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Lizzy McAlpine - ‘Soccer Practice’
Release Date: October 4th, 2024
Songwriters: Lizzy McAlpine, Mason Stoops, Michael Libramento, Remy Moritt, Ryan Richter, Taylor Mackall & Tyler Nuffer
Producers: Lizzy McAlpine & Mason Stoops
The Background:
‘Soccer Practice’ was released as part of the deluxe, expanded version of Lizzy McAlpine's third studio album, Older (and Wiser). The track finds the Pennsylvania singer-songwriter imagining a life of married bliss, where her and her partner fill their days with mundane activities, such as picking the children up from soccer practice.
The song was first teased via TikTok in June, following the arrival of Older in April, with Lizzy McAlpine making her first mention of the prospect of a deluxe album, which would arrive in October, in the caption. Alongside an acoustic take on ‘Soccer Practice’, the ‘Pushing It Down and Praying’ crooner queried, “older deluxe anybody??”
The Sound:
As the themes of ‘Soccer Practice’ are personal and introspective, it makes sense that the overall arrangement is kept subtle and low-key. The majority of the track consists of Lizzy McAlpine's intricate, conversational vocals drifting enchantingly across an atmospheric piano-driven instrumental, which gradually builds in intensity.
The Meaning:
“You pick up the kids from soccer practice
I wait in line at the grocery store
You sing them to sleep, what else do we need?
You're always sober, I'm always sure”
Like another Pennsylvania pop phenom, Lizzy McAlpine's music is often peppered with easter eggs and callbacks to other songs. This is highlighted in ‘Soccer Practice’, with the narrator idolising a normal, suburban life with her partner, a theme that occurs throughout McAlpine's music, such as in the longing ‘All My Ghosts’. She pictures a happy marriage, where her partner doesn't get drunk and she never wavers in her conviction that she's ended up with the right person.
“We could've had it, but then again
We never could've done it, I was weaker then
I hate to say it, I know it's true
I'm waiting for someone who will make me say no to you
Mm”
The protagonist confirms the preceding lines were merely a fantasy, as she underlines that this outcome was never possible. Fans have speculated that the line, “I'm waiting for someone who will make me say no to you” is a nod to the final lyric in McAlpine's song, ‘Vortex’, where she croons, “Someday, you'll come back and I'll say no”.
“Over and over, I let you down
Something about you, I can't get out
And no one is watching, but still I can't fall
My body won't let me, I'm not here at all”
Lizzy McAlpine has made a habit of sprinkling particular phrases throughout her albums, and on Older, it seems the lyric “over and over” has been chosen as the recurring motif. For instance, we see this phrase in both ‘Movie Star’ and the title-track. This idea of doing things “over and over” again could link back to the mundanity that the song's protagonist seems to yearn for, with this particular line (“Over and over, I let you down”) highlighting the darker flip-side of monotony.
“We could'vе had it, but then again
We nevеr could've done it, I was weaker then
I hate to say it, I know it's true
I'm waiting for someone who will make me say no to you
When this is over, who will I be?
I wish that you would finally say no to me”
These lines are played backwards during the outro of ‘Soccer Practice’, again seemingly hammering home the notion of repetition, monotony and the veneration of a mundane life.
What has Lizzy McAlpine said about ‘Soccer Practice’?
Lizzy McAlpine is yet to delve into the meaning behind ’Soccer Practice’ in considerable detail, but she did take to social media on the Older (and Wiser) release date to express her excitement at being able to share these additional songs with fans.
McAlpine underlined, “the deluxe album is out now!! these songs are the last things i have to say about the story of Older, and i think they wrap it up pretty nicely :) making them with the band was so much fun and i hope you love them as much as we do”.
In the lead-up to the record's arrival, the genre-fusing maverick shed some light on the creation of these bonus tracks, “i’m so excited about these new songs, we recorded 4 of them in 4 days at Electric Lady Studios after the east coast leg of tour, and the method acting demo i recorded + wrote with Ethan Gruskaforever ago (2022). i hope you love them as much as i do … presave now on my website”.
For the full lyrics to Lizzy McAlpine's ‘Soccer Practice’, see below:
“You pick up the kids from soccer practice
I wait in line at the grocery store
You sing them to sleep, what else do we need?
You're always sober, I'm always sure
-
We could've had it, but then again
We never could've done it, I was weaker then
I hate to say it, I know it's true
I'm waiting for someone who will make me say no to you
Mm
-
Over and over, I let you down
Something about you, I can't get out
And no one is watching, but still I can't fall
My body won't let me, I'm not here at all
-
We could'vе had it, but then again
We nevеr could've done it, I was weaker then
I hate to say it, I know it's true
I'm waiting for someone who will make me say no to you
When this is over, who will I be?
I wish that you would finally say no to me
-
em ot on yas yllanif dluow uoy taht hsiw I
?eb I lliw ohw, revo si siht nehW
uoy ot on yas em ekam lliw ohw enoemos rof gnitiaw m'I
eurt s'ti wonk I, ti yas ot etah I
neht rekaew saw I, ti enod ev'dluoc reven eW
niaga neht tub, ti dah ev'dluoc eW”
For more on Lizzy McAlpine, see below:
