#this song brings me so much joy

[rachthepoet]

Sunflower, Vol. 6 Analysis

My baby, my darling, my decadent Sunflower, Vol. 6. Is this post just an excuse for me to sing my praises? To gush my heart out? Write a self-indulgent love letter to my favorite song? Absolutely. But won't you so generously entertain me with your time?

Sunflower, Vol. 6 holds genius on all the levels a mind can conceive — lyrical, musical — and I can't forget to mention the pure romanticism that induces a flush to my cheeks. Ahhh. Yet, somewhere, it remains one of his most underrated pieces. Harry's use of extended metaphor here is something I'll forever love, for he knows how to execute it well, and this song presents itself as a masterclass in said technique. Oh, my bad. Am I getting too ahead of myself again? If it wasn't clear, the beautiful sunflower is our metaphor here, with many layers to unravel. Petal by petal.

Here's a deep dive into Harry Styles' Sunflower, Vol. 6, from a poet. And your self-proclaimed residential sunflower connoisseur.

🌻Why Sunflowers? Why the Vol. 6?

First, we must talk Floriography, a grand love of mine.

Floriography is, simply put, the language of flowers. Every flower out there holds different meanings, often based on the species, variant, color, characteristics, or all of the above in combination. Floriography then, you see, is the art of communicating through flowers. It was popularized during the Victorian Era, though it's been around before then. It is a way to communicate without saying much at all. People would carefully select and organize a bouquet/floral arrangement to convey a specific sentiment to the recipient. Even the distinction between a single flower sent or a bouquet held significance and could convey very different messages. There's great nuance to such a subtle means of communication.

But, I don't want to overwhelm you. Sunflowers in floriography will be our focus. Sunflowers symbolize loyalty, love of life, adoration, and devotion. The symbolism derives from sunflowers being heliotropic — the flower's tendency to follow the sun across the sky as an instinctual part of its growth cycle. And, how about that, this leads perfectly to my first theory about the addition of the Vol. 6.

According to the National Sunflower Association and seen in the official sunflower production handbook, a sunflower has 9 stages of reproductive growth (R-1 to R-9). But, to honor your time, let's skip ahead to stage R-6 or, if you will, a sunflower's sixth volume.

"Flowering is complete and the ray flowers are wilting."

This is the peak of the sunflower's reproductive growth, as its seeds begin to ripen, signifying the sunflower reaching maturity. R-1 to R-5 is from seedling to fully formed. R-5 is where you can cut the flowers down, arrange them in a pretty vase, and display them on your windowsill. Or a centerpiece for your table. Which is beautiful, but only for a time. But, the flower cut during R-5 will never progress to R-6, and will never complete the full circle of its life. It's a catalyst, a moment of decision toward change, for the seeds to be harvested and replanted for one of nature's cycles to continue.

Now, let's use our newfound knowledge of a sunflower's growth, and apply it to the metaphor we see here: a growing relationship. Within said metaphor, stage R-6 would be the height of the relationship — a time filled with ecstasy, admiration, and realization. But, in companionship with change. Pulling from our now-shared knowledge of floriography, we know that sunflowers communicate loyalty, love of life, adoration, and devotion. Therefore, my theorization is that the relationship at the song's heart is one that he thought could last, be sustained, and remain at its peak. Stage R-6 is where it peaked, maybe one of many peaks. But the found nuance is how it has a possibility of going down, paralleling how the sunflower's seeds will soon fall. But, in this cascading, there can be rebirth (as in, letting the natural cycle continue, parallels fate). The 6th volume, the 6th stage, is the catalyst for the future's fate. He could've chosen to let this person go, to cut the "Sunflower" down, put them in a vase, and only look fondly upon them as his past. Rather, he wants to fight for them to make it to the next stage, to try and complete the cycle to come back renewed. But, also, there's still uncertainty and a lingering change. Maybe they'd come back together, maybe they wouldn't. But all would be worth it.

The Fine Line album is heavy on themes of change and grieving, and this song slides into that grand motif just fine. To me, this song does chronicle a pivotal time between the two characters — the speaker, presumed to be Harry himself, and the lover being serenaded with this piece.

Though the growth stage theory is the one I'm most fond of, I do have other thoughts and theories about that Vol. 6 addition. It never seems to escape my mind, I'm always thinking about it. Even just running in the background of my brain. And, well, it's always good to have your backups! So, let's run through them, yeah?

Numerology: Number 6 is considered the most harmonious of the numbers, holding close a representation of home, harmony, nurturing, and idealism. It's an embodiment of the heart and can represent unconditional love. Don't have any clue if Harry's ever read up on numerology, but! I still feel as if it's a possibility to be one of those odd things he'd pick a book up on. Number 6 in love, the numerology personality is a devoted lover, which ties back to sunflowers symbolizing devotion. And, I'll end this bit off by quoting a paragraph from Astrotalk:

"Though numerology number 6 does not readily fall in love, once they do, they would go to any length to ensure that their partners are happy and safe... They are concerned about ensuring a safe and healthy environment for their partner. These are enthusiastic people that express a lot of love..."

