☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a toxic and manipulative relationship, in which the singer is psychologically manipulated by her partner.
- The concept of gaslighting is illustrated through lyrics like 'Master manipulator / God, you're so good at what you do / And you convinced me, baby / It was all in my mind'.
- The lyrics 'Two plus two equals five and I'm the love of your life / ′Cause if rain don't pour and sun don't shine / Then changing you is possible' show how the singer was led to ignore reality and accept unbelievable lies.
- Rodrigo's feelings of guilt and self-blame are evident in lyrics like 'I know I'm half responsible and that makes me feel horrible / I know I could've stopped it all / God, why didn't I stop it all?' She acknowledges her responsibility in the situation and her power to end the relationship.
- Overall, 'Logical' is an emotional song about the difficulties of getting out of a manipulative relationship and the resulting emotional wounds and self-doubt.
Interpretation
The song 'Logical' by
Olivia Rodrigo is about a toxic and manipulative relationship. Rodrigo describes how she was manipulated by her partner, who convinced her that her perception of things was wrong. She references the concept of gaslighting, a form of psychological manipulation in which one person tries to convince another that their own memories or perceptions are incorrect in order to gain power and control. This is evident, for example, in the lines 'Master manipulator / God, you're so good at what you do / And you convinced me, baby / It was all in my mind'.
The lines 'Two plus two equals five and I'm the love of your life / ′Cause if rain don′t pour and sun don't shine / Then changing you is possible' illustrate how the singer was made to ignore reality and accept unbelievable lies. She learned that love is not logical and that she has no control over how her partner behaves or feels.
The lines 'I know I'm half responsible and that makes me feel horrible / I know I could've stopped it all / God, why didn't I stop it all?' show Rodrigo's feelings of guilt and self-blame for getting involved in the situation and not leaving the relationship earlier. She recognizes that she bears some responsibility in the situation and that she had the power to end the relationship.
Overall, 'Logical' is an emotional song about the difficulties of getting out of a manipulative relationship and the resulting emotional wounds and self-doubt.