Taking What's Not Yours

"Taking What's Not Yours" by TV Girl delves into the intricate emotional landscape of a post-breakup world, using the physical objects left behind as a central metaphor for memory and the lingering ties of a relationship. The song explores how everyday items—a lighter, a book, cigarettes—transform into powerful symbols of a past love, acting as tangible, albeit melancholic, reminders of a person's presence long after they've gone. The lyrics paint a picture of a reciprocal haunting; both parties possess items that belonged to the other, creating a strange, unspoken connection and a sense of shared history that resists a clean break. The comparison of forgotten cigarettes to a 'Roman Coliseum' is a poignant and witty metaphor for how something once significant has become a 'dry and worthless monument' to a love that is now in ruins. The song captures a feeling of emotional turmoil, possession, and longing for someone who is no longer fully present. It touches upon the ego's role in a breakup, with the narrator finding a strange comfort and 'proof of my existence' in the items his ex still has, like a 'captive little soldier on her fingers.' Ultimately, the song is a reflection on the bittersweet aftermath of love, where indifference is a facade and the seemingly trivial objects left behind are imbued with deep emotional significance, representing the parts of ourselves we leave with others.

The narrative unfolds in the aftermath of a breakup, with the protagonist contemplating the remnants of a past lover. He begins by acknowledging the collection of items his ex-girlfriend left in his apartment, things he knows she'll never retrieve. As her scent gradually disappears from his pillow, her abandoned cigarettes remain, humorously and poignantly described as a 'dry and worthless monument' to their former love, much like the Roman Coliseum. This establishes the central theme: the lingering physical presence of someone who is emotionally absent. He catalogues these small, intimate possessions—a lighter, a book—and everything she brought but never took with her. He knows where to find her, and she knows where to find him, suggesting a lingering, unspoken connection, yet he defensively asserts, 'I'm not a crook' amidst a looping refrain of 'Thievin', stealin', takin' what's not yours.'

The perspective then shifts to the items he left with her. He speculates whether she's aware of the things he left in her jewelry box. He pictures her wearing his rings, inadvertently accepting compliments that were meant for him. This act of her wearing his belongings is seen as a small victory, a 'captive little soldier' that serves as proof of his past existence, deep 'behind enemy lines.' The chorus repeats, emphasizing the reciprocal nature of these forgotten possessions. Each holds onto artifacts of the other, tangible memories of their shared history. An interlude provides a more specific and mundane list of his abandoned items: a copy of 'Gravity's Rainbow' she likely never read, a Laura Nyro record she probably discarded, and half a box of lentils from a meal he cooked that she didn't eat. The song concludes with a dedication to all the things left behind in various apartments over the years, a wry acknowledgment of having to leave in a hurry. It underscores a pattern of such endings, but with a final, sincere admission that none of it was forgotten, solidifying the idea that these objects are not just clutter, but potent symbols of memory and connection.

"Taking What's Not Yours" is a track from TV Girl's second studio album, "Who Really Cares," which was self-released on February 26, 2016. The album was described by the band as being about 'sex or lack thereof, and its consequences or lack thereof'. The music and lyrics for the album were written by Brad Petering, with mixing and mastering handled by Jason Wyman. Like much of TV Girl's work, the song is built upon a foundation of samples. It notably includes a looped sample from Tom Scott and The L.A. Express's 1974 song "Strut Your Stuff". It also incorporates a vocal sample from the 1992 anti-piracy PSA "Don't Copy That Floppy" and a snippet from a 1973 speech by Richard Nixon, famously known as the "I'm not a crook" speech from the Watergate era. The song, along with others from the album, gained significant popularity years after its initial release, particularly starting in 2022, through exposure on the social media platform TikTok. This renewed interest led to the song charting in multiple countries in 2023. A music video for the song was released on March 28, 2016, directed by Madison Acid and starring actress Dasha Nekrasova.

The song's rhythmic and rhyming structure contributes significantly to its laid-back yet melancholic feel. The rhythm is built around a looped breakbeat sampled from Tom Scott's "Strut Your Stuff," giving it a steady, head-nodding trip-hop feel. The tempo is relaxed, allowing the narrative vocals to unfold naturally over the beat.

The rhyme scheme in the verses is somewhat loose and conversational, closer to free verse, which enhances the storytelling quality. For example, in the first verse, 'not' rhymes with 'lot,' and 'fades' has a slant rhyme with 'stay.' The choruses are more structured, with a clear AABB pattern: 'lighter'/'book' and 'brought'/'took' have assonance and slant rhymes, while the last lines 'me' and 'look' form a perfect rhyme. This makes the chorus catchy and memorable. The interplay between the casual, almost spoken-word delivery of the verses and the more melodic, rhyming chorus creates a dynamic texture. The repeated, rhythmic sample of 'Thievin', stealin', takin' what's not yours' acts as a percussive, hypnotic refrain that punctuates the song and reinforces its central theme.