Erik Erikson: Erikson's theory of Psychosocial Development has a total of eight stages — and stage 6 is the psychosocial crisis of intimacy vs. isolation, with the developed virtue being love. Those who chose intimacy foster deep meaningful connection, which is something explored as an aching desire in Harry's songs before. In this sixth stage of development, the core question asks: WILL I BE LOVED, OR WILL I BE ALONE? A path to an enriched life paves if intimacy is chosen. But, if this stage is ignored, it can manifest into a fear of rejection and negatively impact the other stages. Frankly, I could even stretch to say that core question can be applied to the song itself.

The 6th Song About This Person in Fine Line / Continuation Chapter: A shorter theory, and a more personal one that I have already convinced myself people might not see eye-to-eye on, but that's totally okay! The structure of Vol. 6 led me to a mindset of books. Not a very hard mindset to lead me into, but I digress. Which, then, made me consider it being a continuing chapter or the next book in a series, metaphorically. Golden. Watermelon Sugar. Cherry. Falling. To Be So Lonely. And, then, Sunflower, Vol. 6. When I listen to the album, these all have a connecting red string for me. That's all I'm going to say for now, for an elaboration would be a whole new dissertation here. And I'm already so lucky you're sticking around for this long one.

Just Five Others Volumes: Admittedly the most mundane and easy explanation of the many, but shouldn't be ruled out. There could very well be just five previous versions of the song stashed in his personal vault. Sometimes, you have to go through many versions before arriving at a final version you love. As a poet, I get you Harry, and I feel you in that.

🌻Lyric Pull Apart

[INTRO] Sunflower

Though sounding like gibberish at the top, this intro sets the foundation for the poetry to bloom. It's Harry saying the word sunflower, but reversed, which sets us up for a cyclical experience... much like the natural growth cycle of our beloved flower. Or, even, the cycle of the rising and falling of the sun. Or, maybe, the sun moving and the flower following. The relationship at the heart of the song will circle back around, never truly wilting or fading. Embedded in the stylistic choice of the circle structure, this love transcends the standard timeline, moving beyond the chronological. For it's always circling back around to its heart, to its peak. To its sixth volume. [HINT: LISTEN INTENTLY LATER FOR THE TENSE CHANGES.]

We've solidified the sunflower's significance in Floriography, yes? Devotion? Now, I'm going to offer another perspective on the saccharine symbolism of Harry's sunflower — a comforting nickname for the person he's addressing throughout the song. And I'm going to bring in some poetry. Oh boy, am I — it's one of my favorites.

Sunflower Sutra is a poem by Beat poet Allen Ginsberg that I can vividly imagine Harry reading and stashing away to his inspiration bank. Ginsberg right beside Brautigan. There's always been this fond love inside me for the Beat Generation, how their writing is dirty, down-to-earth, and weird in the best ways a human could fathom. How the only right way to read their work is to rant it out. It's full of passion, and always about being alive, every part of it — and, truly, I see Fine Line, the album, the same, a celebration of being alive in all the flux. And Sunflower, Vol. 6? You're a part of it, baby!

"A perfect beauty of a sunflower! a perfect excellent lovely sunflower existence! a sweet natural eye to / the new hip moon, woke up alive and excited grasping in the sunset shadow sunrise golden / monthly breeze!"

In my interpretation (to which you are free to disagree with or add to), Ginsberg's sunflower represents something tarnished and battered but can be redeemed and grow in beauty again — all this he ponders alongside Kerouac. An anti-industrialization poem at its core, yes, but I do think it could've inspired Harry in some ways for this song.

I believe Sunflower, Vol. 6 can be read as a romantic reassurance hymn when studied through the lens of Ginsberg's poem. Something, or rather someone, beaten down but with the potential to bloom out of hardships. Maybe two someones. I see this narrative & nuance running rampant through the song and its core relationship. And, again, I believe we find ourselves back at the circle concept. The relationship at the heart of Sunflower, Vol. 6 continues to come back around to domestic comfort, a stabilizer despite their hardships, and I believe this to be a more fleshed-out reason behind the tense shifts seen soon. Though we've been beaten down by these outside forces, we will rise again — with the lesson of not letting circumstances make us believe we're something we're not.

"Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower? when did you look at your skin and / decide you were an impotent dirty old locomotive? the ghost of a locomotive? the specter and / shade of a once powerful mad American locomotive? / You were never no locomotive, Sunflower, you were a sunflower!"

The natural vs. the unnatural. Regarding Sunflower, Vol. 6, the natural here is Harry and his Sunflower, of course. The unnatural is whoever and whatever that is a negative outside force impacting the health of the relationship. Think of infected soil. Sunflower, Vol. 6 invokes such joy when listening, and that's because it's supposed to! It's a happy reassurance of love. Harry reassures his Sunflower that there will always be this sense of devotion, even when things fall. It circles. Like the sun. Like the flower.

