What Happens in Spring, Stays in Spring

I have never been one to think about the real meaning of a song. If a song sounds good, that's pretty much my entire criteria to listen to it on repeat. Very rarely do I pay attention to the intent, but Mitski's "First Love/Late Spring" intrigued me: what exactly does this song mean?

The first thing noted about "First Love/Late Spring" is the title. I know that "First Love" would likely refer to the much desired phenomenon known as (drum roll, please) first love. But what does "Late Spring" have to do with "First Love"? According to the song's Genius page, spring is associated with new beginnings; as nature begins to rebuild itself from the harsh cold of the winter, it is akin to the emergence of romantic feelings. But, as the end of spring approaches, these feelings develop into something more serious.

The introduction of "First Love/Late Spring" starts off with a preface into the song to come. The first two lines, "The black hole of the window where you sleep / the night breeze carries something sweet, a peach tree" refers to Mitski's former room and the peach tree outside, meaning that "First Love/Late Spring" is possibly a direct experience from her life. Following this, Mitski quickly delves into mentioning that she is "crying like a tall child". A child is known to be quite emotional in their actions, similar to the way Mitski is handling her affection towards another, revealing that the introduction is the title's "First Love."

After the introduction is delivered, listeners are presented with a more active instrumental, which includes the organ and guitar. This directly parallels the introduction's mellow and vocally-emphasized instrumental. Not only does Mitski show change in the instrumental, she also manipulates the lyrics also become more intense. The first line of the chorus "So please hurry leave me I can't breathe" depicts urgency--a sense of needing this romantic feeling to be relieved. Just as her affection springs up, she wants to get rid of it, as the summer heat burns up nature that is left in the sun--which reveals that the chorus is the title's "Late Spring."

The song, after this first verse, switches between its attention to Mitski's love for another ("First Love") and the loss of innocence that she endures because of it ("Late Spring"). The layering of these two elements made this song so confusing for me at the first listen: is Mitski focusing on her identity or the love she has for another? But the two are dependent on each other, as "First Love/Late Spring" combines the two elements, making it become obvious that the love Mitski has for another is building her identity.

Until next time,

A Mitskinator.

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currently reading: hwang bo-reum's welcome to the hyunam-dong bookshop