When i first heard this song (when you first uploaded it) i thought it was justa  sweet love song as i didnt really spend much time analyzing the lyrics.
When the music video came out and it started out with barbie dolls i was like "oh i feel like somethings going to happen" and "i think i interpreted it wrong before"
i was on the edge of my seat waiting for things to start twisting and it did!
through out the music video i started realizing the darker story behind the seemingly sweet song and i fricken loved it.
i rewatched the music vid many more times starting to appreciate the song for the genius it really was and what it really meant
Good job i bloody love it dodie.


Artists should do this more. #theartistisalive


Beautiful song and video. Also your hair looks so cute and soft <3


AAAAAHHHH i love this song so much. i love this song so. much. i love that it can have thousands of different interpretations. and i fukin love your meaning behind it. thank you so much for creating this beautiful work of art.

this is my interpretation: (before watching this vid)

I think this song is about how when you are so "intertwined" with someone, and the relationship eventually falls apart, everything becomes strange and different. I think the video is a representation of how loving sometimes changes you (barbie cutting her hair). the first time i heard this song i thought it was about being afraid of your problems becoming someone else's. i think that's what the video is about. they had too many problems, but they were so intertwined that when they finished their relationship, they weren't the same person as they were before.

I fukin love music man


Short little input, the video matched up perfectly with what I felt from the song. I love it!


I saw the song as someone finding peace and solace through a lover. I also saw it as a representation of how when the rest of the world goes to hell, your loved ones can help keep you sane throughout the madness - whether the madness is formed from a mental illness or as an exterior problem. The lyrics "You create a rarity of my genuine smiles" makes me further believe that the person forms their happiness from the other person. I would love to see what the situation would be like from the other lover's point of view. Either way, I love this song and truly think that it is so beautiful and meaning full!


When I first heard the song, I definitely related it to how my anxiety and depression plays out in a relationship. I expect the other to be strong, assuming they have enough mental strength to make me happy, and can help me through my issues, benefiting me and allowing them to have someone to perhaps "take care" of? The music video that played out in my head was a stereotypical cinematic love story. Cuddles, crying accompanied by support of the stronger partner, overblown laughter, etc. I do like the twisted music video, though. Sheds light on the possible fragility of someone who's expected to be dependable.


I loved that you made this video I loved it :)


I honestly loved how you arranged the song it's so unique arghhh


This so interesting!! <br>I saw it as the other person makes her happy, they can ignore the fear together, but she's also afraid her thoughts will affect the other person and cause them to suffer too

This so interesting!!
I saw it as the other person makes her happy, they can ignore the fear together, but she's also afraid her thoughts will affect the other person and cause them to suffer too


I have no words.

 Except for these!
YOU'RE BRILIIANT.


I though intertwined was about a loving couple who were having problems connecting. This seemed to be due to one of them having trouble letting their walls down and "laughing away the fear". That fear being getting hurt in the end. So in the end when you sing "intertwined, free". I took that to mean that they let their walls down and let the other person in, letting them be together. Love your whole EP btw!❤


I thought the video lined up excellently with the song! I don't actually watch your videos for your music (gasps) but I appreciated this song a lot because the theme of mental health came across quite clearly!


when i heard intertwined i was thinking these two people were combined at heart. they helped each other through trials and tribulation, the music video wasn't exactly what i interpreted but it was truly amazing and touched my heart. i guess my theory of the song is sorta like yours except the "toxic relationship" part but i love this song and i love the video. it is a work of art💕


YOURE SO INTELLIGENT AND TALENTED, IM SO BLOWN AWAY BY YOUR MUSIC DODES💛


I thought that, yes, it was this position of two lovers, one (or both) of which had mental health issues, but (seeing as this song came out very soon after the beginning of my current relationship) I thought it was about one of them who had hid their own issues for a long time and suffered in silence so as to not break the other, but finally came clean, explaining the line, "I hope that you don't bleed with me". They were finally letting go of this part, this terrible part they'd been struggling with for so long, go, and just let themselves be intertwined with this partner emotionally after finally confiding in them.


I love the song so much. I also love the video. Although I didn't interpret the song like the video did, I loved them both. My original theory was: a couple in bed together giggling. The speaker(or writer) feels alone and afraid on their own but when around this person they are happy. I felt like the speaker had mental health problems and also suffered from terrible nightmares, and the other person was trying to make the speaker feel better.


I interpreted the lyrics almost the same as you, except I used to look at it as sort of a comforting song. It seemed to me before (or maybe for some odd reason I just automatically assumed) that the partner was taking it willingly; the writer could trust the partner with anything and know it would be kept safe.


This was really interesting, you should make teacher Dodie in to a thing :D


i always interpreted this as a pair of lovers, one with mental health instability, and the other helping the other with said issues with love and reassurance, and ultimately helping them heal. i've always interpreted the line "i've pinned each and every hope on you, i hope that you don't bleed with me" as the lover struggling with mental health having guilt about pouring out all of their anxieties and worries to the other person, and feeling like they might be dragging them down with them (coming back to the line "can you drink all my thoughts") because they feel like they cannot handle it on their own ( "cause i can't stand them") and that they are feeling as if they, as a person and all of the worries that come with it( "cause i can't stand them")  are an inadequate lover to the person who is more well mentally because of their struggles. however i always saw it as resolved at the end with the final chorus "but we can stay here and laugh away the fear" because i always heard that as each of the lovers saying to the other that they are both better because of the relationship, and that they will make it through; the one who doesn't have the illness says so because they love the other person, and the mentally ill one says so not just because they love the other, but because their love and partnership is ultimately helping their own anxieties through the joy that they bring them. that's just how i' ve always imagined it when i heard it. xo


I sort of saw the contrast between the darkness of the world and the comfort of being intertwined as a less unhealthy potentially toxic situation.  Picture a raging thunderstorm, and you move through the window to see the couple together in front of a cozy fireplace, their little escape from the hectic chaos they face in their normal lives.  Really like the writer's interpretation though :)


The first time I heard intertwined I had instant goosebumps from the contrasting words and I knew it wasn't the rose glasses lovey song as it sounds on surface level. Also the music video is an absolute perfect fit, I especially like the juxtaposition of using barbie dolls for such real topic. Not only because of it being a toy versus reality but also because it's a childhood toy that many kids see as being the perfect person. Also Sammy did an incredible job capturing the underlying meaning of the song


The music reminded me of a love story, like a Parisian one, but neither of them are really as happy as they seem, but they're trying to hold it together for each other. But I love the video!


the music video fit the lyrics perfectly, brava dodie!


After hearing the song over and over I realized how deeply this applies to me. How at times I feel that when I'm in a relationship it solves all of my problems. We are living in a world of thick chaos and in some way the love or the thought of someone else thinking of me seems to make everything else that truly matters, not to matter anymore.


Dodie, I have to say your analysis is absolutely correct. :)


When listening to the song a few times, my interpretation was changing through each and every time i listened. But i came to a definite conclusion that you were trying to convey this relationship where the girl has many issues. Not just mental, but she is just a bundle of mess and she has thrown all of those issues and everything she deals with on her boyfriend. She is kinda bringing him down with her and i thought that in the scene where the blood looking liquid falls from the ceiling that was all of her problems just crashing down on him at once. But either way, absolutely lovedd the song and the album is justtt sooo good. You're an amazing singer and writer


I kept wondering whether the line "You create a rarity of my genuine smile" simply meant that the other person makes the speaker smile, which is a rare occurrence, or if it meant that the other person made the speaker's smile a rarity, which would signal the change in the song's tone away from the happier beginning.


I always thought of this song as a way of showing the way relationships appear vs what happens behind the smiles and polite laughs.  Because each verse starts with what seems like a perfect love story and then transitions to deeper and sometimes negative emotions, it shows how raw and vulnerable a relationship can really be.  I love this song because every time you listen to it you can dig deeper and deeper into the meaning and what at first listen appears to be a beautiful love song, after listening to it like 50 times (which I have) and taking time to absorb the lyrics, you see what was hidden behind the beauty, just like the relationship in the song.  Idk, that's my interpretation, but you invited the little analyzers to have their fun so that was my piece.  Either way, I am absolutely in love with the song and the music video.


i definitely never thought of it as a sweet song about a healthy relationship. When i first heard it i immediately related it to my own mental health problems. to me the song was about relying on someone to fix you and deal with your brain


this is one of my favorite songs BUT OH MY GOD YOUR LIPSTICK IS GORGEOUS


I had to go watch the video again after this. It makes so much more sense now. Also, my mind is kind of blown. I'm really not good at analyzing art (on a side note, is there a way to get good at this? an online class or something lol?). So I had initially written Intertwined off as a basically happy love song (I still enjoyed obvs), and I usually can't relate or connect with them. I was admittedly a tad confused by the vid. But now I feel so much connection to the song because I also struggle with mental health, and this scenario of being in a relationship and how it wouldn't be fair for the other person is something I've thought about quite a bit. It's why when anyone brings up relationships or dating, I just stay quiet and it seems like such a distant thing. Thank you for opening my mind up, and giving me something to connect with. <3 <3 <3<br>Also, I really like teacher Dodie. Can you do a video series where you analyze lyrics and/or literature, and teach us how? I would be very grateful, lol.

I had to go watch the video again after this. It makes so much more sense now. Also, my mind is kind of blown. I'm really not good at analyzing art (on a side note, is there a way to get good at this? an online class or something lol?). So I had initially written Intertwined off as a basically happy love song (I still enjoyed obvs), and I usually can't relate or connect with them. I was admittedly a tad confused by the vid. But now I feel so much connection to the song because I also struggle with mental health, and this scenario of being in a relationship and how it wouldn't be fair for the other person is something I've thought about quite a bit. It's why when anyone brings up relationships or dating, I just stay quiet and it seems like such a distant thing. Thank you for opening my mind up, and giving me something to connect with. <3 <3 <3
Also, I really like teacher Dodie. Can you do a video series where you analyze lyrics and/or literature, and teach us how? I would be very grateful, lol.


DODIE I WOULD WILLINGLY SIT THROUGH 1HR OF A LITERATURE CLASS WITH YOU AS A TEACHER!!!!


I always imagined the "can you drink all my thoughts" being that the singer turns to alcohol to repress their thoughts


My favorite part in the video was "I've pinned each and every hope on you" and how the 'doll' had all this things pinned in his head, symbolizing how toxic is to idolize someone and all the things that someone had to handle, that someone trying not to let you down and 'you' giving them too much, not considering the fact they're just humans(I'm so sorry for my terrible English, horrible grammar and lack of vocabulary.)


I always knew this was about mental health issues, I guess I just viewed the whole situation of dependency a lot more positive. Like you're struggling with everything in your head, but you can put all that stuff on pause just to share this intimate moment with your lover, who grants you a short moment of peace and love. So in a way, I felt attacked by the video, like it was telling me that my idea of mental health in a relationship was too romanticized and that I should never rely on my lover to cure me. I really liked that slap in the face though.


For me the meaning of this song had always been dependence on my partner for happiness and not being able to find it without him. It's a very unhealthy mental state where I can't function or find any type of comfort or happiness without him by my side.


I totally get your interpretation, but I also like to see it as a sos from a girl who cannot stand what her brain is doing. She knows she can't keep going alone, so she's looking for that one person who will make her life a little bit easier to live. Someone who's gonna make her smile a little, who'll make her laugh so that she'll forget how bad her brain is. She just don't wanna be alone. I'm the type of person who thinks that someone can't fix you, but help you get through this. And that's how I see that girl. She's just looking for the person who'll make it bearable. Maybe that is too romantic? I don't know, but I like it.


Instead of getting upset at the comments that people didn't understand, she decides to make a cute and informative video which I loved. I'm so proud of this little penguin 🐧💛 Dodie, you're amazing 🙈


Dodie challenge weekend; make a video where you do your best to speak in a different accent. For example an american midwestern accent. It'd probably be super cute.


Okay so watching this video and thinking about the song is making me realize that I interpreted it in basically the same way. Someone who struggles with mental health issues finds somebody who makes it a little bit easier, sharing their burdens until eventually they feel as if they could never live without them.

What scares me though is that I never saw this as negative.

Like thinking critically about this now, I can see how unhealthy and toxic this relationship is, but when I first heard it I thought of it as almost romantic. Somebody saving her from herself, letting her hide away in them instead of trying to cope with her problems. I thought of that as sweet.

That's not sweet that's super unhealthy.

I think I need to examine my relationships.


I definitely felt when I first litsened to this song that it was dark but beautiful. The way it contrasted was genius and that's one of my favourite parts of the song! I always thought this song was about a toxic relationship. Where they were to dependable on each other to the point that it was impossible to be alone without anything bad happening. This unhealthy dependency and toxic vibes became so bad that it reached the point of separation and break down. But because of how much they depended on each other before the separation it was like losing half of who they were. The ending was always a strange way to end it for me because it doesn't give any "the end". I've always assumed that it would probably end up with some type of suicide/mental illness or maybe just no closure at all to match the mysterious alluring vibe of the song (:<br>That was my opinion and thoughts what are yours???

I definitely felt when I first litsened to this song that it was dark but beautiful. The way it contrasted was genius and that's one of my favourite parts of the song! I always thought this song was about a toxic relationship. Where they were to dependable on each other to the point that it was impossible to be alone without anything bad happening. This unhealthy dependency and toxic vibes became so bad that it reached the point of separation and break down. But because of how much they depended on each other before the separation it was like losing half of who they were. The ending was always a strange way to end it for me because it doesn't give any "the end". I've always assumed that it would probably end up with some type of suicide/mental illness or maybe just no closure at all to match the mysterious alluring vibe of the song (:
That was my opinion and thoughts what are yours???


if dodie becomes my teacher, i will be happier than ever and be looking forward in studying 😹


I got the mental health image  but I never thought that the relationship was toxic untill you explained it.


There should be another album dedicated to her duets with Jon Cozart.


I've always imagined this song was about an unhealthy relationship between lovers.


The way I thought of this song was related to a verbally or emotionally abusive relationship.
I thought of the intimacy of the first lyrics to be related to the more abusive and controlling person.
I interpreted "numb, fine" as the other person being in denial about the state of the relationship.
"You create a rarity of my genuine smile," was the person being abused, trying to convince themselves that the relationship was still healthy and normal.
The music video only solidified my opinion.
The image of two dolls lying lifeless in bed made me connect so much more to the feeling of an abusive relationship.


I really liked your interpretation, and it matched up a lot with my own and put words to a lot of what I was feeling. The only thing I would really add would be that it seemed to tell more about the narrator of the song than the other person or the relationship itself. It was very much a self expression and the wording excluded what the partner thought and felt other than the hope that they "won't bleed with me" and the indication of a conversation in "numb, fine." It left an empty piece to the puzzle and didn't really close it up to a neat ending, which I think was very accurate. It's about a possibility after all, rather than a relationship that literally happened. Overall I loved song, and I thought both the music and lyrics were complex and rich with meaning.


So it is meant to be dark and I got that. But I personally thought of it as someone worrying that they're burdening the other person with their mental illness but finding that that person can calm them down, help them, they're still worried but calmer and nice. Maybe my interpretation was a little off but I like the thought of it not being completely dark or completely nice lovey dovey but more of a mix to create a bittersweet song


You put so much thought and effort into the words and metaphors you use in the song. It's what I try to do with my writing and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. This song is amazing and the meanings behind all the lyrics inspire me to put this much work into my own writing so thank you xx


I am so glad you made this video because I was 100% on board with the meaning you just cleared up for us and I wasn't sure if (as a person living with mental illness) I was just reading too far into things and projecting. I love  how relatable those lyrics were!  All of the lyrics were amazing but the lines you wrote: "you create the rarity of my genuine smiles", "can you drink my thoughts because I can't stand them", and ESPECIALLY "I've pinned each and every hope on you, I hope that you don't bleed with me" because that has always been my biggest fear when entering a serious relationship with my mental illness. Like there is that constant fear that I will pull this person I love down with me. It is such a beautiful song to describe such horrible feelings and I love every second of it!


I interpreted the song similarly but not as darkly. I pictured a relationship (similar to my own) starting with no strings attached then slowly moving into a more conventional, comforting relationship as the song gets more intense. I still always thought of a damaging relationship but something that is needed (like emotional and physical support) for this person.


Another interpretation -- the vocals after the first verse/chorus are sung with a sense of  anxious urgency, in the way that certain  words are stretched (like smile and the first breathe, etc.) and crescendo while wavering a little, and this, along with how the last "we can stay here" sounds melancholy and a little hopeless, like the singer doesn't really believe it, gives me the impression that maybe the persona singing is getting the increasing sense that their partner is planning on leave them and is begging their partner not to.

This wasn't my original interpretation, so when this thought occurred to me I gave it a few re-listens to see if any others snippets fit with this concept an here's what stuck with me:

The pauses between the words in the first verse despite despite describing great intimacy gives a sense of disconnect, like they're going through the motions but some spark is missing. This was particularly noticeable in the big pause between "you" and "and I," as though the singer feels too disconnected to say "you and I" in one breath, like they're one unit.

The chorus then sounds as though the singer is being overwhelmed by their mental health issues ("I'm afraid of the things in my brain") but is afraid that they are scaring their partner away, leading them to suppress it in hopes that they won't be abandoned ("laugh away the fears")

The beginning of the second verse sounds to me like the singer's internal dialogue while they think hypothetically about life after their partner leaves them, telling themself that they're numb to it and that they would be fine on their own until they realize like "oh god you're my only source of genuine happiness if you leave I will have nothing" and so they start begging their partner to take this burden off of them ( the "drink all my thoughts" bit)

This might be a bit of a stretch, but the "intertwined, free" bit could be the singer thinking about how they still feel intertwined with their partner and don't know how to detach while their partner either already has shirked these ties or has a longing to be free from them. The "I've pinned each and every hope on you" line could be the singer feeling like all their hopes will die out if this relationship ends so they "hope that you don't bleed" or hope that their partner is not as troubled by their mental health issues as they think since they see only a bleak and hopeless future in their partner's absence.

And again -- the last chorus sounds like the singer is begging their partner to stay and suppressing worries to make it seem like it'd be okay to stay in the relationship even though they don't even believe it themself anymore.

Even the little sigh at the end of the recording of the song kinda fits, as though the relationship ends as the music ends and the sigh is the reaction.