"So I grabbed up the skeleton thick sunflower and stuck it at my side like a scepter, / and deliver my sermon to my soul, and Jack's soul too, and anyone who'll listen,"

[VERSE 1] Sunflower, my eyes want you more than a melody Let me inside, wish I could get to know you Sunflowers sometimes keep it sweet in your memory I was just tongue-tied

Sunflower, my eyes want you more than a melody: When you realize how much of a music nerd Harry can be, you'd come around to see just how fucking adorable this line is. He wants to see his Sunflower in person more than he wants to write a song or discover a new melody. More than he wants to envelop himself in his art. His life's passion. Like?? Oh, he's so loverboy for that.

HARRY, THE FOOL IN LOVE. A characterization I feel travels throughout the Fine Line album, in different lights as illustrated in each song. Illustrated multiple moments in this song.

Let me inside, wish I could get to know you: Get out of your dirty mind now. Urban Dictionary has rotted too many brains. He harbors a desire to get to know his Sunflower on a deeper level. Wants to be let inside their head and thoughts (as they're already in his?), their heart (because Sunflower is afraid of love?), and their world (desire to be invested in all that is them, an all-consuming type of infatuation). But, it's the phrasing that piques my intrigue. Wish I could get to know you. Saying wish implies hope, something hard to obtain, a dream almost. It gives off the notion there's some distance — maybe physical, maybe emotional — like there's a reason behind him not being able to fulfill this desire for transparency (something consistently asked for, despite his own character flaw of miscommunication). And, that's exactly what this is to me, another yearning for transparency, trust, and open communication — themes in the Fine Line album. Maybe, just maybe, this is something they're still working on, a hardship they're still trudging through. Maybe Harry doesn't feel he has that agency yet, still working on peeling back his Sunflower's leaves.

Sunflowers sometimes keep it sweet in your memory: He holds onto the good of the relationship rather than focusing on the pitfalls. The growth over the destruction. His memories of his Sunflower remain sweet and sunny by his conscious design. However... there's always been a way I've heard this line and, here I be, shamelessly wondering if anybody else hears it that way, too.

I hear this lyric in two separate intervals: Sunflowers sometimes and Keep it sweet in your memory, as if they're both interrupting the other. Has he gone tongue-tied, like he's about to admit himself to? Almost as if he's going to say something negative, but stops himself with reassurance instead? The reassurance in question is how he'll keep it all sweet in his head, in the melody, for the means of preservation, rather than dwell on the bad. This, then, ties back to the discussion of Ginsberg's poem and how this piece can be heard as a song of reassurance. One where he keeps getting oh so tongue-tied...

I was just tongue-tied: ... And speaking of getting tongue-tied! This common term is used when people can't find the words to communicate — and struggle with communication is one of Harry's common plights explored in his oeuvre. Also, this could be a cheeky little allusion to kissing. Tongues intertwined with each other in passion. And, god, we adore that, too.

[PRE-CHORUS] I don't wanna make you feel bad But I've been trying hard not to talk to you Sunflower (Sunflower, Sunflower!)

I don't wanna make you feel bad / But I've been trying hard not to talk to you: In what I believe to be a continuation of the line before, we witness more struggle with communication. We love an artist with a common theme! Harry makes it clear that it's not his Sunflower's fault, yet feels some intimidation knowing that he won't be able to stop himself from falling like a little boy (TBSL CONNECT / HARRY THE FOOL IN LOVE CONTINUES). Maybe he's had moments where he's tried to disengage out of bad habits but doesn't want his Sunfower to ever feel guilt around his actions. Sometimes he pulls back because of his feelings of embarrassment from being so tongue-tied. Sometimes he pulls back from moments of fear. Just as his Sunflower does, as well.

Sunflower (Sunflower, Sunflower!): A return back to a comforting nickname to soothe them, which brings us further into the Ginsberg-influenced perspective that this is a song of reassurance in romanticisms.

[CHORUS 1] I couldn't want you anymore Kiss in the kitchen like it's a dance floor I couldn't want you anymore Tonight (Tonight, tonight, tonight)

I couldn't want you anymore: Don't know about you, but I think this is such a beautiful way to say I love you. And, there's such a giddiness to it, such joy in the choruses in this part. As mentioned before, he keeps returning to this domestic sweetness and these sunny memories, and you can feel the distinct shift, even if the rest of the song rings joyfully. It's just a different kind of joy here, indicated by different instrumentals as our hint in the ear.

We have also found ourselves sinking into another moment of reassurance, reminding his Sunflower how much he desires them. Which is, again, more signs of devotion.

Kiss in the kitchen like it's a dance floor: Oh, this line. How I love it so! Kissing in the kitchen is a delectable image that emphasizes a commitment to building up a long-term relationship (leans into domestic scenery). Which is, you guessed it, another example of devotion. The added implication is that he wants to move forward, continuing this growth cycle with his Sunflower. As discussed prior with the sunflower's growth stages, stage R-6 is where the decision is made to allow the circle to complete naturally instead of harvesting the sunflowers at stage R-5.

This right here could be a reach of a connection, but I do get a little bell in my head reminding me of Two Ghosts from Harry's eponymous debut, specifically the lyric: THE FRIDGE LIGHT WASHES THIS ROOM WHITE / THE MOON DANCES OVER YOUR GOOD SIDE. Revisiting an older song, reflecting on past relationships, and reflecting on past emotions, then proceeding to flip it on its head. Feeling the improvement and the more healthy situation he's in now. Battered down, but potential for rebirth (Ginsberg's Sunflower Sutra).

I couldn't want you anymore / Tonight (Tonight, tonight, tonight): Then, the signal of devotion is repeated, and this desire can be both physical and emotional. Devotion can lend itself to reassurance, as I believe both are often interwoven. And, can't not give a quick shoutout to the captivating Queen vibes I get from the echoing chorus of tonight, tonight, tonight!

[VERSE 2] Wondering, headshake Tired eyes are the death of me Mouthful of toothpaste before I got to know you I've got your face hung up high in the gallery I love this shade, Sunflower, Sunflower Your flowers just died, plant new seeds in the melody Let me inside, I wanna get to know you

Wondering, headshake / Tired eyes are the death of me: Wondering, still getting to know things about one another often, there are still things left to mystery about his Sunflower. Headshake, a moment of disbelief. He can't believe his eyes, his luck, shaking his head to make sure it's not all just a dream or hallucinatory. Then, his Sunflower's tired eyes are the death of him. He swoons as they wake up together, in a moment where both are unguarded. Implications lead me to assume that they've spent nights at each other's abodes, painting intimacy. Domestic intimacy, with a delicate hand, is what we return to. Sleeping next to one another, waking up next to each other, and ending and starting the day together. Intertwined. The rising and falling of the sun. Another cycle, perhaps? Subtle?

Mouthful of toothpaste before I got to know you: A further continuation of the domestic intimacy illustrated before, as we remain in the same scene — or at least concept. I adore the visual I get from this — honeymoon phase, where he sneaks out of bed to brush his teeth before his Sunflower wakes up. And, with the line, Before I got to know you, it does seem to be an earlier stage. Much like the honeymoon phase. Get what I'm getting at?

I've got your face hung up high in the gallery: A revisitation to adoration, found representation back in the flower itself (Floriography), alongside devotion, etcetera etcetera. His Sunflower's face is hung up high (Golden connect, I believe), in a gallery where he's studying them, in a gallery like they are precious art to be looked upon in wonder. Up high with importance. In this, I believe he's saying that he'll never forget his Sunflower's face, almost memorializing them and their relationship.

"The sixth volume of the sunflower is the catalyst for determining the cycle's fate. Will the flowers be cut down and preserved in a vase temporarily? Or, will the flowers continue with the natural cycle, in a consistent death and rebirth?"

He reassures that he'll never forget them, and finds himself putting his Sunflower on a pedestal — but not having himself hung up high beside them, for he's the one in constant admiration (HARRY, THE FOOL IN LOVE). A manifestation of his appreciation for his Sunflower's beauty and sublimity. From the gallery, Harry can admire them, like one admires and studies a piece of fine art for hours and hours on end. Harry holds such great admiration for them, and they still manage to mystify him all the time.

And, we can't ignore the echo back to Cherry, my other favorite, and how these two songs contrast in both meaning and context — so, to include a line that connects them to one another is a clever move artistically, as it highlights the stark differences with such intent. As the listener moves step-by-step through the stages of grieving set up in the song order — a whole other discussion for another post — we are experiencing the fluctuation of life's experiences, including love. And this is, I feel, a core concept to the Fine Line album, which then trickles down to extend to each song integrated by artist's choice.

I love this shade, Sunflower, Sunflower: Continuing on from the gallery visual, this cute little line... hmm. I have to admit that it did stump me for a little while, trying to draw out any hidden coding and making sure I didn't miss anything. But, in the end, this is what I've concluded for myself. Referencing the shade cast on him from his Sunflower's face hanging in the gallery, he doesn't mind being the one looking up in admiration. In fact, he loves it and relishes it. Much mirroring the nature of a sunflower following the sun up in the sky.

To bring it even further into the rabbit hole, most of what Harry knows in his life is people looking up to him, admiring him, and worshipping him, in response to his fame. So, just maybe, he loves the chance to be the admirer rather than the admired. Then, with sunflower, sunflower, we turn back to the comforting nickname and the soothing reassurance that comes in tow with it.

Your flowers just died, plant new seeds in the melody: Another line that's been wrecked by Urban Dictionary thumpers. I DON'T EVER WRITE OFF DOUBLE ENTENDRES, BUT STOP DISCREDITING THE MAN'S WRITING ABILITIES TO ONLY BEING ABLE TO WRITE ABOUT SEX. K? I'm taking you back to the sunflower's growth cycle again. Remember how we walked about the significance of being on stage R-6? Flowering is complete? What comes after is the beginning of the sunflower seeds ripening to be harvested, for which the flower has to die to make it so. Even in a sunflower's death, they are celebrated and cherished as new life, and the new possibilities found in the seeds that fall. Now, remember how the sunflower's growth cycle metaphorizes the circle Harry and his Sunflower are in? We're getting somewhere, I promise.

Your flowers just died is the first half we're going to focus on. What do these flowers represent? Hopes? Dreams? Something beautiful? Something that couldn't grow or bloom anymore? Possibly representing the ups and downs of life, but the two will find a way through it. The flowers died, but the plant is alive. And still the same flower. Not losing sight of who they are (GINSBERG PARALLEL).

Plant new seeds in the melody is the second half, and then we'll piece them together. In what melody? Well, in this melody! He's using this melody, this song for his Sunflower, as a reassurance (!!!) that they will get through the hardships because his devotion and adoration runs deep. And, then, put them together.

Your flowers just died, plant new seeds in the melody. When you plant the seeds gathered from the wilted sunflower and sow them into the rejuvenated ground, a new flower is reaped that'll run the cycle anew.

Let me inside, I wanna get to know you: There's no more wishing, and now a bit more agency is gained on Harry's side of things. No more wishing, no more hoping, he's here and wants this. He's begging his Sunflower to let himself, then mirroring how earlier in the same verse he said before I got to know you. It's all a circle, a cycle, that goes around and around. A big theme in this song is yearning, to me, and this line makes no exception.

[PRE-CHORUS] I don't wanna make you feel bad But I've been trying hard not to act a fool Sunflower (Sunflower, Sunflower!)

I don't wanna make you feel bad / But I've been trying hard not to act a fool: Can I just interject here to say I love his depiction of him? You know, HARRY, THE FOOL IN LOVE. Present eloquently in this song and others. He reiterates here how he doesn't want his Sunflower to take on guilt for anything. He doesn't want to get it wrong, he doesn't want to say something foolish, but holy shit, they are really making him lose his mind in the name of love.

Sunflower (Sunflower, Sunflower!): To be expected, we circle back around to the comforting nickname for the song's subject, his Sunflower. Reassurance vibrates each time this is brought back into the melody, with new seeds planted for hope each time. And this repetition creates a cyclical effect, which, if you haven't picked up on it, we always return to for this song.

[CHORUS 2 — ADD ON CHORUS] I couldn't want you anymore Kiss in the kitchen like it's a dance floor I couldn't want you anymore Tonight (Tonight, tonight, tonight!) I couldn't want you anymore Kids in the kitchen listen to dancehall I couldn't want you anymore Tonight (Tonight, tonight, tonight!)

I couldn't want you anymore / Kiss in the kitchen like it's a dance floor / I couldn't want you anymore / Tonight (Tonight, tonight, tonight!): More repetition, specifically repetition from the chorus before. Proclaimations of love, domestic intimacy in visuals, proclaiming love again. Repetition is to circling, and circling is to a cycle, and a sunflower is part of a circle/cycle. Both the flower and his Sunflower.

Kids in the kitchen listen to dancehall: Is this a look into the future, the hope for the future he planted before? Or, is it a reference to Harry and his Sunflower themselves? A continuation of domestic visuals from the sweet kitchen we got, either interpretation has a decadent meaning to it.

Picturing kids in the future: He's planted the seeds for a future together, returning to the feeling that Harry believes that what's between the two of them is something that could last. So much so that he's picturing settling down with his Sunflower, with dance parties in the kitchen to joyous music he introduced them to, and then bringing the joy radiating from the two of them into a whole family. A beautiful concept!

The two as children: This could be a proper extension of the other visual in the first chorus, where Harry's referring to himself and his Sunflower as the "kids" in question. Kids in love, fools in love (HARRY, THE FOOL IN LOVE!). He just keeps on picturing domestic bliss for the two of them. Kissing and dancing in the kitchen together as he shares parts of himself, what he loves, with his Sunflower.

[BRIDGE] Sunflower, my eyes want you more than a melody Let me inside, wish I could get to know you Sunflowers just died, keep it sweet in your memory I'm still tongue-tied Sunflower, Sunflower

Sunflowers just died, keep it sweet in your memory: Even when something in life has come to a close, it doesn't mean you can't look upon it fondly, and even in death doesn't mean there can't be rebirth. With this shift from your flowers to sunflowers, it's as if he's addressing his own metaphor and symbolism. A return to the core's devotion, the romanticism of the circle of the sunflower, and the parallel circle of the relationship. Sunflowers can represent, also, spectrums of the life cycle (youth, vitality, hopefulness, etc). Even in their death, they're celebrated, as their seeds promise new life and new purpose.

Through this piece, Harry is celebrating the beginning, the middle, and even the possibility of an end to his relationship with his Sunflower. He's cherishing when they were blooming with love, immortalizing that vibrant time in these melodies. When they were growing, flowering with idyllic dreams of domesticity. But, simultaneously, he's memorializing when they ran into moments of ruin — from which I believe this song was born.

I'm still tongue-tied: A purposeful mirroring of the line I was just tongue-tied, furthermore completely that circle thing that I know I'm getting repetitive reminding you of. But it's important, okay? He still can't find the words, he feels he still can't express his devotion to its fullness, and this entire song was him trying to explain it all! And, even in the song, he finds himself stumbling. No matter how long or how short this relationship lasts with his Sunflower, he will always be tongue-tied, baffled, and a bit lovestruck (HARRY, THE FOOL IN LOVE). His adoration for and devotion to this person takes away all self-control, wondering, headshake in constant disbelief.

