‘That's So True’ by Gracie Abrams - Lyrics & Meaning

Arriving as part of Gracie Abrams’ 2024 deluxe project, The Secret Of Us, ‘That's So True’ was joined on the expanded record by ‘Cool’, ‘I Told You Things’ and ‘Packing It Up’, as well as live versions of ‘I Love You, I'm Sorry’, ‘I Knew It, I Know You’ and ‘Free Now’.

Shortly after its release in October 2024, ‘That's So True’ surged to the top of Spotify's Top 50 USA and UK rankings, before becoming Gracie Abrams’ first ever UK No. 1 on the Official Singles Chart in November. Aside from being a certified earworm, the immense popularity of ‘That's So True’ can also be put down to the fact that Abrams performed the infectious track a number of times before its release while out on tour.

As is the case for the majority of The Secret Of Us, Gracie Abrams penned ‘That's So True’ alongside her best friend and frequent collaborator, Audrey Hobert, while pop titans Aaron Dessner and Julian Bunetta joined Abrams on the production team.

Throughout ‘That's So True’, Gracie Abrams’ lucid, conversational delivery is coated in an atmospheric, guitar-driven instrumental. It's a polished, uptempo feel that Julian Bunetta has become synonymous with, with Abrams’ sinuous, playful vocals accentuating the bittersweet tone of the track. The composition is stripped away ahead of the final hook, before the beat and guitar riff returns with extra verve, giving the last portion of ‘That's So True’ an even more anthemic, energised ambience.

“I could go and read your mind
Think about your dumb face all the time
Living in your glass house, I'm outside, uh
Looking into big blue eyes
Did it just to hurt me, make me cry
Smiling through it all, yeah, that's my life”

‘That's So True’ finds Gracie Abrams exploring the conflicting feelings arising in the aftermath of a break-up. She paints a picture of a disappointing ex that treated her poorly, twisting the phrase “people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones” in this verse to underline that, although her old flame has been sending shots her way since they split, in reality, he needs to take a good look in the mirror.

“You're an idiot, now I'm sure
Now I'm positive, I should go and warn her”

Gracie Abrams dismisses her ex as not being worth the time of day, before reaching the conclusion that she needs to alert his new partner about him before she falls too hard.

“Ooh, bet you're thinking, "She's so cool"
Kicking back on your couch, making eyes from across the room
Wait, I think I've been there too, ooh”

This feels like a callback to the preceding song on The Secret Of Us (Deluxe), ‘Cool’, which finds Gracie Abrams crooning, “You kick back on your couch with a glass of wine”. She recalls how she was once in the position her ex's new girlfriend now finds herself in, hinting at the bittersweet emotions our protagonist is experiencing.

“What'd she do to get you off? (Uh-huh)
Taking down her hair like, oh my God
Taking off your shirt, I did that once
Or twice, uh
No, I know, I know I'll fuck off (Uh-huh)
But I think I like her, she's so fun
Wait, I think I hate her, I'm not that evolved”

This verse continues the conflicted feel of ‘That's So True’, with Gracie Abrams imagining her old flame's current lover doing all the things she used to do with him when they were together. There's a suggestion of wistfulness, with Abrams implying she's fully moved on by claiming “I think I like her, she's so fun”, before immediately rejecting this notion and amusingly affirming, “I think I hate her, I'm not that evolved”.

“I'm sorry she's missing it, sad, sad boy
Not my business, but I had to warn ya”

Here, Gracie Abrams brushes off her ex's laments and labels him a “sad, sad boy”, before stressing how she doesn't want to get involved, but she nonetheless feels sorry for his new girlfriend. She worries that she's “missing” all his red flags at the moment.

“Made it out alive, but I think I lost it
Said that I was fine, said it from the coffin
Remember how I died when you started walking?
That's my life, that's my life
I'll put up a fight, taking out my earrings
Don't you know the vibe? Don't you know the feeling?
You should spend the night, catch me on your ceiling
That's your prize, that's your prize
Well”

We get a flurry of death-related imagery as ‘That's So True’ approaches its conclusion, with Gracie Abrams reflecting on how she told people she was “fine” following the break-up. However, she vividly portrays herself as stating this from a coffin, describing how she actually felt as thought she “died” when her ex started to walk out.

Then, Gracie Abrams consolidates the sense of defiance that pervades ‘That's So True’, as she sarcastically underlines that her old flame's “prize” is that he'll get to see her on the ceiling as he's sleeping in his bed with his new lover, suggesting he won't get over her. Interestingly, Abrams phrases “prize” in a way that sounds like she could be singing “price”, emphasising the real sentiment behind her words, and stressing that she views this as a deserved punishment for her ex.

During an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Gracie Abrams explained why ‘That's So True’ didn't make it onto the original version of The Secret Of Us, “It wasn't done, to be honest with you. Audrey and I had started writing that song and we'd had the melody for the hook, and we'd written the hook and we had the melody for the verses for a while. But then, Aaron and I had a week at Electric Lady...after the album had been finished, and normally, for me, in the past, deluxe songs that I include were written when the rest of the album was made, and then they kind of just didn't exactly fit. This weirdly was like, these songs were written after, and felt like the ones I wanted to kind of continue the story with a bit”. Abrams then expanded, “‘That's So True’ feels kind of in the ‘Risk’ world to me”.

“I could go and read your mind
Think about your dumb face all the time
Living in your glass house, I'm outside, uh
Looking into big blue eyes
Did it just to hurt me, make me cry
Smiling through it all, yeah, that's my life

-

You're an idiot, now I'm sure
Now I'm positive, I should go and warn her

-

Ooh, bet you're thinking, "She's so cool"
Kicking back on your couch, making eyes from across the room
Wait, I think I've been there too, ooh

-

What'd she do to get you off? (Uh-huh)
Taking down her hair like, oh my God
Taking off your shirt, I did that once
Or twice, uh
No, I know, I know I'll fuck off (Uh-huh)
But I think I like her, she's so fun
Wait, I think I hate her, I'm not that evolved

-

I'm sorry she's missing it, sad, sad boy
Not my business, but I had to warn ya

-

Ooh, bet you're thinking, "She's so cool"
Kicking back on your couch, making eyes from across the room
Wait, I think I've been there too, ooh
Ooh, you've got me thinking, "She's so cool"
But I know what I know and you're just another dude
Ooh, that's so true, ooh

-

Made it out alive, but I think I lost it
Said that I was fine, said it from the coffin
Remember how I died when you started walking?
That's my life, that's my life
I'll put up a fight, taking out my earrings
Don't you know the vibe? Don't you know the feeling?
You should spend the night, catch me on your ceiling
That's your prize, that's your prize
Well

-

Mm, bet you're thinking, "She's so cool"
Kicking back on your couch, making eyes from across the room
Wait, I think I've been there too, ooh
Ooh, you've got me thinking, "She's so cool"
But I know what I know and you're just another dude
Ooh, that's so true, ooh, ooh, oh”

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