TV Girl's signature style is prominently featured in "Taking What's Not Yours" through a blend of literary and musical techniques.

• Musical Techniques: The song is a prime example of sampledelia, constructing its beat and atmosphere from various sources. It heavily samples Tom Scott and The L.A. Express's "Strut Your Stuff" for its main instrumental loop. It also cleverly incorporates spoken-word samples, including Richard Nixon's 'I'm not a crook' speech and the anti-piracy PSA "Don't Copy That Floppy". This creates a layered, nostalgic, and somewhat ironic texture. The overall sound is characterized as lo-fi indie pop with a 'hypnotic' quality achieved through keyboards and reverb effects. The vocal delivery by Brad Petering is characteristically deadpan and narrative, enhancing the sardonic and melancholic tone.
• Literary Techniques: The lyrics employ a sardonic and witty narrative voice that masks deeper feelings of loss and longing. There is a strong use of imagery (e.g., 'smell on my pillow fades') and metaphor, such as comparing abandoned cigarettes to a 'Roman Coliseum.' The song's structure, which presents both sides of the 'exchange' of belongings, creates a compelling narrative. The spoken-word interlude listing mundane items like 'Gravity's Rainbow' and 'a half a box of lentils' uses bathos to contrast the deep emotional undercurrent with the triviality of the objects themselves.

Initially released in 2016 on the album "Who Really Cares," "Taking What's Not Yours" gained significant cultural traction years later, primarily through its viral popularity on TikTok starting around 2022. This surge in interest introduced the song and TV Girl to a new, younger audience, leading to it and other tracks like "Not Allowed" and "Lovers Rock" entering music charts in various countries in 2023, a rare feat for a song released seven years prior. The song's blend of a catchy, sample-based beat and introspective, witty lyrics about relationship aftermaths resonated widely on social media, often used in videos reflecting on love and loss. However, some long-time fans have noted that the song's deeper, more melancholic themes are sometimes overlooked in its use as a trendy sound. The track is a quintessential example of TV Girl's 'hypnotic pop' style and has solidified its place as a fan favorite within their discography and a notable piece of 2010s indie pop that experienced a significant revival in the internet age.

"Taking What's Not Yours" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that explore the aftermath of a relationship.

• Forgotten Objects as Emotional Artifacts: The central symbolism revolves around the items left behind by each partner (a lighter, a book, rings). These are not just physical objects but 'emotional artifacts' that represent the lingering presence and shared history of the couple. They are tangible proof that the relationship existed.
• The Roman Coliseum: The narrator compares his ex's forgotten cigarettes to a 'Roman Coliseum,' calling them a 'dry and worthless monument to our love.' This metaphor powerfully conveys the idea of a once-great love that is now in ruins, leaving behind only empty, decaying reminders.
• Captive Little Soldier: When the narrator thinks of the rings he left with her, he describes them as a 'captive little soldier on her fingers / Deep behind enemy lines.' This metaphor illustrates his feeling of having a small part of himself still present in her life, a subtle foothold in her territory, which provides a strange sense of comfort and continued existence.
• Thievin' and Stealin': The recurring, sampled phrase 'Thievin', stealin', takin' what's not yours' and the narrator's denial, 'I'm not a crook,' act as a symbolic representation of the emotional baggage and memories that are 'stolen' or kept after a breakup. It speaks to the complex feelings of guilt and possession over these emotional remnants.

The most prominent recurring element in the song is the sampled phrase, "Thievin', stealin', takin' what's not yours." This phrase acts as a refrain, appearing in the intro, between verses, and in the outro. Its repetition drills the central theme of possession and the emotional 'theft' that occurs after a breakup into the listener's mind. It creates a hypnotic, slightly accusatory backdrop to the narrator's musings.

Another key recurring phrase is the chorus: "Ooh, I still have your lighter / Ooh, I still have your book / Ooh, I still have everything you brought / But you never took." This highlights the central motif of forgotten objects as symbols of the past relationship. Its repetition underscores the narrator's fixation on these physical remnants. The line "(I'm not a crook)", sampled from a Richard Nixon speech, is a clever and recurring motif that directly responds to the 'thieving' sample, adding a layer of sardonic wit and defensiveness. The concept of knowing where to find each other—"You know where to find me / And I know where to look"—also recurs, suggesting a persistent, albeit dormant, connection between the two ex-lovers.