[OUTRO] Sunflower, Sunflower Sunflower, Sunflower Ayy, woo, ow Woo-woo, woo-woo (x3) Yeah! Ooh, woo, ooh Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo

Hahaha, that was so fun to type out. The outro! How it fills me with such joy! The outro mirrors the intro with the last (comprehensible) thing he says being Sunflower, Sunflower before we lean into random noises that further show, you guessed it, HARRY, THE FOOL IN LOVE. And it's so fun to try and sing along to, and in that, we become a fool in love right beside him. This non-verbal section, raw emotion bursting through the seams, closes off the song in a moment of euphoria. Dipping down to go into Woo-woo or, as I like to hear it, Boop-boop — which is us listening in as he plants the seeds to nurture the flower (the relationship) as we continue to spin in this circle of love and hardship. With added reassurance. And added devotion.

We return to the knowledge about sunflowers — oh boy, I'm getting annoying — and how they're celebrated in their vitality, but also in their death because of the seeds they provide, even as they wilt. Harry is symbolically planting seeds in the melody, in Sunflower, Vol. 6, to grow more, bloom more, and maybe start anew with a perspective more rounded out.

The sunflower that's fallen can rise again, celebrated in death as much as in life. Even if this euphoria with his Sunflower ends, Harry is left with seeds of knowledge — of love, affection, and devotion — that he can plant and start a rebirth and rejuvenation in himself. And even further, whether it's both theirs or something separate. The Sunflower, his Sunflower, has taught him a lot about how vibrant things can be, and how much of a fool in love he can be, even after all the moments of heartbreak and grieving that have followed him.

I stand behind my claim that Sunflower, Vol. 6 is one of Harry's most romantic and genius songs. I mean, truly. I can't picture how one could even begin to deny it — this is a boy who loves love. A fucking fool in love. And I adore him and his romanticism of devotion so badly. Told through the subtle messaging of a flower metaphor? My goodness, sign me the fuck up.

🌻Core Lyric

I believe every song has one lyric that encompasses the song as an entity. For Sunflower, Vol.6, the core lyric is:

"keep it sweet in your memory"

I chose this as the core lyric because the entire song represents reassurance and devotion, but also this sense of memorialization. Even as the relationship with his Sunflower comes to a natural end, he will take seeds with him to sow and reap the rewards of what he's learned in future relationships, yes, but also in himself alone. This song is a romantic reassurance, but it can also be heard as a tribute, as they stay in his head. Their impact remains in the back of his mind. Naturally, these are all themes already explored, but you get the picture. So, keep Sunflower, Vol. 6 sweet in your memory. Because I have the minute I heard it the first time. Now, always, in the back of my mind — and hopefully, now, yours too.

Thank you for reading, you're absolutely incredible!

If there are any songs you'd like me to make an analysis of, please send your request to my inbox! Along with any questions or insights you might have yourself!

[faffreux]

silly music for your page

[crazyexshipper]

... 'Cause we're a lot alike

[sea-buns]

i need a drawfee archive that's got every stupid funny moment documented in chronological, alphabetized order for when i spontaneously remember a really obscure bit that i need to find or else i'll explode. i need to be able to type an extremely vague description in a search bar and have it understand me completely.

[ivyithink]

what a little shit, honestly… good thing he’s pretty

another one for cringetober 2023! (some info under the cut here)

the prompt: day 15 — song lyrics! I have literally no idea why this is even on a list of “cringy” stuff??? do ya’ll hate fun and/or pain of combining characters you love with the songs you love??? anyway. the song!!

english translation:

lyrics being sung (ukrainian): “Hey I had me once a horse / Oh that horse was so rambunctious / Had me a sabre and a rifle / And a girl enchantress too…”

the reply (polish): “have you gone mad? what kind of girl am I?”

I don’t actually speak polish, so PLEASE do correct me if the translation is wrong!!! I tried my best with good old online translators, but again, not a native speaker, can’t be sure!!! I just really wanted to include the whole bilingual aspect of the film, because I love it a lot!))

[turntechradiohead]

Whenever I’m feeling down at work I call (719) 266-2837 and listen intently so my coworkers think I’m talking an important business call while in reality I’m on the phone with The Callin' Oates, the emergency Hall & Oates helpline, where you can pick one of four Hall & Oates songs to listen to in the worst quality possible

[kai-rio]

ggy song analysis III - the liar by the arcadian wild

im so normal about this song, the first time i heard it i immediately knew it was super uber ggy coded

