Reneé Rapp said in an interview with BBC News that Shy is a song about how she felt “smitten and nervous” around her current girlfriend Towa Bird after recently getting out of a relationship
[Verse 1]
It's hard to make me nervous
Much easier to piss me off
But whenever you're around, babe
I kiss the ground you're walkin' on
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, what a good time to be alive
I'm good at keepin' it cute, but on the inside
I'm freakin' out, thinkin' 'bout how bad I need you
[Chorus]
Don't handle me with care
When you're pullin' my hair
Baby, ruin my life
I want it bad, I swear
That I'm really not scared
I'm just a little bit shy
[Post-Chorus]
So shy, yeah-yeah
So shy, yeah-yeah
[Verse 2]
I'm violent when I'm drinkin' (Ah-ah-ahh)
I'm violent when I'm sober too (Ah-ah-ahh)
Mm, I'm useful in a bar fight (Ah-ah-ahh)
But my hands work differently on you
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, what a good time to be alive
I'm good at keepin' it cute, but on the inside
I'm freakin' out, thinkin' 'bout how bad I need you (Ooh-ooh)
[Chorus]
Don't handle me with care
When you're pullin' my hair
Baby, ruin my life
I want it bad, I swear
That I'm really not scared
I'm just a little bit shy
[Post-Chorus]
So shy, yeah-yeah
So shy, yeah-yeah
[Bridge]
Come on and cross my heart and hope to die
I'm thinkin' somewhere in between your thighs
I wanna mark it up like "X" and "O"
'Cause, baby, I'll do things your exes won't
Come on and cross my heart and hope to die
I'm thinkin' I'll try yours and you'll try mine
I wanna mark it up like "X" and "O"
Okay, now take off all your clothes
[Chorus]
Don't handle me with care
When you're pullin' my hair
Baby, ruin my life (Yeah, yeah)
I want it bad, I swear
That I'm really not scared
I'm just a little bit shy (Shy)
[Post-Chorus]
So shy, yeah-yeah
So shy, yeah-yeah
Shy was written by Reneé Rapp & Ali Tamposi & Mikky Ekko & Alexander 23 & Omer Fedi.
Shy was produced by Omer Fedi & Alexander 23.
Reneé Rapp released Shy on Fri Aug 01 2025.
The hardest like definitely like without question was ‘Shy’ because ‘Shy’ started as a ballad and one that I had spearheaded and I like wrote this whole hook for it that was actually called ‘Handle with Care,’ that was like about me falling in love with my girlfriend and being so uptight and scared...
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