by Daisy the Great & AJR · 2024
The song “Record Player” by Daisy the Great & AJR is about navigating feelings of nostalgia, individuality, and self-doubt while trying to find authenticity and meaning in a world that often feels repetitive and superficial.
This song has been Shazamed over 557,891 times. As of this writing, Record Player is ranked 176
‘Record Player’ by Daisy the Great & AJR is a song about feeling different and finding your place in the world. We’re going to break down what the lyrics mean and why people love this catchy tune. ⬇️
️ The song paints a picture of quirky individuality—blue hair gone green, vintage dresses, and a record player that’s not so vintage after all. There’s a bittersweet, nostalgic mood that lingers as the narrator grapples with fitting in and feeling real in a world that often feels staged.
The chorus spins like the record player itself: “I’ve got a record player that was made in 2014 / Dyed my hair blue, it came out a seasick sort of green.” We hear the struggle of wanting to be unique, even if it doesn’t always turn out as planned, and how these small acts of rebellion are really just attempts to feel something authentic. We’re drawn into the daydream—pretending we scraped our knees climbing trees, chasing the feeling of being alive even if it’s just a story we tell ourselves.
In the verses, the singer confesses to feeling stuck—“I’m in an elevator, it’s goin’ down, down, down”—while everyday life feels like it’s on endless replay, like a simulator on loop. The lines “Sometimes I think all I’m ever doin’ is trying to convince myself I’m alive” hit especially hard, echoing those restless moments when we wonder if we’re really living or just performing. Each lyric is a tiny rebellion against monotony, a soft cry for realness in a filtered world.
Then there’s the self-aware performance: “Crack a smile, crack a smile… am I holding for applause?” It’s a clever wink at how we sometimes play to an invisible audience, unsure if anyone’s even watching, not quite sure if we’re meant to keep smiling or finally let down our guard. Throwing the phone into the waves and heading out to Monterey isn’t just escapism—it’s a desperate wish to break free from the endless loop and actually feel awake.
Ultimately, ‘Record Player’ is about searching for authenticity amid the static—reminding us that the messy, imperfect details of our lives might be the most genuine things we have.
Writer(s) of Record Player:
