A World Alone

## Audio

"**A World Alone**" is the 10th track on Lorde's debut studio album *Pure Heroine*.

## Background

### Writing and Composition

"A World Alone" was written by Lorde (credited under Ella Yelich O'Connor) and Joel Little. It contains a "roaring dance beat". Lyrically the song depicts a world "which is composed of haters, existential musings, endless Internet chatter and the one person with whom [one] can escape all the judgments."

The closing lyric to this song (and to the album overall), "Let 'em talk" can be related to the opening lyric of the album, "Don't you think that it's boring how people talk?" in Tennis Court. Another thing to note is that sometimes she adds the line "*The sky gets dark and people are talking, I follow my heart and people are talking*" when performing it live.

## Reception

### Critical Reception

About the song, Jonah Weiner of *Rolling Stone* wrote "describing a passionate romance, her mind can't help but jump-cut not only to the relationship's inevitable failure, but past that, to death." The lyrics to the song were also heavily praised, with some calling Lorde a "lyrical genius".

### Chart Performance

"A World Alone" peaked on the US Rock Songs Chart at number 38.

## Lyrics

Album Version

That slow burn waits while it gets dark

Bruising the sun

I feel grown up with you in your car

I know it's dumb

We both got a million bad habits to kick

Not sleeping is one

We're biting our nails, you're biting my lip

I'm biting my tongue

But people are talking, people are talking

But people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All my fake friends and all of their noise

Complain about work

They're studying business, I study the floor

And you haven't stopped smoking all night

Maybe the Internet raised us, or maybe people are jerks

But people are talking, people are talking

But not you

But people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All the double-edged people into schemes

They make a mess, then go home and get clean

You're my best friend and we're dancing in a world alone

A world alone, we're all alone

I know we're not everlasting

We're a trainwreck waiting to happen

One day the blood won't flow so gladly

One day we'll all get still, get still

People are talking, people are talking...

Raise a glass, cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All the double-edged people into schemes

They make a mess, then go home and get clean

You're my best friend and we're dancing in a world alone

A world alone, we're all alone

But people are talking, people are talking...

But people are talking, people are talking...

But people are talking, people are talking...

Let 'em talk

Live Version

That slow burn waits while it gets dark

Bruising the sun

I feel grown up with you in your car

I know it's dumb

We both got a million bad habits to kick

Not sleeping is one

We're biting our nails, you're biting my lip

I'm biting my tongue

But people are talking, people are talking

But people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All my fake friends and all of their noise

Complain about work

They're studying business, I study the floor

And you haven't stopped smoking all night

Maybe the Internet raised us, or maybe people are jerks

But people are talking, people are talking

But not you

But people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All the double-edged people into schemes

They make a mess, then go home and get clean

You're my best friend and we're dancing in a world alone

A world alone, we're all alone

I know we're not everlasting

We're a trainwreck waiting to happen

One day the blood won't flow so gladly

One day we'll all get still, get still

People are talking, people are talking...

Raise a glass, cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All the double-edged people into schemes

They make a mess, then go home and get clean

You're my best friend and we're dancing in a world alone

A world alone, we're all alone

But people are talking, people are talking...

But people are talking, people are talking...

But people are talking, people are talking...

The sky gets dark and people are talking

I follow my heart and people are talking

Let em talk

## Live Performances

Lorde performed "A World Alone" at Lollapalooza, Chicago in 2014.