(this is a long one so ill put my analysis under the cut)

by the way, i use greg and gregory as terms for different people - gregory for the character in sb, and greg for the persona we see in ggy

i sense theres trouble ahead, clear by the signs and warnings i think gregory would know that somethings up because i mean its probably pretty obvious if you have lots of gaps in your memory, or if he only gets control back for a little while after a long period of greg taking control, then he’d know thats weird too

that should tell where all blame is due, so why are they pointing at my head? this could be read as gregory not knowing the things greg’s done and being confused, if he notices vengeful tony & ellis then he wouldnt know why theyre vengeful

all have been led astray, we’ve all fallen short in some way literally a line in the game omg. but yeah i imagine during the short moments of control, gregory seeks comfort in vanessa and/or the other followers like finbarr or tape girl because he’d know theyre going through the same thing

please understand im ashamed he would feel guilty for greg’s actions once he actually remembers them or is told them by someone else

and i beg of you, please find your grace i think this reads as gregory trying to warn greg’s victims, like tony and ellis, but he’s unable to actually do anything

cause i'm not in a right state of mind, i just wish i had strength to admit it i doubt gregory would accept the idea of being one of the followers immediately and he might have fallen into a state of denial in a way

my stubborness will put up a fight, but i dont deserve to win it however, when he does accept it, he’d feel immense guilt, so much that he thinks he doesnt deserve to be forgiven despite how badly he wants it

we’re left in the dark, pondering our mistakes this could be gregory trying to piece together what happened during his amnesia gaps

in the light i swear i will deny it all i personally think that if gregory was to find out while he was still being controlled periodically, malhare might just try gaslight him into thinking otherwise to make him more compliant

cause i am the lying man, and i have made you my next victim ‘i am the lying man’ sounds like a title, maybe like greg confessing he’s ggy before he eliminates tony. the next victim obviously because the victims before were the therapists and i guess you could even count vanessa since he manipulates her - tony wouldnt be the last victim either, it probably continues on to ellis, crystal and maybe even cassie if gregory never escaped the control fully

oh i need you to see through my act, to tell me im wrong, to take off the mask again, this is about gregory trying to warn tony and ellis about his murderous counterpart, and it could be interpreted that taking off the dr. rabbit mask is a metaphor for freeing gregory, similar to how in the princess quest ending, our first sign that vanessa is free is that her mask has been abandoned

or else ill be left in the lie obviously this about still being trapped under the influence, but i also have another interpretation of this - i think that during the influence, gregory dissociated to an imaginary world where all the bad things didnt happen to cope with what he could remember, omori style

and ill decieve my way straight to demise i know everyone celebrates gregory for being like the first alive fnaf kid in the games but i honestly dont think thatll stay that way for long with how fnaf has a history of dead kids lol

i am the host of this hostility if the ‘wizards favourite apprentice’ line is true and not just greg pretending, then it would make sense for everything to revolve around him - he’s trusted enough to manipulate another follower and carry out a lot of murders so i would think its true. this probably means that gregory is under more surveillance than any of the other followers which would make it more difficult for him to escape

another interpretation of this is a ‘host’ that a parasite uses - this could imply that each of the reluctant followers personas’ arent specific to their body and could just inhabit a new one - this could be disproved by saying that each follower we’ve seen (vanny and greg) have made their names centered around their body’s original inhabitant, but then again that could just be them rubbing it in vanessa and gregory’s faces about their lack of control, or perhaps it was commanded by the mimic1 virus

im the master magician that makes you believe speaking of the mimic, if i remember correctly, there was a room in sb with a bunch of staff bots representing the afton family, and william was framed as a magician if sorts - the mimuc is supposedly mimicing afton, so it would make sense if it called itself a magician

im real, im not fake, but in reality im a lying man honestly i just think greg would be a fan of paradoxes and stuff like that, seeing how he led a trail of breadcrumbs for tony to follow

my lifes become this grand game of deception in gregs eyes, tony could be treating the whole ggy mystery like a game to be finished, a grand game because theres a high possibility of there being way more followers than we realise, already with 4 confirmed ones (vanny, greg, finbarr & tapegirl as far as i know)

my minds ignored all my hearts good intentions his mind because its mind control… yeah - this could also represent gregorys learnt behaviour of closing himself off from others to avoid them becoming another face on the missing posters despite only having goid intentions

we all feel this tension, we all have our own illusions the followers again, i imagine they all have their own ways of coping, perhaps by simply blocking everything out or pretending/dissasociating

[hotcinnamonsunset]

listen you’ve heard of getting a song stuck in your head but guess what???? you can also knit the lyrics into socks for maximum effect.

[droodlebug]

im such a busybody i made a list of all the things im working on and ran out of space on the page 😐

so its going here 💪

-finish that ash+alistair piece ive been sitting on its Almost colored. wanted to do companion pieces with rhys+fen and akin+sera but tbh it probably wont happen. doing lineart takes too much out of me and ill be damned if they dont match well enough

-send out invoices + work on sketches when theyre ready

-finish measuring and cutting out the boards for the ten books im making by hand. i have 9, need 11 more

-scrap and redo birdie for the stardew mod. its singlehandedly made me pause for so long i need a restart

-finish sanding the fur off the body for the ashasiara doll. maybe start on drafting clothing patterns. i want to do both her armor and comfort clothes. unfortunately as much as i love doll making all the parts of it take a lot out of me lmao

-get the assets together so i have a working demo for sterling sim. even if its just pictures from online i need a working build going

-apparently, sew a patch in my pj pants i sat down and it exploded 🙄

-want to do a Thing of sterling and bud to dangerous from the epic musical...