That was so fun to analyze like that! It's not how I saw the song originally and it's not how I primarily interpret it now either, but I find it so cool that one set of lyrics can fit perfectly to so many different unique interpretations :)


okay this is gonna be long but one thing that the lyric "can you drink all my thoughts?" reminded me of the first time I heard it and always has is a quote from Fahrenheit 451, "did it drink of the darkness? did it suck out all the poisons accumulated with the years?" if you haven't read it, the basic summary is that books are illegal and knowledge is "bad" because it makes people sad and technology is taking everything over. so for this quote, the main character's wife nearly died from an overdose on sleeping pills, since she would take one and then forget about it and take another. so, she's having her stomach pumped and he thinks to himself, "did it drink of the darkness?" that can literally mean the poison of the pills, but can be interpreted as "darkness" meaning knowledge or ideas. so I related this to "can you drink all my thoughts?" because in both cases, people would rather be ignorant for the sake of bliss. it's the idea that knowledge is a burden, and it seems as if it'd be better not to think at all if you could just be happy.


Can Dodie be my new teacher for everything?


this was so interesting omg i thought of the song a lot happier but still with the pressure of mental health on the relationship .  the partner is trying their best to help them deal with it even though it's hard . the writer (dods) is relying on her partner hugely ("i've pinned each and every hope on you") and is using them as kind of a shield or a protection from feeling bad ("you and i safe from the world") but realizes that it's putting a lot of pressure on their partner and that there is every chance that the partner will succumb just like them ("i hope that you don't bleed with me") so they feel real bad about it and tries to keep it held within so they do not cause their partner any more pain or break down their only support , thus laughing away the fear like you would laugh off sometime serious so they do not have to think about it . also i feel like the chorus is repeated one because it's a chorus but also the first time it is sung it's kind of nonchalant and hoping like 'oh yeah my brains a bit bad but we can work through it' but the second time it's a lot more quiet and unsure like 'hey this is getting to me but i guess i'll be okay because i've got you ?' like the writer is a lot more iffy about them being okay . anyway that's just what i thought B- in english who ? don't know her .


Personally, I interpreted the song as two lovers who needed each other for different reasons, the first person needing the strength of the second person, and the second person needing the first person to feel.
The first person is struggling with their own thoughts 'I'm afraid of the things in my brain'.
The second person is shielding the first, has created a safe place for them 'safe from the world', 'but we can stay here, and laugh away the fear', though this might be hard for them, 'though the world will try'.
The second needs the first to feel anything, perhaps putting on a front to appear fine to the first person 'numb' (to themselves) 'fine' (to the first), and acknowledging how the first person helps them 'You create a rarity of my genuine smiles'.
'So breathe, breathe with me' (the second calming down the first, the 'me' maybe a sign of their desperate need for interaction) 'Can you drink all my thoughts? 'Cause I can't stand them' (the first to the second, looking for their strength and aid).
'Intertwined, Free' the two are stronger together, visualised I imagine this as two silhouettes coming together and creating a bird that takes off.
'I've pinned each and every hope on you' is the first talking to the second, expressing dependency
'I hope that you don't bleed with me' the second expressing that they don't want the first to feel any of the pain they deal with to look after the first.
And then it finishes on the summary of the couples interactions, 'I'm  afraid of the things in my brain', the first one has not overcome these troubles,  'but we can stay here', the 'we' is important in showing how the second desires to be close to the first, 'can stay here, and laugh away the fear' the joy they get out of being together combats the hardships that they face, and they are stronger together.


I interpreted it pretty similar to the way u explained it but i also enjoyed seeing how many people thought it was nice and pretty and I really liked this video bc it was interesting to see how u wrote it and what u thought abt everything and how u matched up the chords and the melody to the message and it really made the song sound amazing and portray and interesting message and really tell a story. Ur songs and music are bloody amazing Dodie !!


I play this song when my girlfriend or I are having panic attacks and it makes me think of how we cling to each other for comfort during those times. We both suffer from extreme mental health issues and deal with anxiety and depersonalization frequently, matching up with the numb and fine, since we deny everyone else. It's a perfect song for us, that's just how I thought of it in the context of my own life.


Wow… that's how I feel in relationships. I'm always scared I put too much on to my partner and they can't take it. My current boyfriend is super supportive but I'm always a bit worried.


The video was EXACTLY what I thought it would be!!


Contrastingly, I thought the song was about someone helping their lover overcome their lover's anxieties/problems/etc rather. Dodie singing as the lover and singing about the special someone. The beginning is such an intimate moment making me think about security of this relationship and safety that is experienced between these two. "I'm afraid of the things in my brain But we can stay here And laugh away the fear" -- that even though the lover is mentally ill, the special someone makes them feel better in a sense. "Numb; Fine" meaning to me that the lover has felt numb and blown off their feelings and told others that they're "fine" but the special someone creates "A rarity of my genuine smiles" meaning that they're helping their lover find their happiness -- a feeling contrasting to numbness. "Can you drink all my thoughts cause I can't stand them" = I thought was a cry for help that the lover was scared their someone couldn't handle them and then moments later the words "intertwined" and "free" are sung meaning to me that the couple is together and the special someone has stepped up to the occasion and been there for the one they love. The lover is liberated from "the fear" after having "pinned each and every hope" on their special someone -- who has yet to "bleed." "But we can stay here And laugh away the fear" -- Stay here in this love.

I really love this song. If I sing it myself, I always get misty eyed or actually end up crying. It's beautifully written and I loved hearing your perspective of the text, Teacher Dodie <3


The music video caught me off guard to say the least. Intertwined is surprisingly one of your song I don't often binge repeat (though I definitely will now), so I hadn't heard it in a while. So all i really remembered was the nice sweet sort of love song melody. But after seeing the video a couple times, it makes perfect sense. The use of dolls adds to how unsettling it feels for me to watch it because I feel, especially with them being of the Barbie variety, they represent the need to be perfect and not make any mistakes.


This is what's so cool about art. For me personally, this is my song with my boyfriend because it holds very special, romantic, passionate meaning between us. This song is so beautiful and reminds me so much of our unconditional love for each other, it brings be to happy tears. I never thought of it as dark, but it's rly cool to know the thoughts you had when you were writing it dodie, and how you intended it. Love you, keep up the incredible work. ❤


HONESTLY THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I SAW IT AND IM IN LOVE. i just ok so like i want to be an english major music minor and i love annotating and analyzing music it's my favorite thing and i texted my friend who also loves you a long long long paragraph of my analyzing the song and music video as to why the music video fits the theme of a co-dependent, unhealthy mentally damaging, relationship. so yes i matched up and this video made me the happiest kid on earth


For me, I have been very fortunate and have only been in healthy relationships.  To me, it depicts a couple very much in love, but experiencing the raw reality of dealing with and supporting someone who is going through a mental health issue/crisis.  We have all, to some degree, experienced both sides of this relationship.  It's gritty, painful, scary, and going through it you realize the other person doesn't live on a pedestal.  I find the end hopeful, though the singer is vulnerable and scared there is finally true honesty and they will work through this supporting each other.  But, if I had had the relationship experience you did, that's just enough of a tweak so it all just twists a bit wrong instead of a bit right.


I love the song and the music video, and this video helped a lot but I'm still kinda confused, can someone explain his to me in a simpler more "dumb down" verson please?


I LOVE THIS SO MUCH WOO FOR DISCUSSION ABOUT ART


I heard LOVE away the fear when I first heard this so yea the song is a lot different than I thought it was.


I took the song to be two lovers sharing the fear to the world's judgement.


I always thought it was a love song (I'm a bit of a begrudgingly desperate romantic), but I was confused about the lyric saying "you make a rarity of my genuine smile", which suggested to me that they made it rare for them to actually smile. The rest of the song always sounded to me like a person with problems taking to someone who could and did help, like depending on your romantic partner in a positive way... idk


I have realized that if intertwined and sick of losing soulmates had a lovechild it would be my current relationship.... we aren't ok.


I always thought this song was about depression or in other words like you said a medical condition  and how the lyrics "I'm afraid of the things in my brain" was like you were scared of your own thoughts like when your alone and you just start thinking and you start thinking of bad and scary things and how you want the person your with to help you to take away all these bad thoughts and you depend on them so much that you start to break them as well and now your both at a breaking point and how "numb, fine" was how you tried to trick yourself that everything was fine and nothing was wrong which I guess was how you kind of  meant it to be and I guess that's why I Loved the song so much because it kind of in a way interpreted my thoughts and feelings as well


During my first listening of the song i thought it was about 2 people being in love but one is afraid of the world running  their relationship so the person in the relationship who is afraid once to become one suggested by clips in the music video and the word intertwined and the afraid member wants to try and get rid of the feeling but laughing it away or drinking it down. (sorry from my bad grammar, how it was understandable) P.s love the song and video. :)


ive listened to the song again and while it's clear that it is depicting the love life of a mentally ill person, i see another interpretation. i see a pair of lovers. they do love each other, but they have doubts. each of them have had irreparably damaging relationships in the past, leading them to constantly question their partners and ultimately cause the end of the relationships they feared would end. these two have found each other, but their love hangs by a thread.


I would love dodie to be my English teacher...I'd love to come to school everyday


I'll be honest, I was a bit confused at first because I had always interpreted "Intertwined" as a song where the writer is telling you that you are the anchor, you are what's keeping them together, and they are so so in love with the whole of you, your skin, your everything. So when I saw the music video, it didn't make much sense to me and while I appreciated the work and the carefully craft art put into it, I didn't understand what it had to do with this song, this song I had deemed as a sweet, happy, dream relationship song. But hearing your interpretation has cleared that up a lot and I like both interpretations greatly. Keep up the amazing work. I absolutely love your music.


I kept repeating the song yesterday and then you uploaded this? YEEEESSSSSS I NEEDED THIS


Wait?! Dodie knows theory? She was one of the few musicians that I used to use to justify not knowing theory. fuck...


The song feels to me like the couple is tiptoe-ing along the line between a genuinely supportive and sweet relationship and a darker, more troubled and toxic relationship -- so I don't feel the need to pick one of the double-meanings for each line that could kinda go either way, since there are multiple layers to the relationship. It  raises the question of whether the toxicity comes from the particular pairing of people or if dating with mental health issues in general is difficult and double-edged. I've struggled with mental health affecting all the relationships I've had, but I'm pretty young and haven't had very many relationships so maybe I'm just unaware of how some relationships with mental health-affected people work better -- anyway, my point is, I am intrigued by the ambiguity this song presents regarding whether or not the relationship itself is really a bad thing or just a neutral/good thing that is struggling yet persevering through the doubts and dependencies of the darker corners of the partners' minds.


I took it as a less harmful relationship. For me a relationship needs to be a bond. You need to depend on each other to remain one together. The phrase "intertwined, free" was somewhat comforting for me cause I just image legs and feet and arms intertwined while cuddling with someone you love and despite being restricted you feel completely free. All of the out of place, and somewhat gruesome words made me think of the intimacy of a relationship. Your significant other see every part of you, the numb and the fine. The line "I've pinned each and every hope on you I hope that you don't bleed with me" was the concern of how you're affecting your partner. It's making sure that their okay even though you're venting through them. Then the chorus made me think of a past relationship where no matter how sad I was he could always find a way to make me smile. When I was feeling especially depressed or having an anxiety attack he made me feel safe enough and loved enough to laugh. I definitely took it as your love song but in a more realistic and wholesome way. It was based on sex or anything, but love. The good parts and the bad parts, but mistletoe the parts that make you feel safe.

As I was watching the music video the song changed for me. I saw exactly what you've described in this video. I saw the codependency and as soon as it occurred to me I thought back to some past videos of yours where you talk about how codependent you are in relationships and it all makes sense. This song has been a favorite of mine since the day you released it and I sing it all the time. The music video is brilliant and I look up to you a lot. Thank you for your videos! You're amazing. Love you dodie❤❤❤


I would love it if dodie teaches me English literature.


I suffer from anxiety and for me the song was something I could relate to in a really nice way. I read it as someone who's able to ease the pain of having anxiety through a loved one. Now I feel like I can never hear it the same way and I'm really sad and disappointed because it was one of the only songs out there I felt I could connect to, and one of the only songs that in turn helped with my anxiety as well.

Emmy B that doesnt have to change though! if thats what you think the songs about then you have total liberty to think that! the best thing about art is that there is no "right way" to see/hear it :)


I think your interpretation makes a lot of sense, but that's not entirely how it struck me upon first listen. I thought of it as being from the point of view of someone who had been treated badly in the past and was scarred from that experience. It seemed like they were struggling in a new relationship to move on from their past trauma and to move past the toxic thinking they'd been conditioned into previously, hence the abrupt shift from dark imagery to lighter, cozier imagery (getting overwhelmed by chaotic, dark thoughts and suddenly pulling themselves back out of it when they remember that this new relationship is different). They struggle with the thoughts throughout the song, hence the back and forth with the imagery, and struggle with feelings of guilt as well  for making their partner go through this with them (the whole section about pinning hopes and drinking thoughts), but in the end they are able, at least somewhat, to deal with these feelings and move forward with this relationship (which is why the song ends on a more positive note).


The video didn't quite match my idea of the song, but I still really enjoyed it. The premise was mostly the same to my interpretation, but I didn't see a damaged relationship, I thought that was just the writer letting herself believe that she was hurting her partner.


I had noticed "numb" and some of the words you pointed out as gross or contrasting before, but had looked at the song as calming and cute, maybe even relatable.


I got in trouble for listening to this song during english class when i was supposed to be watching a video on persuasive writing and now i need to show my teacher this video to try and avoid punishment. Yay!


I also kinda was thinking about mental health stuff when I was analyzing this song, but I didn't really get an unhealthy  relationship vibe from it??? I felt like it was more about like how it's nice to have a relationship to rely on for comfort and support when you're suffering from mental health issues. But honestly, I feel like it could go either  way, healthy or unhealthy. Both are cool concepts.


Dodie can you be my teacher. I love this so much.


The way I interpreted this song was actually kinda the complete opposite. the song starts off with "skin", hearing this I automatically assumed it was an intimate moment between two lovers, this is followed by the word "heat", then "Hair in your mouth", and "feet touching feet". When I first heard this song I felt it was possibly the first time for this intimacy between the two, however it is possible that could be interpreted differently. the song goes on to say, "you and I safe from the world" this is almost as if to say that the subject feels safe with their partner, their body/ presence is a safe haven "I'm afraid of the things in my brain" I always thought of this as a fear of being close to someone, a fear of commitment and letting people get to close "But we can stay here and laugh away the fear" This is a transition sort of saying "you are the exception, with you I can push away my fears of letting someone in, because you make it easy". "Numb, fine" For this I believed it to be a numbness of all things evil. with the certain person the song speaks about, the writer is unable to feel all the hurt in the world, that person can turn grey into white. This is followed with "fine" they feel fine now because their fears have been lowered, they feel calmer. "you create a rarity of my genuine smiles" they are one of the few people the subject can be comfortable with, almost as if to say they are able to let go and be themselves with this person. "breath with me", they are becoming connected, they have deepened their relationship. "Can you drink all my thoughts cuz I can't stand them" The writer is asking their partner to completely eradicate the feelings of fear they have, make them less afraid to be a part of something bigger. "intertwined, free" this is another reference to the intimate moment, when the writer is with their partner in this way they feel free of burden. "I've pinned each and every hope on you" the writer is counting on their partner to pull them from the dark, they want to be able to fall deep in love. "I hope that you don't bleed with me" the subject is afraid that their un-sureness is going to affect their partner, they don't want to cause them pain or confusion. the song then ends with a repeat of "we can stay here and laugh away the fear", the writer is finally ready to let go, they are not afraid of committing fully to the person they seem to love. I see this song as a dance, as an acceptance of love and all the frightful things that come along with giving one's self fully to another person. To me personally it is a reflection of commitment issues, being afraid to let someone see you at your most vulnerable.


i have a passage analysis essay for literature that's due in a week and i might have watched this instead of writing that but it was definitely me studying close language analysis done by the writer themselves, i swear


I actually interpreted it they way you do!!
(hope that didn't sound like bragging)

At the time this song was made and put on you tube I had a very close friendship with someone and I related some of the more intimate lyrics to the person and I.  Later on this friendship began to struggle due to my issues with it (some doubt fear and anxiety) which makes this song even more relatable, which to me now is very interesting. My struggles were a burden and our friendship isn't close anyone (we're algood now though).
Thank you for such a lovely and expressive song Dodie! xxx


I truly enjoyed the song and breakdown and video. I think Dodie is paralleled only by Stromae in portraying amazingly complex issues in beatiful digestible pop. I was in a romantic engagement with my best friend and we were both mentally unstable and we went down in a ball of flames, its nice to see I am not necessarily alone in my experience or expectation of a relationship turning toxic because of depersonalization, anxiety and depression.


Heeeeeeey Dodie, you should totally make a video/video series on lyric writing and overall song creation, because I love music and am a musician, and I have so many things to say. However, I'm really bad with words (especially lyrics and poetry) and I can't get the feelings and images in my head onto the page. Also please leave makeup details in the description because your makeup today is sO GOOD.


I LOVE THIS VIDEO I LOVE LEARNING YOU INVENTED KNOWLEDGE BE MY TEACHER


i have one thing to say

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
I LOVE THIS !!!!!


Ok, SO. I too, have a few pretty severe mental illnesses that got steadily worse from November to January. The peak of my mental breakdown was in December. I heard this song for the first time a week or so ago and I'm immediately started crying. It reminded me so much of a relationship that I had had with someone before my breakdown and how much I had loved them and how they had protected me from my growing anxiety. That person who I loved so much and who had presumably loved me back made promises they chose not to keep and basically disappeared on me. When my issues reached their peak that person wasn't there for me, and during some of my really bad times I would will them to be there, sometimes calling out their name somehow convinced that one day they would care for me again and that they were the only thing that could get me through. But they never appeared at my door to save me so I saved myself. Afterwards, I realized that what I went through had nothing to do with the absence of their love for me and that the only person who could put my broken pieces back together was... Me. People helped me, but ultimately I had to make the effort and I had to pull myself out of the dark. Anyway, when I heard Intertwined my first thought was the love and protection from "the things in my brain" that this person had given me so long ago. And all of the many other times I've listened to it and sang it since then, I've always thought of them in a loving and thankful way. To me the song was a medley of protection, safety, nostalgia, sadness, and love. But now that I've heard the interpretation of it from you, Dodie, I've realized the deeper darker meaning to it. You can't rely on someone to save you from yourself, especially when that person has let you down so many times before. To have a relationship that's essentially a safe place sheltering you from your insecurities and mental instability is unhealthy and damaging. I only saw the lighter side to your song, just like I still choose to see the lighter side of the toxic relationship I had with an untrustworthy person. I know that I don't need that person to love and shelter me but sometimes I still forget. This song is so beautiful and relatable to me and your interpretation just makes me love it so much more. All of your songs make me feel so much because it's like you can see all of my thoughts and feelings and you're spinning them into gorgeous poetry. It's like...SOMEONE PUT IT INTO WORDS. Thank you so much, Dodie. ❤❤❤☺


I think the music videos for this song and for Sick of Losing Soulmates fit really well (especially with all this explaining!)<br>I also can't help but wonder: What if the videos for the songs were switched? So intertwined was depicting the sweet but solemn course of a relationship and SoLS showed the messy run of one. I wonder if that would match some people's visions more?

