With steady, stacked vocals backed by intriguing instrumentation, “All The Same” by Facekiss is a song you can’t help but move to. Though the string instruments and upbeat pacing make you think of this song as a happy one, the subject matter is quite the opposite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YczYs2kV1hQ
“He picked her up, she said hello”
Most of this song is being directed towards a “you” (like in the line “I can see you coming”). In this first line, it seems the narrator is telling the “you” about seeing a man and woman together. This combined with the line “the one you love is cool with going around,” makes me think that the “you” of this song is being cheated on. “The one you love” is fine with a lack of exclusivity- even if you’re not. A man and woman are going on a date, but you are no longer one of the parties. Whether the original relationship was ongoing or over when this date happened, it seems the subject of this song has lost their love for good.
“I can see you coming
You’re walking my way
A girl’s got nothing
She says it’s all the same”
After losing her love, this girl, who I believe is the “you” of the song, doesn’t feel like she has anything anymore. She also doesn’t feel anything anymore. It’s all the same to her. This kind of numbness is a common symptom of heartbreak- and an even more common muse of heartbreak songs. Loving someone gives everything meaning and losing them takes all of that away.
With marching vocals, a steady beat, and repetition of this chorus several times at the end of the song, Facekiss makes us feel like it’s all the same. We hear the same lyrics and melodies over and over, waiting for the conclusion, but it continues past our expectations of when the song should end. It is the perfect way to mirror what the subject of the song is feeling. She feels as if every day is the same and is waiting for the pain of her failed relationship to end, but the pain, and the numbness, continues far past what she expects. “The seasons change” but she doesn’t, standing “like a flower” as time moves on without her.
As the last chorus is repeated, the female vocals slowly become louder, until the “she” herself is finally saying “it’s all the same.” I thought this was a nice detail that makes the song stay with you. Most of the song, we’re hearing about this girl and her emotions, but at the end we get it straight from her, making the story feel more personal and more real. The numbness of a heartbreak is definitely relatable for most of us, but even if you aren’t currently experiencing those emotions, “All The Same” by Facekiss still makes you feel them.
