Liability

"Liability" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer Lorde, serving as promo single for her sophomore studio album Melodrama (2017). It was written by Lorde and Jack Antonoff, who also produced the song. In a interview with Zane Lowe, Lorde said, “I love the song so much and it feels so starkly truthful to me. And I think everyone knows what that’s like, to just feel like a fucking liability.” She also explained: ‹‹I’m really proud of this bit of songwriting. I feel like I got somewhere they hadn’t been before, which is always a nice feeling as a songwriter. It’s interesting because I had this realization that because of my lifestyle and what I do for work there’s going to be a point with every single person around me where I’m gonna be attacks on them in some way. If it is having to give up a little portion of their privacy or their life becoming more difficult or whatever. It was just this moment of sadness and I remember it so vividly. I was in this cab alone listening to “Higher” by Rihanna because ANTI had just come out. And I had a little cry and I was just like, “It’s always going to be this way, at some point with everyone it’s going to be this way.” But the song kind of ended up turning into a bit of a protective talismans for me. I was like, you know what, I’m always gonna have myself so I have to really nurture this relationship and feel good about hanging out with myself and loving myself. And the tone of the melody, the way it kind of falls around, it’s almost like it’s kind of drunk or it sort of leans around, it’s got this hip-hop cadence to it.›› It follows Melodrama’s “Green Light,” which she co-wrote with Antonoff and Joel Little and co-produced with Antonoff and Frank Dukes.

[Intro] One, two [Verse 1] Baby really hurt me, crying in the taxi He don't wanna know me Says he made the big mistake of dancing in my storm Says it was poison So I guess I'll go home into the arms of the girl that I love The only love I haven't screwed up She's so hard to please but she's a forest fire I do my best to meet her demands, play at romance We slow dance in the living room, but all that a stranger would see Is one girl swaying alone, stroking her cheek [Chorus] They say, "You're a little much for me, you're a liability You're a little much for me" So they pull back, make other plans I understand, I'm a liability Get you wild, make you leave I'm a little much for e-a-na-na-na, everyone [Verse 2] The truth is I am a toy that people enjoy 'Til all of the tricks don't work anymore And then they are bored of me I know that it's exciting running through the night But every perfect summer's eating me alive until you're gone Better on my own [Chorus] They say, "You're a little much for me, you're a liability You're a little much for me" So they pull back, make other plans I understand, I'm a liability Get you wild, make you leave I'm a little much for e-a-na-na-na, everyone [Outro] They're gonna watch me disappear into the sun You're all gonna watch me disappear into the sun