I think the music videos for this song and for Sick of Losing Soulmates fit really well (especially with all this explaining!)
I also can't help but wonder: What if the videos for the songs were switched? So intertwined was depicting the sweet but solemn course of a relationship and SoLS showed the messy run of one. I wonder if that would match some people's visions more?

oh my god this is genius. like it's so cool how a video can change people's minds about a song. but, i do think the videos fit perfectly with the songs they have now. sick of losing soulmates is like fighting to maintain a friendship, while intertwined is about a toxic relationship. still, art is different to everybody, and all interpretations are valid


Something I find really interesting the idea of being sort of a pessimist about love. Maybe more specifically when talking about mental illness or emotional dependency and love, but either way. When I first listened to intertwined I did think it was this cute, romantic song but I like the explained message even better. I've been trying to understand love and my own mental state and its hard. We still don't really understand ourselves and our emotions enough to know the recipe to a perfect relationship. Or at least a lasting, loving, perfectly healthy one. After having just gone through a tough breakup I think I'm seeing how we're all fucked up. Kind of like the line in sick of losing soul mates. We don't see how the other person is just as flawed until later. And can we really find someone who is "the one" if we're all deeply flawed, lost, and mentally unstable? I just feel like people are like puzzle pieces. There's no missing half, that person only fits part of you. There are other parts others would fit into. And there pieces of we still don't, and parts that change. I don't know if I even believe love is the right thing for us as people. It's like a drug. And you can self medicate on people, which is  like what you said in the video. Love, mental illness, and perception of self are things we still need to understand better. Idk man, I'm only 17 and this isn't necessarily a theory on the song but just some thoughts. You're cool Dodie. I really enjoy your song explanations. I also loved the music video. And I'm glad you're talking about things like this. You're such brilliant writer.


I need more of these.....teach me please


I interpreted this as fear of when you first fall in love


I didn’t actually identify the partner’s burden as a result of the writer’s mental turmoil, but here is my (rather inaccurate) interpretation:
It appears that the writer has found an oasis of tranquility in her partner. The sensual intimacy and trust distracts her from both the chaos of the world and the chaos in her “brain”, and she desperately wishes to simply “stay here and laugh away the fear”. However, it is clear that despite the genuineness of their love, the partner only offers a temporary resolution to the writer. The subtext is that she is unable to sustain any romantic relationships, as she is far too consumed and burdened by her own psychological troubles. The tragedy of the writer’s situation is particularly striking when she pleads for her partner to “drink” her thoughts; she hopes (and pretends) that her lover is her salvation, yet even she knows all he can provide is fleeting bliss. Although she loves him, she is aware that the love affair was doomed from the outset.

Thank you for the magical song dodie <3


I do feel like it did fit in well with the video. What I would have done is make all these happy moments with the dolls or even some stop motion doodles for when they are just doing cutesy couple things. Then have arguments, anxiety attacks and more negative aspects of the relationship with two real people. This would show that all the happiness in the doodles or stop motion dolls was a 'perfect' version of the relationship that isn't quite real but more of what they want/pretend it is. Thoughts?


Is it just me or does Dodie remind you of Charlieissocoollike because they are honestly so similar


i think the fact that a majority believes the song is sweet is kind of shows how relationships and mental illness and be easily concealed with sentimental words, smiles and false facades


I saw the darker moments of the song, but to me (at least until the video came out lol) I always viewed the mentally well party helping the mentally ill one and everything turning out well. Like the middle verse "Numb. Fine." In my experience has been me in the point in a relationship where I like someone, but don't feel I can trust them with my feelings and angrily tell them I'm fine and grow distant. But the next line creating smiles to me implies the speaker triumphed over that feel of connection and learned to let her lover make her smile. <br>You point out the overwhelming OHHHHS at the climax, but they're then patted down to quieter oh oh ohohoh's suggesting to me the the thoughts have all been drunk and what once the speaker "couldnt stand" is now bearable. The line "Intertwined. Free." To me doesn't show an unhealthy relationship or any kind of contrast at all. In the best relationships you are intertwined and unified but you should also feel free. Also within the songs context, perhaps free of some of the mental strain.

I saw the darker moments of the song, but to me (at least until the video came out lol) I always viewed the mentally well party helping the mentally ill one and everything turning out well. Like the middle verse "Numb. Fine." In my experience has been me in the point in a relationship where I like someone, but don't feel I can trust them with my feelings and angrily tell them I'm fine and grow distant. But the next line creating smiles to me implies the speaker triumphed over that feel of connection and learned to let her lover make her smile.
You point out the overwhelming OHHHHS at the climax, but they're then patted down to quieter oh oh ohohoh's suggesting to me the the thoughts have all been drunk and what once the speaker "couldnt stand" is now bearable. The line "Intertwined. Free." To me doesn't show an unhealthy relationship or any kind of contrast at all. In the best relationships you are intertwined and unified but you should also feel free. Also within the songs context, perhaps free of some of the mental strain.


I feel like the reason a lot of people imagined the video to be so different is because there really isn't a lot of songs like this around. I can't think of another song which switches between love and romance and mental illness like this. The mood in this song is always changing. Though the listeners are faced with gory language, they exclude those words and focus on the romantic ones because this is the social norm. We have been conditioned to think that certain things can only have one definite meaning - a love song is only a love song, a "horrible" song is only a "horrible" song. Therefore people think the video should be romantic as some of the words included fit the social normality and definition of 'love'. This song breaks those norms and 'intertwines', if you will, those two concepts. This song doesn't shy away from the truth which is why there is so much controversy. Many people aren't use to this amount of honesty about society and it's flaws. Thank you for creating this song! (Sorry if this makes 0 sense I literally typed it at 4:30am lol)


If only Dodie was my teacher.... she good at teaching. Maybe Music Teacher. ILY DODIEE


I thought the song was basically getting help, but I understand why it is about dependency, since Ive done that in the past


Girl, that DICTION <br>SEND IT TO UR OLD TEACHERS

Girl, that DICTION
SEND IT TO UR OLD TEACHERS


<b>watches the video for the fiftieth time</b> woah this is different everytime I hear it

*watches the video for the fiftieth time* woah this is different everytime I hear it


doDIe so Oh Wonder has a nEw song called Ultralife & i think you would be great singinG it if ever you have the time to do it <3


i found it so creepy how the dolls in the video would continue to smile throughout THE WHOLE THING like your head just got severed but ahh well

also I LOVED the video. and the ep is so gorgeous and I am so in love with it! :)


This sounded like too much like school so my brain turned off sorry dods


I. Fucking. Love. This. This. Is. FASCINATING.


I took the song as this; a same-sex couple trying to deal with a homophobic town/society that the two were living in. After watching this, although I still like my theory, it is absolutely fascinating how my interpretation, jared off from the original interpretation of the lyrics/ what they were "supposed" to mean. I say that in quotes, because I feel like with art there is no right, or wrong. It just, is.

I'm just going to add onto what I was saying before about my theory. The couple lived in not only a homophobic place, but they were to figure out that some people were talking about them. This takes a dark turn from the relationship, forcing them to stay very closed off and over all, in a not very healthy state of mind. There home was the only place they could be safe, and soon enough they were even going against each other for being in a state of depression caused by the people around them. The relationship soon died down, ending in two unhappy people, in a place where they weren't safe. Yeah... that's what I got out of it.


tru english lit style - WHAT IS THE VIEWS AND VALUES OF THE CREATOR AND HOW DO THEY CONVEY IT


omg Teacher Dodie is such a cute aesthetic


What what what what woah I never thought of it this way it’s cool


Is it bad that I was just staring at her eyebrows the whole time?


It wasn’t very dodie yet it was so dodie


OK I might be the only one but I thought it was about sex 😂 But liek in a sweet way


Dodie, plz replace my english teachr. Plz. We need more ukulele in our english lessons.


OH MY GOD give me your voice! I love every word she speaks! She makes anything sound good and just anything she sings sounds perfect 👌🏼


so this video made me almost cry. hearing this explanation of a seemingly sweet song that's actually pretty twisted, and how every single word and chord and EVERYTHING about this song was so meticulously chosen, ugh it's so overwhelming idk why. i think im going to cry every time i hear this song now thanks.


