In an interview with Vulture, Michelle Zauner said of the song,
I wrote this song a long time ago; it was originally a Bumper song, which was a pandemic side project I did with Ryan Galloway. I was inspired by this Kenny Rogers song called “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,” which is about a war...
[Verse 1: Michelle Zauner]
Got lost on the way, I took a route
I didn't mean to follow down
And I was tempted, sure
But I have come home now
[Verse 2: Michelle Zauner]
Remember the day you picked me up?
You had me screaming, showing off
With all those lighter tricks I once was so fond of
[Chorus: Michelle Zauner & Jeff Bridges, Michelle Zauner]
And who am I to leave behind? We built this
And even when it falls apart, it's ours
But who could say that I'm to blame for wandering?
I never knew I'd find my way into the arms
Of men in bars
[Verse 3: Jeff Bridges]
Got back in the ring, I took a spill
I spent a while just tumbling down
Found my head again and took to a new town
[Verse 4: Jeff Bridges]
Remember the day I picked you up
Flicked on my torch, you hid it well
Humiliation tactics you'd become known for, you said
[Chorus: Michelle Zauner & Jeff Bridges, Jeff Bridges]
"Who am I to leave behind? We built this
And even when it breaks apart, it's ours"
But who could say that I'm to blame for wondering?
I never knew I'd wind up here to take up arms
With men in bars
Men in Bars was written by Michelle Zauner.
Men in Bars was produced by Blake Mills.
Japanese-breakfast released Men in Bars on Fri Mar 21 2025.