‘At The Same Time’ by Bailey Zimmerman - Lyrics & Meaning

As Bailey Zimmerman geared up for the release of his sophomore album, Different Night Same Rodeo, he teased a few tracks in anticipation of this next body of work.

His passion for this project has oozed out of every interview, every concert and every social media clip and ‘At The Same Time’ has been a track that Zimmerman was clearly excited to share with us.

There’s beauty in the simplicity of this song. The lyrics and harmonies carry this track and emphasise its raw emotion. A gentle cymbal and soft keys perfectly complement the echo of heartbroken rasp in Zimmerman’s voice. It demonstrates his ability to harness his energy, control it and redistribute it into something quietly beautiful.

“It's easier to leave when everything is getting difficult

Miss you when I'm with you lately, it's like I'm invisible now

What's that about?

Staring at the ceiling, baby, I can't even dream at night

Sleeping back-to-back 'cause we ain't even seeing eye-to-eye now

What's that about?”

Zimmerman immediately drops us into a ‘trouble in paradise’ scenario. A relationship is breaking down - and potentially has been for a while. To miss someone when they’re present is to feel a true absence of connection, and that is what this relationship is lacking. There’s no physical or emotional intimacy, and the two of them appear to be stuck in the mundanity of simply going through the motions.

“We're never in love at the same time

I break your heart then you break mine

Then we're both cursing at the same sky

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

You beg me to go, I beg you to stay

You pull me in close and I push you away

You're changing your mind soon as I make mine

'Cause we're never in love at the same time”

A lack of connection moves the couple out of sync emotionally. They explore the narrative of loving someone enough to stay, while admitting they're not truly in love with them. Communication fails, patience wears thin and romance falters, leaving them with nothing that matches up other than ‘cursing at the same sky’.

“I remember when you told me that you thought this was it

That's the second that I told you that it didn't exist

I don't know, I don't know

Maybe there's a world where we're spinning together

But if I waited on you, I'd be waiting forever

Oh-whoa

All I know, all I know

Torn-up pictures on a dresser

Some things can't be taped together

Empty promises in bottles

Maybe things will change tomorrow”

The rhythm of the relationship is clear and BZ paints us a raw picture of his internal monologue. Understanding the logic, the damage that staying is causing, the ‘head over heart’ rationality but, where there is a glimmer of hope and chance at happiness, the heart will always win.

Minimal. But he did give fans a little snippet pre-release. With his brooding eyes and forlorn look, BZ posted a teaser of the heartbreak track on social media a few days before the album came out. He captioned it with ‘“At The Same Time” 💔’ and sang along to the sorrow in the video.

“It's easier to leave when everything is getting difficult

Miss you when I'm with you lately, it's like I'm invisible now

What's that about?

Staring at the ceiling, baby, I can't even dream at night

Sleeping back-to-back 'cause we ain't even seeing eye-to-eye now

What's that about?

-

We're never in love at the same time

I break your heart then you break mine

Then we're both cursing at the same sky

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

-

You beg me to go, I beg you to stay

You pull me in close and I push you away

You're changing your mind soon as I make mine

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

-

I remember when you told me that you thought this was it

That's the second that I told you that it didn't exist

I don't know, I don't know

Maybe there's a world where we're spinning together

But if I waited on you, I'd be waiting forever

Oh-whoa

All I know, all I know

-

We're never in love at the same time

I break your heart then you break mine

Then we're both cursing at the same sky

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

-

You beg me to go, I beg you to stay

You pull me in close and I push you away

You're changing your mind soon as I make mine

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

-

Torn-up pictures on a dresser

Some things can't be taped together

Empty promises in bottles

Maybe things will change tomorrow

-

We're never in love at the same time

I break your heart then you break mine

Then we're both cursing at the same sky

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

-

You beg me to go, I beg you to stay

You pull me in close and I push you away

You're changing your mind soon as I make mine

'Cause we're never in love at the same time

We're never in love

Oh, never in love

Never in love, never in love at the same time”

For more on Bailey Zimmerman, see below: