“What Was That” is a 2025 single by Lorde, featured on her album Virgin. It’s a synth-pop track filled with vivid memories, raw emotion, and the ache of wanting something that’s already gone. The song’s meaning centers around a past relationship that burned hot, burned fast, and disappeared before it could be understood.
In this article, we’ll break down the lyrics of “What Was That” section by section. We’ll take a close look at the images and moments Lorde gives us and try to understand what might really be going on beneath the surface.
“What Was That” Lyrics Meaning: Line by Line
Verse 1: Living in the Aftermath
A place in the city
A chair and a bed
These lines paint a picture of isolation. There’s shelter, but not much else.
It’s the kind of space someone might find themselves in after a breakup. It works, but it feels empty.
I cover up all the mirrors
Can’t see myself yet
This suggests shame or confusion.
Covering mirrors is a way to avoid looking at what’s become of your life, or yourself.
It shows someone struggling to feel like a whole person again.
I wear smoke like a wedding veil
Make a meal I won’t eat
Wearing smoke “like a wedding veil” could mean hiding behind something hazy or seductive, possibly drugs or denial.
The wedding image hints at love, or a promise, now tainted.
Making food but not eating it is another sign of emotional numbness.
Step out into the street, alone in a sea
It comes over me
She’s trying to re-enter the world, but everything feels overwhelming.
“It” could be grief, memory, or regret hitting her as soon as she steps outside.
Pre-Chorus 1: Missing What Was
Oh, I’m missing you
Yeah, I’m missing you
And all the things we used to do
There’s no hiding here. These lines are raw and direct.
The feeling of missing someone isn’t just about the person. It’s about the whole life that came with them.
Chorus: Drugs, Intimacy, and Love Too Intense to Last
MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up
We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?
These are high, fast, intense memories.
MDMA is known for heightening emotion and connection.
She’s remembering a love that felt euphoric, almost unreal.
“What was that?” suggests she still doesn’t fully understand it.
I remember saying then, “This is the best cigarette of my life”
Well, I want you just like that
This isn’t about the cigarette. It’s about the feeling of being fully alive in that moment.
She’s chasing that high again, not just physically, but emotionally.
Indio haze, we’re in a sandstorm and it knocks me out
I didn’t know then that you’d never be enough, oh
“Indio haze” might be a reference to Coachella, a festival known for heat, haze, and wild energy.
The sandstorm could symbolize chaos, or being emotionally blindsided.
Only later does she realize that no matter how intense the connection was, it wasn’t going to work.
Since I was seventeen, I gave you everything
Now we wake from a dream, well, baby, what was that?
This relationship defined her young adulthood.
The dream is over, and she’s left trying to make sense of what it all meant.
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Post-Chorus 1: The Question Lingers
What was that?
Baby, what was that?
She keeps repeating the question because she doesn’t understand what happened.
It’s not just confusion. It’s obsession, disbelief, and a need for answers that never came.
Verse 2: Trying to Move On
Do you know you’re still with me
When I’m out with my friends?
Even when she’s surrounded by other people, he’s still there in her mind.
The memory of him is everywhere. It follows her, uninvited.
I stare at their painted faces
They talk current affairs
The conversations feel empty.
“Painted faces” suggests everyone is performing and covering up their own struggles.
She’s disconnected from the surface-level chatter.
You had to know this was happening
You weren’t feeling my heat
There’s resentment here. He must have known the connection was fading.
She can admit now that the signs were there, and he wasn’t meeting her halfway.
When I’m in the blue light, down at Baby’s All Right
I face reality
The mention of Baby’s All Right, a real venue in Brooklyn, places her in a familiar setting, filled with people, music, and noise.
The “blue light” is probably just the venue’s lighting, but in that moment, it hits her: the fun doesn’t distract her anymore.
She’s not escaping. She’s facing the truth. He’s gone, and she’s still not over it.
Pre-Chorus 2: Letting Go Isn’t Easy
I try, to let
Whatever has to pass through me pass through
She’s trying to cope. It could be therapy, meditation, or just time.
She wants to let the pain move through her without staying stuck in it.
But this is staying a while, I know
It might not let me go
The pain isn’t passing. It’s holding on.
She knows now that some heartbreaks don’t just fade. They settle in and become part of you.
Post-Chorus 2: Revisiting the Question
What was that?
‘Cause I want you just like that
(When I’m in the blue light, I can make it alright)
The question feels even louder now.
It’s not just about the past. It’s about what she’s still craving. She wants that same emotional high, even if it hurts.
The “blue light” returns, but now it’s her escape. In the blur of the venue, surrounded by strangers and distractions, she tells herself she’s fine. Maybe it’s not true yet, but it’s something to hold onto.
What was that?
(When I’m in the blue light, I can make it alright)
Baby, what was that?
She’s still stuck between craving and healing.
The repeated question shows she’s not done asking, not done feeling.
“What Was That” Song Meaning: Love, Loss, and the High That Never Lasts
“What Was That” is about a love that felt like everything. It was dangerous, intoxicating, and impossible to hold onto. It looks back at a relationship that burned fast, full of drugs, passion, and deep emotional ties. It wasn’t sustainable, but it left a mark.
Lorde captures what it’s like to want something even when you know it wasn’t good for you. She’s grieving not just the person, but the version of herself that existed when she was with them.
It’s about the addiction of connection, and the ache when it fades.
Songs Like “What Was That”
Here are a few songs that carry similar themes of lost love, longing, and the haze of youth:
1. “Nights” by Frank Ocean
“Nights” captures the shift from passion to emptiness in a fractured relationship, with a mid-song beat switch that mirrors emotional whiplash. Like “What Was That,” it’s filled with memory, loneliness, and the feeling of being haunted by the past.
2. “West Coast” by Lana Del Rey
“West Coast” plays with tempo and mood to show how love can feel like a drug. The hot-and-cold emotion mirrors the rush and crash Lorde sings about.
3. “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers
“Motion Sickness” dives into the emotional mess left behind by a toxic relationship. The honesty and pain in the lyrics hit the same nerve as Lorde’s track.
4. “Supercut” by Lorde
“Supercut” is another song by Lorde that looks back at love through a highlight reel of memories. Both songs wrestle with how those moments feel more real than the truth.
5. “Love/Paranoia” by Tame Impala
“Love/Paranoia” is about the tension between intimacy and mistrust, set against hazy synths and late-night vibes. The song’s emotional confusion and longing match the disoriented, craving energy of “What Was That.”
Conclusion: The Weight of a Love That Lingers
“What Was That” is about the kind of love that wrecks you. It shows what happens when a relationship is more about emotional highs than long-term connections. The song asks a simple question over and over, but there’s no clear answer.
In the end, it’s not about closure. It’s about learning to live with the ache. And maybe, finding a little peace in the blue light.
You can listen to “What Was That” on Spotify and Amazon.
Be sure to check out more of our Pop Song Interpretations.