Song Meaning
The lyrics to "Entitled" immediately plunge into a scene of uneasy interaction and resistance. Someone is told "Hands up, I can't do that," met with delay and a sense of being "Not user friendly." A central tension emerges around the repeated declaration of being "Entitled."
A core conflict arises from the speaker's self-awareness, or perhaps defiance, regarding this label. The lines juxtapose a public image of "We're so respectable" with a private, perhaps transgressive, self-perception. This suggests a struggle between societal expectations and an individual's perceived right to act or feel a certain way, even if it causes discomfort, as hinted by a physical interaction "from the back." The speaker appears to challenge the other person's discomfort, asking why they "cannot relax."
The craft here shines in its deliberate ambiguity, particularly around the word "entitled." Is it an accusation hurled at the speaker, a defiant self-identification, or a commentary on a broader societal trait? The speaker questions if this state is "something usual," blurring the line between personal experience and a more universal observation. This invites the listener to consider the nature of entitlement itself. The unsettling image of a "photograph / Drowned in plastic" further complicates the narrative, suggesting something once cherished or real is now suffocated or corrupted.
These lyrics are effective precisely because they refuse easy answers. The fragmented structure and direct, sometimes confrontational, questions create a sense of raw, unresolved tension. The speaker's "reputation's in tatters" suggests consequences, leading to the striking final word: "Disentitled." This abrupt reversal leaves the listener pondering whether the entitlement was lost, revoked, or simply a temporary state, adding a layer of poignant irony to the entire piece.