A Heartfelt Confession
"Big Deal" by Lucy Dacus from Forever Is A Feeling captures the essence of unspoken emotions and the complexity of love that isn’t meant to be. With her signature emotional depth and reflective lyricism, Dacus delivers a bittersweet narrative that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. The song seems to resonate even more with the revelation that Dacus and fellow musician Julien Baker are now confirmed to be dating, adding layers of intimacy and speculation about whether the song is written for Baker. The way Dacus weaves tender reflections and quiet longing makes "Big Deal" stand out in its raw honesty and graceful restraint.
Musical Depth and Subtlety
Musically, "Big Deal" is anchored by an emotive guitar and low, rumbling bass that complements Dacus's vocal delivery perfectly. The song's subtle analog synth tones add a dreamy quality to the track, underscoring the rolling acoustic guitar that feels both grounded and ethereal. This blend of textures gives the song a sonic warmth, balancing melancholy with tenderness, and allowing Dacus to shine in her element. The production doesn’t overpower her voice or message, instead enhancing the emotional gravity of the lyrics.
A Narrative of Unspoken Feelings
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of restrained affection and unspoken feelings, as Dacus sings about someone she cares for deeply but knows the relationship will never work. In true Dacus fashion, she handles this delicate subject with grace, acknowledging the reality of the situation while celebrating the significance of the connection. Lines like "We both know that it would never work / You’ve got your girl, you’re gonna marry her" reflect a sense of acceptance, while the recurring chorus, "You’re a big deal," drives home the admiration and affection Dacus feels for the subject of the song, likely Baker.
Live Performance Adds Emotional Weight
The song’s live debut at Julien Baker’s London show on November 21, 2024, adds an extra layer of poignancy to the track. The performance was a surprise appearance by Dacus, where she also performed her hit "Night Shift." The parallels between "Big Deal" and another Dacus track, "Best Guess," are undeniable—both reference a smoker who Dacus is in love with, likely alluding to Baker. However, "Big Deal" carries a much more bittersweet tone, as it seems to take place earlier in their relationship, capturing the tension of unspoken desires and the pain of letting go.
A Poignant Masterpiece
"Big Deal" is a deeply affecting track that highlights Lucy Dacus’s ability to craft songs that feel both introspective and emotionally expansive. The song’s tender guitar work, combined with the achingly beautiful lyrics, allows listeners to immerse themselves in the delicate complexity of love that remains unfulfilled. Dacus’s artistry shines through, creating a song that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved someone but had to accept that it wasn’t meant to be.
Listen to Lucy Dacus Big Deal
Lucy Dacus Big Deal Lyrics Meaning Explained
The meaning of "Big Deal" by Lucy Dacus is a poignant exploration of unrequited love, emotional restraint, and selfless acceptance. The song reflects the complex emotions that arise when feelings for someone are acknowledged but ultimately remain unfulfilled, due to circumstances beyond one’s control. Through vivid imagery and reflective lyrics, Dacus paints a picture of a relationship that never materializes, highlighting both the beauty and the pain of loving someone who is committed to someone else. At its core, "Big Deal" is about recognizing the significance of someone in your life, even if that love cannot be reciprocated, and coming to terms with that reality while still holding space for them in your heart.
Verse 1: Missed Opportunities and Emotional Restraint
"Big Deal" by Lucy Dacus opens with a powerful image of emotional restraint and missed opportunity: “Flicking embers into daffodils / You didn’t plan to tell me how you feel / You laugh about it like it’s no big deal / Crush the fire underneath your heel.” The imagery of "flicking embers into daffodils" suggests a careless act of snuffing out what could have been something beautiful, as the subject casually extinguishes the emotional spark. This parallels the subject’s nonchalant admission of feelings, delivered in a way that makes it seem like an afterthought, not meant to be taken seriously. The image of crushing the fire under the heel conveys the idea of extinguishing something with little regard for its potential, reflecting how the subject's feelings, though present, are quickly dismissed and not given room to grow.
Verse 2: The Surprising Confession and Hidden Emotions
The next lines, “I’m surprised that you’re the one who said it first / If you had waited a few years, I would’ve burst / Everything comes up to the surface in the end / Even the things we’d rather leave unspoken,” reveal the speaker's surprise that the subject confessed first. The lyric “If you had waited a few years, I would’ve burst” suggests a buildup of unspoken emotions, hinting at the vulnerability of confessing love, which Dacus may have held back out of fear or uncertainty. The lines about everything coming to the surface eventually speak to the inevitability of emotions emerging, even when we try to suppress them, and the idea that even the most hidden feelings will be revealed in time.
