be ready for this
It's in your bloodstream
A collision of atoms that happens before your eyes
It's a marathon run
Or a mountain you scaled without thinking of size
I was frightened of
Every little thing that I thought was out to get me down
To trip me up and laugh at me, but
I learned not to want
The quiet of a room with no-one around to find me out
I want the applause, the approval
The things that make me go, "Oh"
[Instumental Break]
[Chorus]
It's a switch flipped
It's a pill tipped back, it's a moon eclipse, whoa
And I can tell you that
When the lights come on, I'll be ready for this
It's in your bloodstream
A collision of atoms that happens before your eyes
It's a marathon run
Or a mountain you scaled without thinking of size
I was frightened of
Every little thing that I thought was out to get me down
To trip me up and laugh at me, but
I learned not to want
The quiet of a room with no-one around to find me out
I want the applause, the approval
The things that make me go, "Oh"
[Produced by Joel Little]
Bravado was written by Joel Little & Lorde.
Bravado was produced by Joel Little.
I’m quite a shy person, I guess in general. Bravado is putting on a front, like a false confidence sort of. So it was about me having to terms with having to be in the limelight, having to have that degree of confidence to get up in front of people and do something like this(singing live).
- Lorde