My interpretation was very sappy and lovey dovey. I feel like this is a 21 Pilots song btw 😂 It has a happy tune but the lyrics are so so dark. Any who I felt as though two people were in a relationship, and the one needed the other so much that they just kind of intertwined and became one person. What a roller coaster. Love the song+music video Dodes! <3


Hmm

I often listened to 'Intertwined' with my eyes closed and a cup of tea when my head was in a muddle. I didn't really think about why I did this, because my head felt an inability to grasp much haha. However,  on reflecting on this impulse I've come to realise how powerful the lyrics of this song are. They have spoken to me so truly. As you mentioned, it is harmonically and melodically a sweet and gentle song with underlying bitter thoughts. These lyrics so appealed and felt as if they listened to my murky head. Yet at the same time, the soothing softness disguising the weight of the lyrics sent me into a state of calm.

Thank you Dodie :)

Hmm

I often listened to 'Intertwined' with my eyes closed and a cup of tea when my head was in a muddle. I didn't really think about why I did this, because my head felt an inability to grasp much haha. However,  on reflecting on this impulse I've come to realise how powerful the lyrics of this song are. They have spoken to me so truly. As you mentioned, it is harmonically and melodically a sweet and gentle song with underlying bitter thoughts. These lyrics so appealed and felt as if they *listened* to my murky head. Yet at the same time, the soothing softness disguising the weight of the lyrics sent me into a state of calm.

Thank you Dodie :)


honestly this just brings this already gorgeous song and brand new meaning and it's just amazing how much different it was in my mind and i've never really been that great at picking up different themes (especially ones that are so well hidden) so this is truly eye opening. keep up the good work!


This is great. I would love for you to do more. :)


Wow, I'm amazed! This breakdown gave me chills and took my breath away a little bit. Only Dodie could make a song sound both beautiful and dark at the same time, this is why I love her❤


One of my most favorite things in life is hearing how someone who created some art form had felt or thought during the making of it and then comparing it to how I received it. and weirdly my intake on this was sorta similar to dodie's possibly due to also having depression and anxiety or not idk
but anyways when I originally heard the song I imagined it as a character who had mental illnesses (obviously) who was in a relationship of some sorts where they placed a lot of their self worth and abilities on the other persons ideas of them. The line "the world will try-" made me think that the characters friends and family were attempting to get them out of the toxic relationship. the bit where it says "free" made me think of the person having thoughts of leaving but then being followed by "but we can stay here and laugh away the fear" and soft humming made me think of the person giving up and staying under false pretense of being happy and safe.

damn that was long and idk if I did my thoughts justice  oh well ...


I remember when I first saw you on tour and your intro to this song was "I haven't been in a relationship in a long time and so I wrote a song as if I was in a relationship cause gosh I'm so lonely lol" or something along those lines, so I've always interpreted the song as a daydream. A hope of healing and happiness that a relationship could bring that seems lovely in a dream, but in reality would be completely unhealthy. Sort of like a desperate fantasy in the search for a cure for yourself.


Boom! Mic drop indeed. This was awesome Dodie. The whole EP is great, but this song in particular is the one I have stuck on repeat. Full of atmosphere and tones of conviction - two of my fav' things to have in songs.

Really great way of going through your interpretation of the song. Thank you for sharing :)


this is one of the most fascinating videos i've watched recently. i typically like to interpret songs on my own, but i suppose i didn't realize how interesting it is to hear them through the eyes of the creator themselves. i especially appreciate you talking about the chord progression and how they linked with the words. this song is truly a work of art. you must be so proud!

i commented that at the halfway mark of watching this, but i just finished. i absolutely have to comment again about how much thought and effort went into every word and phrasing. i would never have seen this song or your writing style in such an intricate and genius way were it not for this video. thank you. this is incredible.


This is almost exactly how I thought of it, I never really considered it a love song due to the words "numb" "I can't stand it" "drink all my thoughts" it always seemed so dark and the music video was so fitting, honestly loved it :)


DOODIE THIS IS SO GOOD AHH! I love this analysis and thank you so much for sharing your meaning behind the song!  UGH it's SO GoOD


I. Love. This. Song. I've always seen it as a dark song masked by the cute melody and lovey phrases mixed in, but I didn't realize the full extent of genius of it until you pointed it out. You played with our emotions, so props to you. I love the way you contrasted the dark words with love, which I always saw as someone in a relationship trying to hint to their significant other that they a) aren't happy, or b) aren't okay, because they don't feel safe flat out saying it. I still kind of see it like that, but I also love the whole 'toxic relationship' theme. Because you can be in love and be happy even if you're draining each other's energy in the process. It's a sense of dependency, like you said, like 'you make me feel like I'm worthless but I'd be so much worse without you' which is a very real thing. The way you combed through every lyric (which is what it seems like judging by the depth of the song) is outstanding and it shows. WOOOOOT I LOVE THIS.


This is exactly what I hear when I listen to this deep song.
I always look for the deeper meaning to match how I feel though so possibly it's just me 😂
I loved the video!


This was so amazing! I love how you described it, because in a much simpler way, my brain interpreted the song as a both beautiful and toxic relationship. I think I understood it so well because I deal with depression, anxiety, and co-dependency so that's why identified with it so much. I know you love it when we discuss how we viewed the songs, but I wish you would do videos like these more often!


i have such a hard time trying to interpret song lyrics, so when i originally heard the song, i thought it was about a dying relationship. now that i've seen this, i see the very dark meaning of the song and i LOVE it ah!


I interpreted this song as being desperate and lonely. It makes me feel kind of lost, like the world is shrouded in chaos, but like when they're with who they're with, the world fades away into nothingness, and to me that signifies a toxicity within the relationship.  I thought the video was an extremely interesting piece of art but that maybe a different idea could have represented the intended interpretation better.


also after watching this im so happy i always thought this was kind of a darkish song that talks about how you can still be in love with someone and have happy moments while at the same time its not healthy and you're not mentally stable. i still dont understand while people keep putting dodie in this box of super cute happy romantic acoustic songs when shes a lot more multidimensional than that and can write darker songs like this one. i mean seriously "you create a rarity of my smile" and "im afraid of the things in my brain" and "numb" this isnt just some perfect little love song


I didn't interpret the song this way, as I imagined it to be a love song. But I am so glad that Dodie posted this and shared what she meant the song to be understood as


that was so lovely! I loved hearing you explain it, actually. MY interpretation, however, was more of someone's expectations of how the relationship was going to be, and then having that collide with how it really turned out to be, and the entire time you never truly know what is real and was was imagined.


Thank you for giving us your interpretation. Understanding the song more fully made me cry so much listening to the song again, because I'm going through what the song describes right now. Thank you for creating this beautiful gift of a song, for expressing one of the struggles that mentally unstable people go through. Love you sincerely dodie


Tbh, my interpretation was that sometimes love and relationships can be dark and gory themselves, but in the end you can laugh away the fear because the love is stronger than the negative emotions. Sappy, I know


This video is so amazing. I love wordplay and lyric analyzation. UGH :)


This is like my favorite song of yours because it's so deep and you show who you really are-this afraid girl


Thank you so much for this! I love analysis especially musical analysis and this was a great explanation. As for what this song means to me, when I first listened to Intertwined, I loved it, but I didn't get too much of the deeper meaning. I came back to the song later after a classmate of mine had committed suicide. The weekend afterward I was planned to hang out with old friends who didn't go to that school, one of them being a crush of mine. The whole affair was a mess, I didn't want to break any bad news around such a rare get together and I felt masked the whole night. I stayed up late taking to my crush as the others feel asleep, and Intertwined always related to that time for me. A mixed bag of feeling happy for the first time in a while while feeling guilty and nervous right under the surface. I listened to Intertwined a lot during that time, and I was really intrigued and relieved to see the darker side of the lyrics that I always listened for. That was quite a long and heavy comment but there's my spiel haha, thanks for reading :)


DODIE i can't even explain how much i love this video. i live for finding meaning and literary aspects in literature, and i especially love when songwriters put a deliberate purpose behind each lyric of their music like this. this was wonderful, thank you for sharing your meaning of this song with us 💖


I could hear you talk like this forever, you seem so passionate about it. I really enjoy the way you express your mind dodie💜 Lots of love from Argentina🌸


The first time I listened to it, I thought of a relationship in which both partners had their own flaws and issues, but they tried their best to work past those and even embrace them.


I'm not the biggest fan of the music video, but I absolutely love hearing you break down the song! I love the theme of it. It's perfect.


I love this and the video make so much sense for it, it's really beautiful and really tragic and so much deeper than a casual sweet little love song and I think the video really works with that and highlights that


I don't know about anyone else but I could definitely watch more videos of you deconstructing art - English teacher style.


I interpreted the song as if it was from the pov of someone trying to hide their mental instability/ not understanding mental illnesses and feeling as if they're alone. Worried as they don't want to ruin their relationship because of these thoughts they're having they keep them quiet and undercover. But as the thoughts start getting stronger and more terrifying it feels as if they can't be contained. Then the mental instability begins to show, where is seen in the line "breathe, breathe" as I interpreted that as someone hyperventilating because of the weight of not being able to express all these thoughts. They then try to look for a way of coping so they turn to alcohol in hope that if they kept drinking the thoughts would go away which I saw in the line "Can you drink all my thoughts." All the while constantly worrying that these thoughts will ruin the relationship that they're in.


