Bubble Gum

"Bubble Gum" by Clairo is a poignant exploration of youthful regret, unspoken feelings, and the lingering consequences of a missed romantic opportunity. The song's central theme revolves around the narrator's failure to act on her desire to kiss someone, an event that she metaphorically describes as swallowing bubble gum. This central metaphor is built upon the popular myth that swallowed gum remains in the stomach for seven years. In the song, this myth represents a self-inflicted period of emotional turmoil and awkwardness for the narrator, who anticipates that the next "seven years will be pretty dumb" as a result of her inaction. The song captures the specific adolescent pain of being unable to express one's feelings, leading to a state of internal frustration and longing. It's a narrative about the sticky, uncomfortable nature of regret that, once internalized, is difficult to dislodge.

The song begins with a candid apology and a confession of a missed opportunity. The narrator expresses regret for not kissing someone, even though the desire was mutual and palpable. This unacted-upon impulse is immediately likened to having bubble gum stuck in her throat, described as a curse. This imagery suggests a feeling of being choked up, unable to speak or act on her true feelings, creating a frustrating and uncomfortable internal state. The love she feels has intensified to a point where it couldn't possibly get worse, a sentiment born from this paralysis.

The central metaphor of the song crystallizes in the chorus, where she laments having swallowed the bubble gum. This act symbolizes the internalization of her regret and unspoken words. She connects this to the old children's myth that swallowed gum stays in your system for seven years. For her, this translates into a self-imposed sentence of seven "pretty dumb" years, a long period of consequence for a fleeting moment of hesitation. It's an acceptance of a prolonged state of frustration and awkwardness stemming from her inaction.

The song then shifts to surreal and visceral imagery to describe the physical manifestation of her emotional turmoil. Pink flowers are depicted as growing from her skin, and her veins are like Pepto Bismol. This could be interpreted in a few ways: it's a beautiful, yet unnatural, growth born from pain, suggesting a strange and bittersweet transformation. The Pepto Bismol reference points to an internal sickness or ache, a gut feeling of hurt that she is trying to soothe. Despite this internal discomfort and bizarre physical change, she manages to grin, indicating a complex mix of suffering, acceptance, and perhaps a private understanding of her own unique pain.

The focus returns to the object of her affection. She observes them, noting how nice they look in their shirt, but this observation is immediately followed by the simple, poignant statement that "it's sad because it just hurts." This highlights the pain of unrequited or unexpressed love, where the mere presence of the other person is a source of both admiration and deep ache. This leads to a crucial, vulnerable question: she would do anything for this person, but she is plagued by the uncertainty of whether they would reciprocate that devotion. This question hangs in the air, underscoring the imbalance and risk inherent in her feelings, before the song cycles back to the core consequence: she swallowed the gum, and now must endure the long, dumb years that follow.

"Bubble Gum" is one of Clairo's (Claire Cottrill's) earliest works, created when she was around 16 years old. It was originally released independently on SoundCloud in 2015 before receiving a wider official single release on February 22, 2019. The song is a quintessential example of her early "bedroom pop" style, characterized by its lo-fi and DIY production. Clairo wrote and produced the song herself. The track features a simple arrangement, with a raw ukulele and Clairo's wistful vocals, all filtered through a layer of fuzz that enhances its intimate and unpolished feel. This rough-around-the-edges quality is considered integral to its charm, capturing an artist in the early stages of finding her voice and transforming her personal, not-fully-understood feelings into music. The song predates her viral hits like "Pretty Girl" and "Flaming Hot Cheetos" but showcases the foundational elements of the sound that would later bring her widespread recognition.

The rhyme scheme in "Bubble Gum" is simple and effective, primarily using couplets (AABB) which contributes to its lullaby-like, straightforward feel. For instance, "shirt" rhymes with "hurts" and "you" rhymes with "too". The rhythm is characterized by a slow, deliberate tempo, set at approximately 104 BPM, though some analyses suggest a double time feel around 208 BPM. It is in a 3/4 time signature, often associated with waltzes, which gives the song a gentle, swaying quality that reinforces its dreamy and melancholic mood. The lyrical rhythm is conversational and follows the simple ukulele chord progression naturally. The interplay between the gentle, repetitive musical rhythm and the emotionally heavy lyrics creates a poignant contrast, highlighting the depth of the narrator's simple, yet profound, regret.

