“VBS”, which stands for “vacation bible school", is the third single from Home Video. In the song, Dacus talks about her experiences attending vacation bible school, where she met her first boyfriend.
[Verse 1]
In the summer of '07, I was sure I'd go to Heaven
But I was hedging my bets at VBS
A preacher in a T-shirt told me I could be a leader
Taught me how to build a fire and to spread The Word
In the evening, everybody went to worship and weep
Hands above our heads, reaching for God
Back in the cabin, snorting nutmeg in your bunk bed
You were waiting for a revelation of your own
Sedentary secrets like peach pits in your gut
Locked away like jam jars in the cellar of your heart
Waiting to be tasted and ultimately wasted
You were gonna win me over from the start
[Chorus]
Your poetry was so bad
It took a lot to not laugh
You say that I showed you the light
But all it did, in the end
Was make the dark feel darker than before
[Verse 2]
Your dad keeps his sleeves down through the summer for a reason
Your mother wears her makeup extra thick for a reason
When I tell you you were born and you are here for a reason
You are not convinced the reason is a good one
While you're going to sleep, your mind keeps you awake
And it makes your heart beat fast and loud
There's nothing you can do, but the only thing you've found:
Playing Slayer at full volume helps to drown it out
[Chorus]
Your poetry was so bad
It took a lot to not laugh
You say that I showed you the light
But all it did, in the end
Was make the dark feel darker than before
Dark feel darker than before
Dark feel darker than before
VBS was written by Lucy Dacus.
VBS was produced by Lucy Dacus & Jake Finch & Jacob Blizard & Collin Pastore.
Lucy Dacus released VBS on Wed May 19 2021.
VBS means vacation bible school, and I went to tons of them. It’s where Christian parents send their kids over the winter, spring, or summer breaks from school to get closer to God, maybe learn some outdoor skills, and bring home useless crafts and totems like fruit of the spirit sand art and purity...
I don’t want my identity to be that I used to believe in God because I didn’t even choose that, but it’s inextricable to who I am and my upbringing. I like that in the song, the setting is [Vacation Bible School], but the core of the song is about a relationship. My first boyfriend, who I met at VBS...