New Person, Same Old Mistakes | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

New Person, Same Old Mistakes

Happy New Year from Tame Impala

1455
New Person, Same Old Mistakes

What better way to bring in the New Year than with a New Year’s resolution and Tame Impala’s song “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.”

You may have already come across this song through Donald Glover's Atlanta FX series, Rihanna's cover featured in her ANTI album, or simply through being a Tame Impala fan.The last track on the Australian pop/psychedelic rock band’s album Currents represents what many of us face during the New Year: the battle to become a better self. How many promises do we make to ourselves on January 1st? How often are these promises, goals, and wishes forgotten or abandoned after a few months or even a few days? It is no secret that getting rid of old habits and stepping into unknown territory is difficult, whether that be dealing with the world outside ourselves or the world within us.

The song depicts the challenges of trying to be a new person yet always ending up in the same position over and over again. It seems as if the song is written in a dialogue form between one’s own conscience and one’s self. “Feel like a brand new person (but you make the same old mistakes).” The song reveals the opposing sides of Kevin Parker, lead singer, writer, and producer of Tame Impala. A side of him which is eager to explore his new found self and a side of him that seems to revert back to the same ways or “same old mistakes.”

Parker’s dilemma may resonate with many of us when attempting the whole “new year, new me” getup. It is a scrimmage between our pessimism and our optimism. The lyrics also allude to a person who is aware that there is an audience with judgment. We may be afraid or hesitant to change because we know someone is watching us. In fact, these are the sentiments Parker first shares in the first verse of the song: “I can just hear them now/ ‘How could you let us down?’” However, towards the end of the song Parker realizes that it should not matter to people, his life does not correspond to them: “I know that you think it’s fake/maybe fake’s what I like.”

We may be shook when attempting to fulfill our resolutions, promises, and goals because of the pressure of others and feeling as if we have to hold up a certain image of yourself, but Parker reminds us that it is not a battle between us and the world, rather us with our own self. Each hand with a sword.So remember, change is difficult, nevertheless it is worth the long fight if it's a fight for your own self-love.

And so your journey commences! Sing along with Tame Impala along the way! There's a song for it all! ;)


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

3492
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302419
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments