For Sure

## **For Sure***Dedicated*

**For Sure** is the fourteenth track on Carly Rae Jepsen's fourth studio album, Dedicated (2019). It was released on May 17th 2019, through 604, School Boy and Interscope Records.

## **Lyrics**

**Verse 1**

Six in the morning, can I hold you?

Are we done talking? Do we have to?

**Chorus**

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

**Post-Chorus**

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

Got to know for sure

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

**Verse 2**

Now I know what you want

But it's too late *(Ayy, ayy, ah)*

You're trying to bring me good love-loving

But it won't take *(Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy)*

**Chorus**

I've been thinking *(I've been thinking)*

We were over *(We were over)*

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking *(I've been thinking)*, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

**Post-Chorus**

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

Got to know for sure

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

**Chorus**

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

I've been thinking, we were over

I've been thinking, got to know for sure

**Post-Chorus**

I was thinking we were over

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, ah)*

I was thinking we were over

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da)*

I was thinking we were over *(Ah)*

*(Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, ayy, ayy, ah)*

I was thinking we were over

## **Song credits**

#### **Writing and production**

* **Written by:** Carly Rae Jepsen • Pontus Winnberg • Noonie Bao • Patrik Berger
* **Produced by:** Pontus Winnberg • Patrik Berger

#### **Instrumentation**

* **Instrumentation:** Patrik Berger • Pontus Winnberg

#### **Additional credits**

* **Mixing:** Șerban Ghenea
* **Mastering:** Gene Grimaldi
* **Mix engineering:** John Hanes
* **Background vocals:** Noonie Bao
* **Programming:** Patrik Berger • Pontus Winnberg

#### **Studio info**

* **Recorded at:** Patrik’s House (Stockholm, SE)
* **Mixed at:** MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach)
* **Mastered at:** Oasis Mastering (Burbank, CA)

#### **Publishing info**

* **Published by:** Universal Music Corp • Jepsen Music Publishing (ASCAP) • Indiscipline AB (administered by Kobalt Music Group Ltd) • EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI) • o/b/o EMI Music Publishing Scandinavia AB (STIM) • Brick Island Music Publishing • Administered by Kobalt Music Group Ltd

## **Background**

For Sure was first revealed in April 2018, after the song had been registered to ASCAP. It was registered alongside Now I Don't Hate California After All - originally titled The Tide Is High, and unreleased song You Were My Party.

## **Writing and development**

For Sure was written in July 2016, during the time of the Disco Sweat writing sessions with Patrik Berger. The song was a direct result of Jepsen and Berger's collaboration on the project, and was conceptualized after Berger had expressed he thought the disco influence was too constraining and advised Jepsen to 'open the doors to everything.'

In its first iteration, the song only existed as the chorus repeated over on a beat. The final version of the song would be written by Jepsen and Berger together alongside fellow Swedish songwriters Pontus Winnberg and Noonie Bao, at Berger's house in Stockholm.  In relation to the development of Disco Sweat, Jepsen commented, 'I don't know what that song is but it's not disco, it's a mamba or something.'

## **Themes and lyricism**

For Sure was written about Jepsen's relationship with then-boyfriend David Larkins, which at the time was nearing its end. Jepsen explained, 'I was in Sweden and my breakup was happening. On the day we were recording For Sure, my then-boyfriend had come to the session.'

'All we had at the time was this beat and I’d been saying the same words over and over – 'I’ve been thinking, we were over. I’ve been thinking, got to know for sure' - so he comes into the studio, he's dancing along to the track and then I could see him listening to the words and his face dropped. It was like, 'Yup, I'll see you at home.'

Jepsen explained the repeated lyrics in the song were an intentional design to represent the feeling of 'being in a loop' of recurring thoughts. She stated, 'I loved the repetitiveness of it, because that's where your head goes when you're not sure about somebody.'

## **Alternate versions**

* **For Sure** — Demo version (2016) - 3:10
	+ Demo version for Dedicated, likely recorded in 2016

* **For Sure** — Final version (2019) - 3:05
	+ Final version of the song released in May 2019

## **References**

1. ↑ *Dedicated* (album booklet). Carly Rae Jepsen. 604 Records, School Boy Records and Interscope Records. 2019.
2. ↑ "Carly Rae Jepsen registers two new songs "The Tide is High" and "For Sure" on ASCAP" April 15th 2018
3. ↑ "2 New Songs Pop Up on ASCAP Titled “For Sure” & “The Tide is High” " carlyslayjepsen.com. August 27th 2018
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The BUILD Queen, Carly Rae Jepsen Is In The House! Youtube. May 29th 2019. Retrieved March 6th, 2021.
5. ↑ @carlyraejepsen "Writing songs and eating apples in Stockholm with #PatrikBerger and @nooniebao today" July 5th, 2016. Retrieved April 5th, 2021. - Via Instagram
6. ↑ "Carly Rae Jepsen hits the studio with Miike Snow’s Pontus Winnberg" hamadamania.com. July 13th, 2016. Retrieved March 9th, 2021.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Kheraj, Alim "carly rae jepsen is pop’s underdog come to save us all" (VICE i-D) May 15th 2019. Retrieved March 8th, 2021.