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The Meaning of "Bullseye": A Reflection on Love’s Fleeting Nature
Toward the end of Lucy Dacus’ newly released album, Forever Is a Feeling (2025), lies “Bullseye” — a wistful meditation on the life cycle of young love. Between heart-wrenching lyrics like “It was young love, it was dumb luck” and “When one world ends, the other worlds keep spinnin’,” Dacus explores the themes of youthful romance with subdued nostalgia. The evocative lyrics, paired with Dacus’ and Hozier’s soulful vocals, paint a vivid picture of a once-all-consuming relationship that gradually fades into memory.
Verse 1: Lasting Ties
Instead of diving straight into the romance, the song opens after the relationship has ended, when all ties have been severed — yet the former lovers remain on each other’s periphery.
“Heard you got a job as a mailman
I heard you’re playin’ around in a couple of bands.”
This phrasing suggests that the narrator hasn’t sought out this information, but rather, it has reached her organically. The two still move in overlapping circles, and though they no longer communicate directly, their past lingers. The final line of the verse reveals an underlying attachment:
“Can’t just walk in like any other fan.”
The narrator feigns indifference, but this line betrays her true feelings. She still cares, but she resists the urge to impose those emotions on her former partner. Even attending a concert becomes an emotionally fraught experience, steeped in memories.
Pre-Chorus: Lingering Affection
The pre-chorus complicates the narrative:
“But I always loved the way you played guitar
You've got style, no one's doin' it like you are.”
On the surface, this appears to be mere admiration, but when juxtaposed with the earlier line — “Can’t just walk in like any other fan” — the emotion runs deeper. The narrator longs to hear her ex play again but knows she cannot. It’s a moment of quiet mourning, not just for the relationship but for the loss of someone she once knew so intimately.
Verse 2 & Pre-Chorus: TheLove Lock Metaphor
The second verse introduces the well-known romantic tradition of placing locks on bridges:
“In many European cities, there’s a bridge
Where lovers put locks on the rails.”
It’s a romantic image, but reality soon intervenes:
“But the metal weighs down the bearings and the city has to cut the bolts.”
The locks, meant to symbolize eternal love, instead become a burden. This mirrors the weight of the relationship, both when it existed and in retrospect. Nostalgia often casts relationships in an idealized light, making it difficult to move on. The speaker acknowledges this struggle, almost pleading to be free from memories that, while once joyful, now hold her back.
The final line offers a resigned reflection:
“If our spell wore off, maybe it’s all their fault.”
Perhaps the love wasn’t meant to last — not because of any failing, but simply because nothing is permanent.
Chorus: The Illusion of Destiny
The chorus is the emotional centerpiece of the song:
“You’re a bullseye, and I aimed right
I’m a straight shot, you’re a grand prize.”
The imagery of a perfect shot suggests a love that once felt destined. Yet, the next lines introduce self-awareness:
“It was young love, it was dumb luck
Holding each other so tight, we got stuck.”
What once felt like fate may have been simple happenstance, heightened by youthful idealism. The narrator attempts to reconcile the dreamy notions of love with the sobering reality that it didn’t last.
Verse 3: Intellectual Intimacy
Hozier’s verse adds another layer of introspection:
“I’ll miss borrowin’ your books to read your notes in the margin.”
This small yet intimate detail speaks volumes about their connection. However, as he sought to understand her thoughts, he only found more complexity:
“The answers to the questionsonly made more questions.”
It’s a subtle nod to the intricacies of relationships — sometimes, the closer we look, the less certain things become.
Bridge: Sentimental Remnants
The bridge finds the speaker confronting physical reminders of the past:
“Found some of your stuff at the new house
Packed it on accident when I was movin’ out.”
The distinction between seeing these items as gifts versus their later categorization as” victims of my sentimentality” underscores the difficulty of letting go. True separation isn’t just physical — it requires an emotional release.
Outro: Acceptance and Moving On
The song concludes with a bitter sweet but forward-looking sentiment:
“The world that we built meant the world to me
When one world ends, the other worlds keep spinnin’.”
Though the relationship was significant, life moves forward. The narrator acknowledges the love they shared, but she also recognizes that not all love is meant to last forever.
The Lasting Threads of Love
“Bullseye” is a poignant exploration of love’s impermanence. Dacus and Hozier navigate nostalgia, loss, and acceptance with poetic precision. The song’s strength lies in its ability to capture a universal truth — even the most meaningful relationships, once ended, become part of life’s ever-spinning cycle.
