Florence + The Machine - Music By Men Lyrics (2025) | Song Meaning

Music By Men Lyrics


[Verse 1]
In every book in the house, notes from you fall out
All the love that came my way, I found a way to push away
I don't wanna be afraid anymore
I don't wanna run from love like I had before
And on the way to couples therapy, you put your headphones in
So you didn't have to talk to me
Listening to our own demos on the ride home
You have a bigger ego than you think you do
Slide down in my seat so as not to threaten you

[Pre-Chorus]
Let it be us, let it be home
Falling asleep and not looking at our phone

[Chorus]
'Cause I know how to fall in love, I do it constantly
I fall in love with everyone I meet for ten minutes at least
Then comes the work, the resentments, and the hurt
Picking at your haircut and that stupid band T-shirt

[Verse 2]
I always thought I was nice, I thought I was kind
'Til I tried to do something that was almost real life
It's not like what I've seen in TV shows
It's not like what I've read in books
It's so much harder than it looks
And there isn't much applause
If it required practice and dedication, I just got bored
We discussed something called compromise
A brand new concept that I never tried

[Pre-Chorus]
Let it be us, let it be home
Falling asleep and not looking at our phone

[Chorus]
'Cause I know how to fall in love, I do it easily
I fall in love with everyone I meet for ten minutes at least
Then comes the work, the resentments, and the hurt
Picking at your haircut and that stupid band T-shirt, hmm

[Bridge]
Breaking my bones, getting four out of five
Listening to a song by The 1975
I thought, 'F*ck it, I might as well give music by men a try'

[Chorus]
Let there be love, let there be light
Let there be a quiet day and an easy night
Let me put out a record and have it not ruin my life
Let it be us, let it be home
Let it not be a spotlight standing alone
Running back to the only love I could ever control
________________ End ________________

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Music By Men Song Meaning (Florence + The Machine)

With its release on 31 October 2025 as part of the band’s album "Everybody Scream", the song "Music By Men" stands out as a quietly sharp reflection on love, career, identity, and the gendered dynamics that shape creative life. Written by Florence Welch with Mark Bowen and produced by Welch, Bowen and Aaron Dessner, it carries the emotional weight and introspection that define the album’s tone.

Back-Story And Context

Florence Welch has long drawn on myth, memory, and personal upheaval as creative fuel. "Everybody Scream" arrives after a turbulent chapter in her life, including the trauma of a near-fatal ectopic pregnancy in 2023 that reshaped her understanding of ambition, fragility, and female power in the music industry. Against this backdrop, "Music By Men" reads as both a story rooted in personal relationships and a commentary on navigating a largely male-dominated artistic landscape.

Welch has referenced moments that inspired its imagery, including performing through physical injury and feeling judged by external standards that often seem harsher for women. This feeds directly into the lyric about breaking bones and receiving a less-than-perfect score, which becomes symbolic of the pressure to meet expectations set by others.

The Emotional Terrain

The song opens with a quiet but evocative moment: notes falling from books, memories scattered through a house, and the tension between wanting love and fearing it. The narrator admits the instinct to push affection away, even as she longs for connection. This contradiction shapes the emotional core of the track.

The refrain Let it be us, let it be home imagines a simpler, softer version of love, one where the noise of the world fades. Yet the chorus breaks that dream open with stark honesty. Falling in love easily is one thing, but staying is where the work begins. The lines about resentments, habits, and tiny annoyances paint a realistic picture of intimacy without romanticising it.

Verse two deepens that contrast. The narrator realises that kindness in theory doesn’t equal emotional maturity in practice. Daily life is harder than stories, harder than shows, harder than books. There is no applause for the unseen labour of relationships. The confession about never trying compromise before adds a layer of vulnerability that feels both personal and universally recognisable.

The Bridge

The bridge delivers one of the song’s most striking ideas. The reference to listening to The 1975 places the moment in the real musical landscape, while the line about giving music by men a try lands with sharp irony. It gestures toward the unspoken rules and unequal structures within the industry without turning into a manifesto. It is both humorous and quietly pointed.

Why The Song Connects

"Music By Men" resonates because it speaks to two mirrors at once. For listeners navigating love, it captures the truth that infatuation is easy but staying is work. For women in creative fields, it reflects the pressure to perform perfectly within systems that still tilt toward men. Through its vulnerability, the song becomes a soft but steady feminist commentary.

The tension between ambition and intimacy runs through the track. Let me put out a record and have it not ruin my life is one of Florence Welch’s most revealing lines, voicing the desire for artistic freedom without self-destruction. The song finds its emotional center in longing for stability while acknowledging chaos.

Place In The Artist’s Evolution

Within Florence + The Machine’s body of work, "Music By Men" arrives at a moment of introspection and reinvention. Welch is confronting physical and emotional wounds while redefining what strength looks like for her. Instead of leaning outward with grand gesture, she turns inward. The result is a track that blends self-portraiture with cultural critique.

Final Thoughts

"Music By Men" stands as a layered reflection on love, pressure, and the quiet negotiations women make both in relationships and in the creative world. It is tender, sharp, self-aware, and unafraid to expose the contradictions within the self. In doing so, it captures the spirit of Everybody Scream as an album rooted in truth-telling and transformation.
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FAQ Section
Who sung the song "Music By Men" by Florence + The Machine?
The song "Music By Men" was sung by Florence + The Machine.
Who wrote the song "Music By Men" by Florence + The Machine?
Florence Welch & Mark Bowen.
Who produced the song "Music By Men" by Florence + The Machine?
Florence Welch, Aaron Dessner & Mark Bowen.

Music Video


Song Details

Album: Everybody Scream
Genre: Rock
Language: English
Released: October 31, 2025