We have all been teenagers, scared of and blamed for our feelings. And there is often a distortion between what is truly felt and what we are making up in our heads. This self-doubt surrounding the authenticity of our own emotions is packaged in a perfect, sarcastically raging adolescence anthem by Lilac Attitude called “Crocodile Tears”.
The track opens with little chimes and blips that already take you back to playing games on the computer as a teen. The lyrical storytelling is on-point, and the chorus is full and catchy, my favorite part of the song. Vocalist Jacqueline Wälle captures the teenage angst and sassiness in her voice perfectly.
It is the world of Freaks and Geeks, a time when we have too many feelings, and so many of them are often invalidated by our own parents. This song has love, self-doubt, and literal voices telling you to pull yourself together as you struggle with identity. In Wälle’s own words, “We are all just wannabes and could-have-beens, carrying around our doubts, our angst and turmoil.”
Through all the ups and downs of our teenage years, we build walls around ourselves and start associating them with strength, a badge of honor and pride. But somewhere along the way our so-called “crocodile tears” dry up and we either close ourselves off to the world or finally realize that we are not that bound to it anymore. This is a song about this journey from rage and frustration to acceptance and some semblance of peace, and it is already out as I write, on Spotify. So if you want to live a slice of your adolescent years again or need hope for the future as a teenager, definitely go listen!
Written by Riya