I'm not good at analyzing songs but the lyric "I'm afraid of the things in my brain" has always gotten to me like it's so dark compared to how it sounds


When I first heard the song, I FELL IN LOVE!!!!!! fav song on the ep, but I interpreted it as a song about mental health and, well, intimacy between lovers.


first off, i'd just like to say that this is a BEAUTIFUL song. it's my favorite out of every original song by dodie, with "i knew you once" in a close 2nd place.

i completely agree with you on most of the meaning, i definitely picked up on the contrast between the "pain" lyrics and the lyrics meant to mask the pain. it's my favorite part of the song.

the only bit you said that totally contrasted with what i was thinking was the "numb... fine..." part.

i interpreted the word "numb" to mean fuzzy or hazy, almost like the feeling when you're drunk or even tired when you let go of your thoughts and everything seems a little bit soft and crackly? it's hard to describe the feeling, but that's what i got out of the first word.

the word "fine" i interpreted not as meaning "okay" but as meaning "detailed" (as in "a fine tip sharpie"). i thought it contrasted with the word "numb" because obviously something very clear and detailed is the opposite of the hazy feeling i described in the previous paragraph.

i thought that those two words showed that in theory, the thoughts/feelings the relationships gave you were very clear ("fine"}, while in reality, they made you confused and  it was hard to see all the details, just a feeling ("numb").

i'm sorry if this was completely illiterate but i hope to discuss this song with someone because i love it so much and i love dodie's minimalist beautiful songwriting and i WISH i can write songs like this in the future <3


I LOVE your analysis, Dodie, and I appreciate how it lets me understand the song better, as it is probably my favorite song of yours. I've also had fun reading the comments and seeing the other perspectives on your lyrics. I hadn't ever thought of this song as depicting a toxic relationship, though as you talked about it, it made perfect sense. I had always kind of imagined it as the two lovers finding solace in their relationship because they were dealing with a lot of shit from the rest of the world; like, they were only truly happy and comfortable and free when they were intertwined. At the end, I also thought the lyrics like "I hope that you don't bleed with me" was showing one lover genuinely caring about the other's well-being and outside life. I guess I took it as more of a healthy, beneficial relationship (building each other up because of, say, mental health issues) at first, but I love both sides.


This was incredible to watch.   Such a tragic, bittersweet story.  Having you do this brings so much clarity to a beautiful and heart wrenching song.   Thanks!  I hope you do another one of these in the future :)


You are so entirely and completely amazing.


Going back and listening to the song and watching the video after this is so interesting ! <br>Gives it a whole other meaning to me personally.

Going back and listening to the song and watching the video after this is so interesting !
Gives it a whole other meaning to me personally.


Please do more of theses for your other songs I love lyric analysis


Thankyou so much for this video! After the video came out I really hoped you would explain it and this is exactly what I was wishing for! I commented on the music video a couple days ago that I was disappointed with it because I didn't see its relation to the song and thought of it as trying to play into the popular creepy doll theme that I've seen in other videos. Now that I have heard your thoughts behind it I love the video! (My original distaste for it was probably not only for my natural distaste for anything I see as a trend but also because I get creeped out very easily) but anyway thanks for explaining your interpretation. This is not how I interpreted the song, (I saw it as about how wonderful it is to have someone to talk to about mental health problems with, someone who is on your side in life and gives you support in a relationship, but I didn't look very closely into the lyrics)


I definitely interpreted it as someone with a lot of fear and anxiety that maybe even makes things hard for awhile but that maybe even in the confusion there's moments of stillness almost like someone in a romantic relationship that has pibolar disorder where things can get messy but it's ultimately nice and their significant other is helping them work through stuff


omg dodie this video is just so amazing, I'm so glad that you made it.
I was so confused when the Intertwined video came out; tho I really loved it I didn't quite understand it ¿? because as you said everybody has its own interpretation on art ((and its awesome and my favorite thing about it)), but I love that now that you explained it has a whole new meaning than the cheesy romantic lyrics I used to hear; now it's even a more beautiful piece of art and I couldn't be more proud of you for proving yourself and us that you can make something beautiful and amazing and actually helpful of something so awful as a mental illness, and that those issues don't have to stop you from being happy and love yourself (even if it's hard sometimes).
Anyway, you keep surprising me everyday and I couldn't be more glad to have found your work here; you really are helping.
I hope you are happy and proud of yourself, ilysm <3
also happy super late birthday


I've always seen this song as more of a positive type of song, where someone is mentally ill but finds help in another person and begins to feel better because of it. I think your meaning is also amazing, just not necessarily how I saw it. It's quite interesting how multiple people have a different perspective of the same song.


I originally thought the song was about a relationship on the edge of falling apart. The people don't know whether or not to continue this relationship. They have these really nice moments where they are intimate (the first verse) and everything is ALMOST fine. And then everything falls apart. They go back and forth between being together and falling apart.


this video was so interesting and intelligent thank you so so so much for this dodie. it was fascinating to hear your interpretation and how you wrote this song and the theme you wanted behind it. i interpreted this song as the story of a healthy relationship. someone who is very broken, being able to lean on their partner, finding relief in the relationship. it is truly fascinating how differently art can be interpreted. again, thank you so much for this dodie.


this was my exact interpretation of the song but i feel like the music video definitely referenced physical abuse rather than mental health issues which is why i think many people didnt think it fitted the song too well


What I would like to know is did Sammy come up with the music vid idea after just hearing the song? Or did you discuss it with him? Had he come to any conclusions about it?


i never really analyzed the song until the music video. the video definitely put across your interpretation to me, it really fits and gives the perfect portrayal


I thought the song was definitely dark when i first heard it and then that idea was confirmed by the video. I believe there was an amazing message behind it and the way it was masked and created was beautiful. FINALLY SOMEONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF IN A SONG!!!!


miss dodie in music analysis. very throught-provoking video!


And now I understand the video... thank you. (Also holy shit you are an amazing song writer. I had no idea this much thought went into it)


I really love hearing your explanation behind your lyrics. I couldn't give you a concise answer as to how I interpret the lyrics but I love hearing the artists reasoning behind their lyrics and it gives me a deeper understanding of the song when I'm performing it 😊😊 I'd love to hear your analysis of your other songs Dodie 😁😁 I think that even though each person interprets as song/ price of art differently, it's interesting to hear the though processes behind it. ALSO I think that when I perform/ practice a song, the image of the song in my head changes the tone of my voice and different accents in places and stuff so yeah, I'd love to see some other videos like this 😊


Okay so, my own idea when I heard this song was the underlying theme that you can't love away mental health issues. I know this because I've tried desperately to fix someone. But in the relationship I am thinking of, I witnessed a person try so so so hard to love away my mental problems. So when the line "I've pinned each and every hope on you, I hope that you don't bleed" really rang true because soon she tired herself out trying to fix me so much that her mental health worsened. But in all honesty we were so madly in love that it almost didn't matter. The lyrics "intertwined, free" really hit it one the head for what would be a perfect relationship. So perfectly intertwined that it feels liberating. So when you sang "numb, fine" it took this sickenly sweet song and brought it back to reality. One were the two of us in this relationship we're pretending to be okay when we could feel nothing when we looked at each other. It honestly took my breath away when you mention the lyric "laugh away the fear" really meant we were just ignoring what we really felt and just talked over it. Because as the relationship with the girl began to end this was how we acted. We laughed over problems that in the end destroyed us. Thanks you for writing this amazing song, it really was gorgeous and the music video for this song captured the meaning in a surprisingly beautiful way.


DODIE I have been in love with this song since it came out. I would listen to it and daydream about love, but then the music video came out and it completely changed my perspective! I think your take on this was so fascinating and I loved it. I agree with you, debating about art is so incredibly interesting. How you changed my perspective on your song really opened up a lot of things, and helped me understand a lot. I am now only more in love with the song, and I love playing it on my ukulele as well :))


My original interpretation of the song was of someone who was afraid to love, who maybe had a bad relationship in the past and is now hesitant with this new relationship.


please post more in-depth analysis videos of your art like this!!!!! these give the songs even more of a deep meaning than they already have and i live for this kind of stuff


When I first listened to intertwined it made me think of the beginning of the relationship where it's more passionate and raw. I saw the word "Intertwined" as the literal physical sense of two bodies being intertwined, I also thought that the "skin" and "brain" part was the couple beginning to explore each other physically and mentally, it all felt to me like a new relationship. After watching this video it really opened my eyes and made me think and appreciate the people who have the sheer strength to get out and even realise that they are in an abusive/unhappy/negative relationship. LOVE YOU DODIE💖P.S I also love the discussion of art and it's different forms and meanings xx


Yes yes exactly. At first I only thought this was a love song, very sweet and innocent. I watched the music video right when it came out and I UNDERSTOOD VEIW CHANGED MAD QUICK  I watched it only twice and this is the explanation I came up with. I absolutely love this song and the music video (reminds me of a Stanley Kubrick plus west Anderson kinda thing <3) I really relate to the meaning and it does make me feel something knowing someone was able to make art capturing a similar phenomenon I  and haven't been able to get a handle on. Love you and Sammy well done.


