Rex Orange County’s “Best Friend” is an indie pop song about wanting more than friendship from someone. It deals with the frustration of unrequited feelings and the difficult balance between hoping for more and trying to move on.
Below is a line-by-line breakdown of the lyrics in “Best Friend.”
- Song: Best Friend
- Artist: Rex Orange County
- Songwriter: Alex O’Connor
- Released: 2017
- Genre: Pop
What is “Best Friend” About?
Intro: Feeling Alone in a Crowd
I should’ve stayed at home
‘Cause right now I see all these people that love me
But I still feel alone
Being surrounded by people who care only makes his loneliness worse.
Family and friends are present, yet the absence of the one person he truly wants leaves him feeling empty. Romantic rejection outweighs other forms of love.
Can’t help but check my phone
He is distracted and restless, constantly waiting for a message that never comes.
He knows the reality of the situation, yet he still can’t help but hope that she contacts him.
I could’ve made you mine
But no, it wasn’t meant to be and see I wasn’t made for you
He thinks he had a chance but didn’t take it.
To soften the pain and protect his ego, he tells himself they were never meant to be.
And you weren’t made for me
Though it seemed so easy
They looked perfect on the surface, but the reality was different.
The connection between them felt so simple and natural, yet something held it back from becoming something real.
Chorus: Conflicted
And that’s because I wanna be your favorite boy
I wanna be the one that makes your day
He wants to be at the center of her world, the person who lifts her up and makes her happiest.
This is about both love and the need to feel significant.
The one you think about as you lie awake
I can’t wait to be your number one
He wants to occupy her thoughts, hoping she lies awake at night thinking about him the same way he thinks about her. He wants to be her top priority.
I’ll be your biggest fan and you’ll be mine
But I still wanna break your heart and make you cry
On one hand, he wants to be her biggest supporter, a true partner in life. On the other, his frustration and hurt feelings make him want revenge.
He wants to make her feel the same pain he is experiencing, hoping that it will make her realize what she missed out on.
Verse: A Confident Facade
But won’t you wait?
You know it’s too late
He begs her to stop and not move on, but then immediately accepts that it’s already too late for them.
He struggles between holding onto hope and accepting their reality.
I’m on my own shit now
Let me tell you how it feels to be fucking great
I feel great
He’s putting on a show of confidence and independence. He acts as if he is doing great without her, trying to regain a sense of power after being vulnerable.
He wants her to see that he can thrive on his own, hoping this will make her second-guess her decision.
You need to be yourself
Love someone for loving you instead of someone really cool
He criticizes her choices, accusing her of only liking men who are popular or cool.
Underneath this advice is obvious jealousy, since he sees himself as genuine but ignored.
That makes your heart melt
Who knows what you truly felt
He implies that he is the one who truly understands her feelings and that others only attract her with a shallow infatuation.
He thinks he knows her better than anyone else and feels she is not being authentic with her other guys.
You’re still my favorite girl
You better trust me when I tell you there ain’t no one else
More beautiful in this damn world
Even after frustration and jealousy, he admits that he still loves her.
He wants her to believe him, as if his praise and admiration are enough to win her over.
He sounds both sincere and desperate, like he can’t stop himself from clinging to her.
Bridge: A Promise of Revenge
You’re gonna wanna be my best friend, baby
You’re gonna wanna be my best friend
He believes that as he becomes more successful and happy in his life, she will want to be a part of it and will try to come back to him as a friend.
He hopes for a future where he has the upper hand, and she is the one seeking him out. This fantasy allows him to hold onto the idea of her needing him.
Pre-Chorus: Facade Broken
I say that I’m happy
But no, no, no, no
The confidence from earlier breaks apart. He admits the truth: he is not okay.
He is still hurt by her not picking him, and his attempts to act cool are a desperate front.
Outro: Lingering Hope
I still wanna be your favorite boy
I wanna be the one
I might just be the one
The song ends where it began, with him holding onto hope.
He knows she may only want him as a friend, but he refuses to give up on the idea of them ending up together.
“Best Friend” Song Meaning: Caught Between What Could Be and What Is
“Best Friend” is about the messy feelings that come when someone wants more than friendship but can’t have it. The song swings between affection, jealousy, bravado, and vulnerability. He admits regret for missing his chance, criticizes her for choosing others, and tries to cover up his pain with humor and arrogance.
At its heart, “Best Friend” is about a young man wrestling with rejection and his pride. He wants to be important to her, even if only as her best friend, yet deep down, he can’t stop hoping to be the one she loves.
Songs Like “Best Friend”
Here are a few songs with similar themes:
1. “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5
“She Will Be Loved” is about devotion to someone who can’t fully return the same love. It’s another song about someone staying hopeful despite rejection.
Related: “She Will Be Loved” Song Meaning
2. “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” by Arctic Monkeys
This Arctic Monkeys’ hit is about late-night desperation and the pain of knowing you are only wanted on someone else’s terms.
3. “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber
In “Boyfriend,” Bieber sings about wanting to replace someone else in a girl’s life. It’s another song filled with bold promises and the need to be chosen.
4. “Lost Cause” by Billie Eilish
“Lost Cause” is about realizing someone never cared as much as you hoped. It echoes some of the same themes found in “Best Friend,” like wasted time and rejection.
Conclusion: Wanting More Than Friendship
“Best Friend” is about the struggle of wanting someone who does not want you back in the same way. It’s a mix of regret, humor, jealousy, and pride in one conflicted story. The unique blend of honesty and contradiction is what makes the song relatable to anyone who has loved someone they could not have.
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