For this first analysis, we will be looking at 'A Pearl' by Mitski. If you haven't listened to the song yet I definitely recommend it. I will put screen shots of the lyrics below so you can reference them through out this chapter :)
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To start off, I think the narrator is asexual. Why do I think that? Because I'm asexual and I claim this song. Anyway, the narrator is ace and currently dating an allosexual person (basically just some one who isn't ace). In the first verse the narrator talks about how they think their partner is growing tired of them. And even though the narrator's partner really seems to love them, they are still losing sleep over it. The narrator also believes their partner is growing tired of them because of all the things they won't talk about. What is the narrator not talking about? Being asexual and not wanting to have sex with their partner.
The second verse starts out with the narrator saying "sorry I don't want your touch, it's not that I don't want you" which is the most ace thing I've ever heard in my life. Basically the narrator is not interested in a physical relationship with their partner but still loves their partner a lot. After that the narrator repeats the line "sorry I don't want your touch" but then adds a new line; "it's just that I fell in love with a war." What war you may ask? The narrator fell in love with an allo person and it's just hard for them have a relationship. The narrator has probably had countless arguments with their partner about why they won't have sex, but never told their partner the full truth; that they're ace.
At the start of the third verse, the narrator says "nobody told me it ended". This could mean that no one told them that eventually them and their partner would probably break up because each persons needs were not being met. The next few lines talk about how the narrator's partner (now probably ex) left a pearl in their head and they roll it around every night just to watch it glow. I take this as the narrator's ex leaving a big impact on them and they think about it constantly. Every night they think of what the two of them could have been and all the memories they've already had together, hence the line "just to watch it glow".
From there the lyrics repeat what I already covered, so I won't re-explain everything but yeah. A Pearl (to me) is about the struggles of dating as an ace person and what we have to go through. This is my interpretation of this song and I would love to hear yours!
