“Nettles” is a song by Ethel Cain originally posted as a demo to her Tumblr and SoundCloud accounts on August 18, 2021, and officially released on June 4, 2025.
It acts as the lead single for her sophomore album, ‘Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’. She confirmed its appearance on the then-EP...
[Instrumental Intro]
[Verse 1]
We were in a race to grow up
Yesterday, through today, 'til tomorrow
But when the plant blew up
A piece of shrapnel flew and slowed that part of you
The doctors gave you until the end of the night
But not 'til daylight (Not 'til daylight), not 'til daylight (Not 'til daylight)
Time passes slower in the flicker of the hospital light
I pray the race is worth the fight
Made a fool of myself down on Tennessee Street
It wasn't pretty like the movies
It was ugly, like what they all did to me
And they did to me what I wouldn't do to anyone
You know that's for sure
[Chorus]
Tell me all the time not to worry
And think of all the time I'll, I'll have with you
When I won't wake up on my own (Wake up on my own), wake up on my own
Held close all the time, knowing I'm half of you
[Post-Chorus]
(Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm)
(Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm)
(Mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm-mm)
(Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm)
(Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm)
[Verse 2]
Lay me down where the trees bend low
Put me down where the greenery stings
I can hear them singin'
"To love me is to suffer me", and I believe it
When I lay with you in that auld lang room
Wishin' I was the way you say that you are
You'll go fight a war, I'll go missing
I warned you, for me, it's not that hard
[Pre-Chorus]
That picture on the wall you're scared of looks just like you
I wanna bleed, I wanna hurt the way that boys do
Maybe you're right and we should stop watchin' the news
'Cause, baby, I've never seen brown eyes look so blue
[Chorus]
Tell me all the time (Tell me all the time) not to worry (Not to worry)
And think of all the time I'll, I'll have with you
When I won't wake up on my own (Wake up on my own), wake up on my own
Held close all the time, knowin' I'm half of you
Think of us inside (Think of us inside), after the wedding (After the wedding)
Sufferin' the while to lie a time or two
When we won't wake up on our own (Wake up on our own), wake up on our own (Wake up on our own)
Held close all the time, knowin' (Knowin')
This was all for you
[Post-Chorus]
Think of us inside
Gardenias on the tile, where it makes no difference who held back from who
[Instrumental Break]
[Outro]
To love me is to suffer me
Nettles was written by Ethel Cain.
Nettles was produced by Ethel Cain.
Ethel Cain released Nettles on Wed Jun 04 2025.
‘nettles’, the first single from my upcoming album ‘willoughby tucker, i’ll always love you’, is out everywhere now ♡
this was the very first song i ever wrote in the alabama house where i finally finished preacher’s daughter. i didn’t even realize what story i was writing yet but i think subconsci...
Spotify has an alternative artwork for this release.
HH: What do you remember about the first day that you started working on Nettles?
EC: I remember, I had just moved into my house in Alabama, like, not even a week before, I had no furniture set up. It was August. I think I wrote “Nettles” August 17th, 2021. I remember going outside, and it was a be...