I absolutely loved the music video. I think the dolls made it creepier and fit the tone and message of the song! also I loved the analysis you're so cute :))))


BRILLIANT! i didn't ever think of the lyrics in this way by now that it's being explained it seems like the theme was right in front of me the whole time!! that's so cool dodie you did an amazing job as did sammy paul with the video.❤


I definitely felt it was darker than the tune seemed to intend as I've listened to it. I interpreted it as a love song or story intertwined with the burden of mental health and have listened to it a lot while struggling with my own mental health issues, but i took it more as a possibly damaging relationship where one was putting a lot more than the other into the relationship and I definitely didn't see it quite as dark as it was intended to be. definitely love the song and the music video, though.


I always heard and understood the slightly less sweet undertone to the song, and when I saw the music video I literally screamed with happiness. It's absolutely perfect. It matches the song in the way it at first seems sickly sweet, two barbie dolls in a cutesy little dollhouse, but then becomes increasingly darker and more macabre. The song is an absolutely wonderful representation of a toxic relationship that is trying to be covered up by saying its 'fine'. I think the music video was perfect at portraying this. Wonderful job to dodie and the rest of the team that worked on it!


Dodie, you should do a lyric analization on the other two songs in your EP!


dude, dodie, I've never been more assured of why I love you so much ! This fills my creative, English-lit loving brain with SO MUCH HAPPINESS !!!! With regards to the song, when I first heard it, I can clearly remember my first feelings being somewhat disturbed and I would completely agree with the things you said in this video about like the vivid imagery of 'skin' 'brain' etc.. I also remember feeling the jarring of 'numb... Fine' very distinctly and noticing the oxymorons in there. But then as I got used to the song I heard the romantic (tho it still seemed more intimate than romantic if you know what I mean) aspect of the song and just assumed that was how you and everyone else interpreted it which I personally think tells a lot about what I expect (due to society, socialisation, stereotypes and expectations) from women songwriters. Can't help but be annoyed at myself for just going with what I thought was intended rather than sticking to my own intuition and thoughts but I am SO grateful for this video. Goodness you are brilliant.


i didnt really have much of an analysis in my head about the song. i was just enjoying it for what i had assumed it was, i didnt think about it. i did notice something was unsettling about the lyrics though. i love the song a whole lot more now that the music video made me think about it more. my favourite thing about music is that its always a layer deeper than i think.


Hi Dodie! I love your work and this is an awesome video cause I heard the song differently. Anyways, here's my interpretation lol. So starting with the "skin" thing, I didn't really find it jarring cause the soft beginning made me just imagine like, cuddling or something. Also, the contrast of words like "numb" and "fine" I just heard as the general ups and downs, and later with the "I hope that you don't bleed with me" I heard it like "I don't want to hurt you cause you're what's helping me" sorta thing. Overall (so this doesn't become a novel, lol), I heard the song more like a couple in love and one is just going through some pain of sorts, and their partner is trying to support them and help them through. So like, this is the song of the person going through the pain, scared of hurting the people/person that're trying to help as they themselves try to get better. Sorta a sad love song in my ears.


holy shit this is hands down my favorite video you've made- to see what went through your brain and what went into this song was seriously amazing. I listened to the song before the video and thought it was sweet, when I saw the music video I saw a totally different yet fitting interpretation and hearing you analyze each part with such heart behind each tiny decision is truly incredible. You are so very talented! I can't even express how I feel about this mental journey I've gone on with this song. Thank you dodie


I love your music, and I think you are brilliant. I've been watching you for a while now and I'm amazed by how much you've growth, But I'm not so happy with the way you've changed this past few months. You've placed a little too much entasis in the fact that you are not okay in your Dodie the singer/songwriter persona and that's fine but I think It's a little counter effective, you see; your music helped/helps thousands of people battling whatever life troughs at them daily and that's very noble and beautiful, but I also have conflicted fillings about it, It's becoming something predictable and almost forced like everything has to be about how not well you are (and hopefully I'm so very wrong)and that worries me a little.Its almost like you are brushing it off as "whatever its normal" and your fanbase have caught this attitude too, every day I see post from your fans talking about their mental problems with each other in the comments and Instagram and can't help to wonder how many of these post are genuine and which are just trying to fit in with this weird turnaround of people who've come to embrace mental health a little too much.
I say this as someone not only clinically diagnosed with depression but who has also lost far too many loved ones to mental illnesses (for underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis), just recently a close-ish friend who showed heavy signs of an anxiety disorder was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has lost himself in the drugs he is taking (He partook in this "unsafe" normalization of mental illnesses trough his blog and such)
I don't know if this is a little tone deaf or rude, art is art and it should be left to the artists to critic, but I just don't see this transformation to your brand as something helpful to our community.
And I would like to clarify that this is in no way denying that people who have mental illnesses shouldn't talk about it (I actually believe that you do a great favor to the youtube community by doing so, and in some instances the vid you make me have helped me in ways that ill forever grateful for; If it wasn't for your depersonalization video I would've never known how to explain to my counselor how I've felt for so long) but I also stand by the point that the repetition of this "quirky it's cool to be ill" mentality that has erupted all over the internet is doing a disservice to the diagnostician and treatment of real illnesses
Just to further my point of who its a little strange how you handled it I would like to point out that in 1:56 I just sounds wrong (IMO) and I get it, its supposed to be empowering but it just comes off cocky and dismissive.

I'll just finish by saying that in no way this is a callout, it's more of an invitation to re-evaluate how you are managing this topic. I wish you nothing but love and everything thats good.
- A concerned fan


Okay so first of all, I am completely and utterly in love with how you wrote this beautiful song, I'm not going to lie and say that I totally understood it because I don't think that is what you intended to do with how you wanted to song to be taken. I think you made it sound calm, loving and understandable to hide the fact of the true darkness of mental health and relationships. If I'm wrong about my hypothesis please tell me but overall I will never hate this song because it really touches my heart more than ever.<br>@doddlevloggle

Okay so first of all, I am completely and utterly in love with how you wrote this beautiful song, I'm not going to lie and say that I totally understood it because I don't think that is what you intended to do with how you wanted to song to be taken. I think you made it sound calm, loving and understandable to hide the fact of the true darkness of mental health and relationships. If I'm wrong about my hypothesis please tell me but overall I will never hate this song because it really touches my heart more than ever.
@doddlevloggle


I would love to see your english teachers respond to the analysis. I imagine they are extremely proud of you, just like your fans who have been watching for a while are.


I didn't even think it was a love song  😂 I thought it was about mental health issues but I still really enjoy it


I'm so glad you made this. like many, I originally was a bit thrown off by the music video, but it gives so much deeper meaning than what I had assumed about the song. there are thousands of cuddly love songs, but very few ones like this, and it is very well written and thought out <3


I went "ohhhhhhhh" and "holy shit" a lot while watching this lol

This was reaaally interesting holy shit I LOVE IT

Thanks Dodie this makes so much more sense now :)


thank u sm for making this i was so sad and confused that it didnt match up to my interpertation but now i feel better ;)


I always heard the song as being a story of fear, like an okay relationship going completely wrong (abusive). They (the person being abused) are trying to convince their brain everything is okay, hence the "laugh away the fear." They don't love their significant other anymore, but they stay, Intertwined in the horrible romance because of their dependence on their abuser and their need for stability. <br>Just my thoughts, love you dodie!

I always heard the song as being a story of fear, like an okay relationship going completely wrong (abusive). They (the person being abused) are trying to convince their brain everything is okay, hence the "laugh away the fear." They don't love their significant other anymore, but they stay, Intertwined in the horrible romance because of their dependence on their abuser and their need for stability.
Just my thoughts, love you dodie!


I love this song so much because it relates back to my own past relationship.

But it wasn't me that started out as the unhealthy one. I mean, sure I had my moments, and I had unhealthy qualities, and other than my anxiety I never had any severe mental health issues. My partner however was diagnosed with depersonalisation and depression, and all chronic and due to his brain having a lack of chemicals and what not.

So our relationship start close, and loving (skin, heat) and mildly playful, your typical honeymoon stage of every relationship (hair in your mouth, feet touching feet). We had our own world, it was just the two of us together and it was peaceful and beautiful (safe from the world, though the world will try).
Then as our relationship grew deeper, I learned more about his mental illness. And I thought I could help him. I thought that maybe by some miracle I was the girl that was going to save him from himself so that he'd be okay again. I start to "drink his thoughts".. I myself started to blame myself for his illness. I started to feel like shit a lot and I even started to feel suicidal. I hated myself for not helping him. I hated him for making me feel this way. But I was so sad because I hated but I still loved him dearly. And then I broke up with him. I told what was happening in my head and I don't think he realised that being with brought out a different unhealthy side to me that I didn't know I had.

I love this song and When so much, because I can relate it back to my old relationship.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate him for his illness, not anymore at least. And I love and miss him dearly. But being with him brought out something in me I didn't know I had. And now I need to work on healing that part of me, without him.


when I first heard the song I though of it as feeling the other person in the relationship was like their "protector" and that the world was their fears. How when the two people were together they were shielded from the bad things in the world (I was thinking in the context of an lgbt relationship and how people would disapprove). But the writer still had doubts of whether they could handle the outside criticism. I guess lol (SORRY FOR THE JUMBLED MESS 🙃)


I'm so glad you made this. Every time I hear the song I'm like, this is not a happy love song. Glad my analysis matches yours.