From The Dining Table, Song Meaning and Lyrical Interpretation
This is another sad song from Harry's album.
Woke up alone in this hotel room
Played with myself, where were you?
Fell back to sleep, I got drunk by noon
I've never felt less coolWHAAAAT? When I heard this verse, I was shook. Harry Styles masturbates?!?!?!!? My boyband fangirl heart was SHOOK. (I have already reacted to this line here But I felt like I had to react again).
But to be honest, that line is pretty crass and out of the blue. I understand why Harry mentions it, he wants to portray himself as defeated and hopeless. He's alone, masturbating, day drinking - he knows he is a mess.
We haven't spoke since you went awayUnlike Ever Since New York, I think this sad song is about a relationship. Harry and his lover had a fight and Harry wishes so much that she would call him and make up. Harry is always the one who calls. It looks like Harry is the one who loves more in this scenario.
Comfortable silence is so overrated
Why won't you ever be the first one to break?
Even my phone misses your call, by the way
Harry's ex lover has moved onto a new man and he is jealous. This is similar to Woman.I saw your friend that you know from work
He said you feel just fine
I see you gave him my old t-shirt
More of what was once mine
I do wonder what boyfriend would wear his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's shirt? Maybe she just never mentioned it was her ex-boyfriend's shirt? Still, it's a little weird - just throw your ex-boyfriend's shirt away - don't gift it to your new boyfriend.
"More of what was once mine," means that she was once Harry's.
I see it's written, it's all over his faceMaybe the girl's new boyfriend doesn't mind her inability to communicate. Harry's ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend are both okay with comfortable silence which Harry think is overrated. He wants the girl to say what she really feels.
Comfortable silence is so overrated
Why won't you ever say what you want to say?
Even my phone misses your call, by the way
I like Harry imagining that the phone feels the same way. The phone also misses having her name light up on it's screen. Maybe it makes Harry feel better that something else feels the same way he does.
Maybe one day you'll call me and tell me that you're sorry too
Maybe one day you'll call me and tell me that you're sorry too
Maybe one day you'll call me and tell me that you're sorry too
But you, you never doI love these lines and how they repeat over and over again. These lyrics are filled with such passionate longing. Harry is hoping for the impossible.
Woke up the girl who looked just like youHarry does have a type when he dates - models. So it makes sense that one of his hookups looks very similar to the girl he is longing for. Here, it's like Harry is trying to distract himself with other women but they just remind him of her.
I almost said your name
We haven't spoke since you went awayHarry wishes so badly that she would just magically call. And then they would talk and work out their problems and get back together. The longing is intense with this one.
Comfortable silence is so overrated
Why won't you ever say what you want to say?
Even my phone misses your call
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Why do you assume he is singing about a girl
ReplyDeleteSAME LMAOOOOOO the fact tht he always uses gender neutral pronouns whn asked wht he looks for in a girl or whatever. says " not tht important " as well. his medicine song lmao
DeleteFor the fact that he says "...woke up the girl who looked just like you I almost said your name..."
DeleteIf he was singing about a girl he would have said woke up a girl who looks just like u. But tge fact that he says the girl, makes it seem like like theres only one girl or few girls tbat look like the person he is singing about Therefore i think he was singing about or to a guy.
DeleteEXACTLY
DeleteHe also did ‘woke up next to the girl who looked jsut like you’, now tell me which boy looks like a girl?
DeleteIt has been explained that the line "play with myself" was not about masturbation🤔
ReplyDeleteSo dear Directioner it is clearly about Mr zayn Malik.
ReplyDeleteAccept it or not!
zayn and gigi are together, get help
DeleteThe song is about Harry losing contact with his former bandmate/boyfriend louis tomlinson.. not zayn lol
DeleteIt's not about zayn it's about loui lol
Deleteits not about any of them...its a woman...calm down
Deletethank you
DeleteHarry said in an interview "played with myself meant that he played with his thoughts. I'm guessing Brits have some interesting expressions... for example, knock you up used to mean wake you up, not at you pregnant. And to the people saying Harry is talking about a guy, read the lyrics! He always uses female pronouns. That's all😊
ReplyDeleteMaybe its just me but where do you see the female pronouns in this song?
Deletewhen did he use female pronouns??
Delete"woke up the girl who liiks just like you"
DeleteHe never uses female pronouns babe
DeleteI absolutely love this song. I love how you can get a sense of how crushed and empty and consumed with emotion all at once he's managed to make me feel.
ReplyDeleteThis song is about Tess Ward, a London food blogger. Hence the title "From the Dining Table. The link below and read the article about a Gucci red shirt Harry wore and was later seen on Tess Ward on two different occasions. The lyrics say ......