Chorus: Acceptance of Impossibility and Emotional Maturity
In the chorus, Dacus acknowledges the impossibility of the relationship: “We both know that it would never work / You’ve got your girl, you’re gonna marry her / And I’ll be watching in a pinstriped suit / Sincerely happy for the both of you.” Here, Dacus accepts the reality that the subject is committed to someone else and that their relationship cannot evolve beyond what it already is. The line “I’ll be watching in a pinstriped suit” suggests that Dacus will remain in the background, a passive observer of their future, but still with a sense of peace in their happiness. Unlike her song "Christine," where she imagines objecting to a marriage she feels would be unhappy for the person she loves, in "Big Deal," Dacus seems more resigned to the situation, acknowledging that the subject’s happiness with someone else is more important than her own unrequited feelings. This acceptance is reinforced by the line “Sincerely happy for the both of you,” showing her maturity and selflessness.
Verse 3: Shared Moments and the Unspoken
The repeated chorus reinforces Dacus's internal struggle. “So what changes, if anything? / Maybe everything can stay the same / But if we never talk about it again / There’s something I want you to understand / You’re a big deal.” Here, Dacus questions whether anything will change now that the feelings are out in the open. She seems to contemplate the possibility of keeping things as they are, without addressing the emotions directly, but still wanting the subject to understand just how significant they are to her. The repeated phrase “You’re a big deal” becomes an affirmation of the subject's importance in her life, despite the circumstances that prevent them from being together.
Verse 4: The Past and What Could Have Been
In the second verse, Dacus reflects on shared moments that could have led to more, but didn’t: “You knew when you caught me reading at your show / I knew when you came to visit in the cold / We could’ve done something that we’d come to regret / Do you remember? You say, 'How could I forget?'” These lines evoke a sense of nostalgia for the times when they could have acted on their feelings, but didn't. The reference to reading at a show and visiting in the cold suggests intimate, personal moments that could have led to a different outcome. The line “We could’ve done something that we’d come to regret” reveals the tension between desire and the recognition that acting on those feelings might have led to complications or regret, adding to the bittersweet tone of the song.
Chorus Reprise: Resignation and Affirmation
The chorus is repeated with slight variation in the second half of the song: “But we both know that it would never work / You’ve got your girl, you’re gonna marry her / And I’ll be watching in a pinstriped suit / Not even wishing it was me and you.” In this version, Dacus affirms that she’s no longer wishing for a different reality, underlining her acceptance of the situation. She is no longer yearning for what could have been, but instead, embracing the role she plays in the subject’s life. Once again, the repeated phrase “You’re a big deal” reinforces the emotional depth of the relationship and how much the subject still means to her, despite the impossibility of being together.
Outro: Final Affirmation
The song concludes with an outro of repetition: “You’re a big deal / You’re a big deal / You’re a big deal / You’re a big deal.” This repetition echoes the sentiment that no matter how the relationship unfolds, the subject will always remain important to Dacus. It’s a poignant, understated way of concluding the song—acknowledging the emotional weight of the connection without the need for further elaboration. This final affirmation ties back to the central theme of the song: recognizing the significance of someone in your life, even if circumstances prevent a deeper relationship from forming.
Lucy Dacus Big Deal Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Flicking embers into daffodils
You didn’t plan to tell me how you feel
You laugh about it like it’s no big deal
Crush the fire underneath your heel
I’m surprised that you’re the one who said it first
If you had waited a few years, I would’ve burst
Everything comes up to the surface in the end
Even the things we’d rather leave unspoken
[Chorus]
We both know that it would never work
You’ve got your girl, you’re gonna marry her
And I’ll be watching in a pinstriped suit
Sincerely happy for the both of you
So what changes, if anything?
Maybe everything can stay the same
But if we never talk about it again
There’s something I want you to understand
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
[Verse 2]
You knew when you caught me reading at your show
I knew when you came to visit in the cold
We could've done something that we’d come to regret
Do you remember? You say, "How could I forget?"
[Chorus]
But we both know that it would never work
You’ve got your girl, you’re gonna marry her
And I’ll be watching in a pinstriped suit
Not even wishing it was me and you
So what changes, if anything?
Maybe everything can stay the same
But if we never talk about it again
There’s something I want you to understand
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
[Outro]
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal
You’re a big deal