“In This Shirt” is a song by The Irrepressibles, composed by band member Jamie Irrepressible. It gained popularity when featured in the short film “The Lady Is Dead” by PAG Films.
The song was remixed by artists like Röyksopp and Hercules & Love Affair. In 2018, figure skater Kévin Aymoz used it in his program, and it resurfaced on TikTok in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here, I’m excited to dive into the lyrics of “In This Shirt” with you. They’re all about loss, longing, and the twists of relationships. Let’s explore together!
Table of Contents
“In This Shirt” Lyrics Meaning
I am lost in a rainbow
Now our rainbow is gone
Overcast by your shadow
As our worlds move on
The opening lines of the song set a melancholic tone, evoking a sense of lost love and faded happiness.
From the lyrics “I am lost in a rainbow/ Now our rainbow is gone”, we can tell that the narrator was once happy in a relationship but the relationship ended. Rainbows usually symbolize happiness. That’s because the cheerful colors in a rainbow’s curving arc are an instant mood booster.
The shadow represents the lingering effects of a past love that overshadow the present. It highlights the pain and difficulty of moving forward when memories of a previous connection persist.
In this shirt I can be you
To be near you for a while
In this shirt I can be you
To be near you for a while
The repeating line “In this shirt I can be you” expresses a deep longing for intimacy and the desire to fully connect with someone else. The shirt mentioned belongs to the narrator’s lover, and now that the lover is no longer present, all that remains is the shirt.
You might be wondering why it’s specifically a shirt; well, that’s because Jamie Irrepressible, the artist behind the song, is gay. So, if the narrator is Jamie, then his lover is a man.
Wearing “this shirt” is like taking on the identity of the beloved, a metaphor that temporarily closes the emotional gap between the narrator and his partner. It represents the yearning to revive the connection and seek comfort in the memories of their shared past.
There’s a crane knocking down
All these things that we were
I awake in the night to
Hear the engines pout
There’s a pain it does ripple
Through my frame makes me lame
There’s a thorn in my side
It’s the shame it’s the prize
When the lines say, “There’s a crane knocking down all these things that we were,” it’s not about an actual crane causing destruction. The crane is a metaphor, symbolizing the relentless force of time wiping away remnants of their past, marking the end of what once defined their relationship.
Similarly, when the narrator mentions waking up to hear the engines pout, it’s not about real engines. Just like the crane, the “engines” here are also metaphorical. The purring of these metaphorical engines represents the restlessness and unease that come with significant changes.
The pain mentioned here points to the emotional toll of the relationship falling apart. It spreads through the narrator, leaving him feeling both physically and emotionally drained.
What’s really bothering him is the love that’s still there, and it’s a precious thing to the narrator because he values it. However, it’s also a source of shame because he’s embarrassed that he can’t seem to let it go.
Of you and me ever changing
Moving on now moving fast
And this touch must be wanted
Must become through your ask
But I need Jake to tell you
That I love you – it never ends
And I bled everyday now
For a year for a year
Here, the lyrics depict a relationship in constant flux and rapid progression. Phrases like “ever changing” and “moving on now moving fast” show how things between the narrator and his partner are always evolving.
When the lyrics mention “And this touch must be wanted, Must become through your ask,” it shows the narrator’s desire for a reconnection in the relationship. However, it’s crucial that this reconnection is desired and initiated by his partner; the narrator alone can’t make it happen.
There’s a mention of “Jake” in the lyrics, whose role seems unclear. In the lines “I need Jake to tell you that I love you,” we can infer that the narrator relies on someone else to convey his feelings. Perhaps, he’s afraid of facing rejection. The reference to emotional pain every day for a year emphasizes how profoundly hurt the narrator was for not being able to revive his relationship.
I did send you a note
On the wind for to read
Our names there together
Must’ve fallen like the seed
To the depths of the soil
Buried deep in the ground
On the wind I can hear you
Call my name held the sound
Unable to openly express his desire to reconnect, the narrator relies on a quiet way of reaching out, hoping his lover will grasp his feelings without direct words and come back to him. This is captured in the lines, “I did send you a note/On the wind for to read/Our names there together.” The narrator compares “their names” to falling seeds, expressing the wish for their love to sprout anew.
With this hopeful mindset, the narrator imagines hearing his lover’s name carried by the wind. Despite the intangible nature of the sound, it symbolizes the narrator’s deep and resilient love, as he yearns to grasp onto that ethereal connection.
Overall Message
“In This Shirt” by The Irrepressibles delves into the profound themes of lost love and the deep desire for reconnection. The title, “In This Shirt,” vividly portrays the narrator still wrapped in his lover’s shirt, symbolizing a lingering immersion in past love and a strong longing for a renewed connection.
While it’s unclear if the narrator is Jamie, it’s evident that the lover in the song is a man. Throughout the lyrics, the narrator expresses the pain of a breakup and the heartfelt wish for his partner to return.
Metaphors like “crane,” “seeds,” and “soil” are woven into the song, illustrating the internal struggles and the hope for rekindling the relationship.
Overall, the song serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate emotions that accompany changes in relationships. It beautifully captures the yearning for a connection that was once deeply cherished.
Jacob Carter is a lyricist. He created the lyrics writing course to teach people how to analyze and write lyrics. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Literature, so he’s skilled at playing with words.
He’s also an amateur guitarist, which means he knows music and melody very well. With this background, he’s a great lyricist you can rely on to learn writing lyrics.