Love can be a kick to the gut, a theme presented throughout “Night Shift.” Lucy Dacus writes the song that spans over six minutes to describe how a toxic/abusive relationship may feel, how it would affect the abused party, and how healing from that can hurt.
The song is about how someone who recently escaped a toxic relationship feels as they get back to their normal day of life. Dacus starts the song with the character missing or wanting their ex back in their life, struggling to get closure and comfort away from them. Later the song ends with the character wanting nothing to do with their ex anymore, healing from their trauma and moving on without them.
At the very beginning, we learn about the situation and how she feels about their ex. We learn about how the partner made them feel and how they do not understand why they keep coming back. Dacus sings, “What was the plan? Absolve your guilt and shake hands?”
From the chorus, they keep repeating the same phrases, trying to convince herself that her ex does not deserve her and she did not deserve what happened to her. She reiterated, “You don’t deserve what you don’t respect. Don’t deserve what you say you love and then neglect.” Lyrics like this tell a lot about how she was treated during this relationship and how badly she does not need that energy in her life anymore.
The ending is where she finally moves on, wanting nothing to do with them, and taking the first steps to healing. Dacus says, “You got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift and I’ll never see you again if I can help it.” Those who are starting to heal or already healing from relationships like these can really feel the emotion in this verse and the ending as a whole.
I love this song with all my heart. This song helps to make my own faults and issues feel more normal and is relatable to me, giving this song a special place in my heart.
Lucy Dacus was born around music, her adoptive mother being a professional pianist and music teacher. Her claim-to-fame was her album “No Burden,” which was made by her hometown friends, containing her first single “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore.” The music video for “Night Shift” was made on March 8, 2023, by Jane Schoenbrun.
You can listen to “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus on all streaming platforms.