What does "Secrets" by The Weeknd mean?

What does "Secrets" by The Weeknd mean?

"Secrets" is one of the grooviest, most interesting songs on the Starboy album. The Weeknd wrote it about a relationship that's not going so well, and the song is awesome. it's got a little bit of a Michael Jackson vibe, and it's an interesting take on a relationship that could be very close to falling apart.

"Secrets" Lyrics Meaning

The Weeknd knows that every other guys is jealous of his girlfriend, and he knows that it's going to be difficult to make her stay. Unfortunately for him, she's actually is interested in some other guy. But she doesn't tell him. Instead, late at night, he hears her talking in her sleep about that guy and realizes that he's not the only one. She's lusting after someone else, and he needs to confront her. And "Secrets" is that confrontation.

Verse 1: You're Pretty Popular Actually

In the first verse of "Secrets," The Weeknd can see the relationship beginning to fall apart. He knows that everyone wants his girlfriend, and he knows that he's not the one that she really wants. He begins, "Everybody here wants you / My love . . . . / And I know you want them too." It's pretty obvious to him that she's not as interested in him as he had thought.

He continues, "I ask you what your heart desires," because he wants to give her a chance to stay true to him, and she tells him that he's "the only one," but he doesn't believe it as we see in the pre-chorus.

Pre-Chorus: Lies! All Lies!

The Weeknd sings accusingly, "It's a lie, a lie." And he has proof. He sings that he catches "you every time / In your lust, your lust / Every time you close your eyes." When she goes to sleep next him in their bed, he stays awake to hear her or perhaps she awakens him with her sleep talking, but that's when he finds out that she isn't being faithful to him completely. Whether or not she's acting on her "lust," she's dreaming about another man.

Chorus: The Secrets Are Exposed

The chorus is largely repetitive and focuses in on one key idea: "I hear the secrets that you keep / When you're talking in your sleep." He's been building up to this stanza for a while, and this is where he finally reveals how he knows she isn't completely faithful to him. He has been listening to her while she sleeps and has found out that there's someone else.

Verse 2: Oh, Those Guys, Huh?

In the second verse, The Weeknd sings, "You told me not to worry 'bout / Those guys, those guys / You told me that you left it all behind." And apparently, based on her mumblings, there is reason for worry. If she's not dreaming about "those guys," it's at least someone else. Of course, she could have also let slip specific names.

Bridge: I See the Lust in Your Eyes!

Here, The Weeknd sings, "Wipe the / Lust from your eyes." When people wake up from sleeping deeply, they'll rub their eyes and it's referred to as "wiping the sleep from your eyes." But since her sleep was filled with lust-filled dreams, The Weeknd wants her to snap out of that lustful mindset and to focus on him for a moment.

He sings, "I see that you're not mine / I see the lust in your eyes / You can't hide it." She's not his, and he knows it. When he sings, "You can't be the one," he's saying that she's not "the one" for him, and he'll have to find another lover who will be faithful. The line about how they're "divided" means they're no longer together and will have to go their separate ways.

"Secrets" Deeper Song Lyrics Meaning

"Secrets" is about a confrontation of a woman who hasn't been faithful. There's not much more to it than that. The Weeknd hears her talking in her sleep about another man (or men), and he's done. That about sums it up. I think the lines "Wipe the / Lust from your eyes" is an interesting idea and a weirdly poetic reference to what's been happening. Other than that, I don't have much to add to my explanation of this song. "Secrets" is a solid song about a break up caused by one woman's unfaithfulness.

If you have any theories or ideas about what this song means on a deeper level, I'd love to hear them!