ReplyDelete"I saw your friend that you know from work
He said you feel just fine
I see you gave him my old T-shirt
More of what was once mine"
Two thoughts on the lyrics above:
1) Harry actually saw his Gucci shirt on her new mate, or
2) A play on the words "old T-shirt" to represent Tess Ward. Meaning the new man she is in a relationship got her (his old t-shirt) after he had her already. A bit of a dig.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3516100/harry-styles-new-girlfriend-tess-ward-spotted-wearing-the-stars-designer-shirt-as-pals-say-their-romance-is-heating-up/
I believe Harry saw the Gucci shirt on Tess Ward's new boyfriend because Harry says "More of what was once mine". Tess figured an expensive Gucci shirt should not be thrown away and should be worn. A Gucci shirt is expensive.
ReplyDeleteThis person who wrote this is delusional it is clearly about a man (Louis William Tomlinson)
ReplyDeleteand by God (your choice or none), it is about Louis William Tomlinson, because that's who we have decided it's about. I got your back Larrie, bro.
ReplyDeletethis song is not about a woman...
ReplyDeleteGuys its about Zayn Malik Trust me .....
ReplyDeleteOne line it says " woke up alone in this hotel room ,played with myself where were you "
Zayn and harry always slept together on the same bed in literally every hotel room even niall said in a interview that if z and h don't sleep on the same bed together they will go mad clearly harry was used to waking up with zayn next to him in those years
Next line " fell back to sleep,got drunk.." Joe Cummings tweeted like in 2015 that harry was up late at night whith him getting heavy drunk because he and zayn had a big fallout arguing explains why near where zayn left they looked like they weren't on god terms.
Next line "i see its written its all over your face, comfortable silence is si overrated" From the whole band Zayn was the one who suffered alot silently he had a eating disorder yet didnt tell any of the band members and he never really talked that much in jnterveows and was always silent and quiet.
Next line "why won't you say whatever you wanna say " zayn again was always quiet and never really said what he wanted to say and just smiled. Also the line "even my phone misses your call by the way" harry and zaym had a 2am phone call the day before Z left on 25th and they were both crying on the phone because harry didn't want Z to leave
Next line "we haven't spoke since you went away" Since zayn left the band he hasn't been in touch with harry no call no text this line clearly says that harry is saying to zayn that you and I haven't spoke since you left meaning that he wants to talk and make up.
Next line "Maybe one day you'll call me and say your sorry to" harry is still upset with zayn that he left him and he really wants to talk to zayn and say that they are sorry to eachother. " but you , you never do" this line clearly is about zayn from the band he is clearly the moody and stubborn one and its clear that he never calls any of the band members he just talks about them in interviews.
So yh this song is clearly about MTPR ZAYN MALIK
yall stans are litertally insane why are you assuming its about a man lol, just accept the fact that hes straight
Deletei think it might be about camillE rowe. the song gives me model vibes and he dated her after kendall and their both models so maybe she reminded him of kendall idk
ReplyDeletei just read the comment about the tess ward theory. very possible - from the shirt to the DINING TABLE because shes involved with recipes and stuff as her job - very possible.
ReplyDeletenow im confused ive seen many possible theories hahahh
the zayn malik theory is very convincing - i must admit. howeverrrr this song is clearly romantic and i doubt theres anything romantic between harry and zayn. dunno.
ReplyDelete“From the Dining Table” ,I believe, is about Louis Tomlinson. “Woke up alone in this hotel room, played with myself where were you?” Louis always had his friends from Doncaster on tour in later years. Harry felt alone and left out. He no longer had the same close relationship with Louis that he pined for. “Went back to sleep , I got drunk by noon, I never felt less cool”. Harry drowned his loneliness and sorrow with drink. He was the one to bring up the idea of a hiatus ,which Louis resented, and their r/sp suffered. Louis was always snidely remarking how Harry was “so cool.” saying “well aren’t you just the king of cool!” Harry says “he never felt less cool”... so appearances aren’t always what they seem. “We haven't spoke since you went away comfortable silence is so overrated”...suggest that they are in each other’s vicinity on a daily basis but no longer speak. They choose to keep things comfortable by not rocking the boat and upsetting the dynamics of the band even further. But Harry thinks this silence of pretending everything’s okay with them to the public is overrated because he feels awful and wants Louis to say what he really wants to say. But he never does. Louis never calls him to go out or go anywhere. They also went their separate ways after the band and most likely didn’t communicate... except when Louis’ mom passed away. I think Louis’ songs “Miss you” and “Back To You” are about Harry, and seem to be a response to “From the Dining Table.” As Harry and Louis used to live together, Harry always saw them as a domestic couple, so maybe FTDT title is him imagining them back in that setting talking it over and settling their differences once and for all .
ReplyDeleteAlso, Louis wrote “Habit” and in the song lyrics he mentions Princess Park where he and Harry shared an apartment together. “Come so far from Princess Park. I’ll always need you in front of me...”
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehi please no one come for me but are we just not going to talk about how in "too young" (a song about meeting the love of your life at a very young age and being forced apart by people who "said a love like this would never last") louis sings "face to face at the kitchen table/ this is everything i've waited for" and this song is literally called "from the dining table"...? like they're so loud PLEASE
ReplyDeleteThis exactly!
Delete