-get to the library and start writing down the scrip for cat thing

-finish the shirt im altering

-work on embroidered bat jeans

-spray paint my wheelchair yellow + finish remaking my handle spike sleeves. i got a pattern made i just need to Make them.

-also want to make a patch to safety pin to my chair that says "look at ME not the chair" too many people are comfortable ignoring i exist / not remembering what i look like when i had full conversations with them just bc i was in a wheelchair then not recognizing me when im using crutches 🙄 i have facial piercings and wear chains and crop tops everywhere i Know im recognizable as a person u just arent looking bc facing disability as something normal makes you uncomfortable. boo hoo.

-kind of want 2 do designs for the epic musical......... its at the bottom we'll see if that desire lasts

[rarely--motivated]

shoutout to the rw Reclaiming Entropy mod. i want whatever the devs are on /pos

[callixton]

charley & frank + physical affection in old friends

[into-the-very-fires-of-mordor]

What are you top 5 most favourite songs of all time? send this to 5 of your favourite followers when you answer! if you get a second one say your top five favourite artists and if you get a third say your top 5 favourite albums!

@simugeuge I am so sorry it has taken me 3 (almost four!) months to answer this. I have no excuse, and I really am glad that you put this in my inbox!

Hmm, this is an excellent question because it changes all the time! Hmm, I guess I'll go with songs that are the most enduring ones that I love.

First off, I'm a dancer, so I really really love dancing songs! Imagine me just dancin' around my house to these hehe.

Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. When my mom asked me the other month what my favorite song of all time was, this was the one that came into my heart. It's just such a resilient, timeless rallying cry that makes me feel so united with all my other fellow Gen Zers that are now in the workplace and trying to make it in life, but not just them, I feel so connected with the Millennials, Gen Xers, and boomers who I know and love and who are taking it day by day, keepin' on keepin' on. This song will never go out of style, and I love that.

Nancy Mulligan. Specifically the MALINDA + The Wellermen + Cullen Vance version! I just adore the story and the rich voices of the singers! Again, it's a song about endurance and resilience, but ultimately it's a story about love that will last a lifetime. I will never not adore this song.

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac. There was a time in my life when I listened to Rhiannon every. single. day. Something about the haunting lyrics, Rhiannon's persistent independence, how she revels in her freedom while we watch, it touches a deep part of my soul. I just adore Fleetwood Mac in general. The Chain, Gold Dust Woman, (basically all of Rumours), and Sara are some more favorites. :)

Shout by Tears for Fears. There are a few of their songs that I just deeply adore, and they slap every. single. time. Shout, Head over Heels, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and even Mad World. Something about them just is like a je ne sais quoi in my life. And I just love their voices! Shout is a good one for letting out my feelings and just like sharing the aches of my heart through song.

Ode to Fury by Miracle of Sound. You know how I said that Shout was a great song for releasing pain and emotions? Ode to Fury takes that to a hundred. It's love, fear, sadness, pain, and utter devotion and loyalty wrapped into one song. I adore it and it's definitely on repeat - I listen to it almost every day.

There's so many more! I love talking about my favorite songs and the reasons behind, so please ask me more!

No pressure tags (some of my favorite beloved mooties!!) @lady-disdain221b @hecates-corner @dootznbootz @sapphic-bats @1lostsoul0fishbowl @beelikesbirds

[offbookkeeping]

"i like my women like i like my fish, to look like a fish"

so true

[nei-ning]

I just LOVE this song, ahah! (Suwabe Junichi) <3 Suwabe's background sounds and singing at one point with "wuu-u, wuu-u!" sounds :'D I can't! But the best part: that echoing and sexy "Oh ~!"

Listen to yourself and you'll know what I'm talking about :D

[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

I just realised today that it’s been over 8 years since I published my first piece of reader insert fanfiction (not for DL but it laid the groundwork for what was to come) and it’s absolutely crazy to me. I don’t know that I’ve talked about it on this blog much (for it was not good by anyone’s standards) but I used to publish on Quotev and I made a couple of friends on there who really helped me when I was going through a hard time in real life (not that I think any of them necessarily realised how much :’) ). Sadly we all sort of drifted away from the site and lost contact but I still think about them sometimes and hope that wherever they are they’re doing well. 

I miss our little community on there too and the silly conversations we used to have, as while I don’t think Tumblr ever quite had the same vibe, I do think it’s grown a lot more impersonal over the years (or at least that’s certainly been my experience). 

Anyway I don’t know that there’s much of a point to this other than me reminiscing but if we’ve interacted at some point while I’ve been running this blog, or even if you just silently like a lot of my posts (because believe me, there are usernames I recognise even if we’ve never properly talked), then I’m grateful and I hope that you’re happy and doing well.

[burningcomputerpersona]

BANDCAMP FRIDAY MY BELOVED