"Bubble Gum" is a defining example of the bedroom pop and lo-fi genres, with its style being central to its emotional impact. Musical techniques include a minimalist arrangement centered on a simple, twangy ukulele melody. The entire track is covered in a layer of audible fuzz and has a muffled, raw sound quality, characteristic of DIY home recording. Clairo's vocal delivery is soft, wistful, and almost whisper-like, enhancing the song's intimacy and vulnerability. The tempo is slow and the overall energy is low, creating a chill and melancholic atmosphere. Literary techniques are prominent in the lyrics. The song is built around the central metaphor of swallowed bubble gum. Clairo also uses vivid and surreal imagery, such as "Pink flowers grow from my skin / Pepto Bismol veins," to convey her internal emotional state in a physical, visceral way. The narrative voice is direct and confessional, using simple, relatable language like "Sorry I didn't kiss you / But it's obvious I wanted to," which creates a strong sense of authenticity and emotional rawness.

Despite its initial quiet release, "Bubble Gum" has had a significant cultural impact as a quintessential track of the bedroom pop movement of the late 2010s. Along with songs like "Pretty Girl," it helped define Clairo's early aesthetic and cemented her as a key figure in the genre. The song's lo-fi authenticity and relatable lyrics about adolescent anxiety resonated deeply with a Gen Z audience on platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud, and later TikTok, where it became a viral sound. While it didn't chart in the traditional sense, its online popularity is immense, and it has been certified Silver in the UK, 2x Platinum in Canada, and Gold in New Zealand, indicating significant consumption. The song's influence lies in its role in popularizing a DIY ethos, proving that polished production was not necessary for creating music with a profound emotional connection to listeners. It has been covered by other artists, notably the German indie band Giant Rooks, further cementing its place in the indie music landscape.

• Swallowed Bubble Gum: This is the song's primary metaphor, representing internalized regret and unspoken words. Drawing on the children's myth that swallowed gum takes seven years to digest, Clairo uses it to symbolize a long-term emotional consequence for a moment of hesitation—specifically, not kissing someone she wanted to. The act of swallowing is portrayed as a deliberate, albeit regrettable, choice that results in a prolonged period of feeling "dumb" and stuck.
• Bubble Gum in the Throat: Before being swallowed, the feeling of "bubble gum down my throat" symbolizes being choked up and unable to speak one's true feelings. It captures the physical sensation of anxiety and the paralysis that often accompanies intense crushes.
• Pink Flowers Growing from Skin: This striking, surreal image represents a strange and beautiful byproduct of emotional pain. It suggests that her anguish is manifesting physically, but in a way that has its own peculiar beauty, symbolizing growth and identity forged from heartache.
• Pepto Bismol Veins: This metaphor connects the emotional hurt to a physical ailment. Pepto Bismol is a stomach remedy, so this image suggests a deep, internal ache or sickness caused by her unrequited or unexpressed feelings. Combined with the pink flowers, it creates a vivid picture of a beautiful sadness.

The most significant recurring phrase and central motif is the line, "'cause I swallowed the bubble gum." This line appears in the chorus and serves as the song's core concept, encapsulating the theme of internalized regret and its long-lasting consequences. Its repetition drills home the narrator's acceptance of her fate and the lingering nature of her mistake. Another key recurring phrase is the question, "I'd do anything for you / But would you do that for me, too?" This line, repeated with slight variation, highlights the central conflict of unreciprocated or uncertain feelings. It underscores the vulnerability and doubt that prevented her from acting in the first place. The repetition of these phrases emphasizes the cyclical nature of her thoughts as she replays the moment of hesitation and questions the relationship's balance.