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“Planting Tomatoes” is a song by Lucy Dacus that we have known about for a while. Hints of it dropped in a few of her live performances, and now, finally, it is available for us to enjoy whenever we want! The former boygenius member stuns with the way she describes the fleeting moments in life that pass us by with the ones we love.
Moment’s Passing
What makes this song as strong as it is, is the vulnerability that can be seen in the lyrics. Emotionally vulnerable lyrics are routine for Dacus, but on “Planting Tomatoes,” she takes it a step further.
My personal favorite line is “Can’t help thinking that I am gonna miss this/ Living in the moment, I can feel the moment passing.” In this line, the meaning of the song comes out. Dacus takes herself out of these traditional happy moments and reflects on the fleeting nature of them. She recognizes that someday these things won’t be around.
However, instead of wallowing in existential dread like all of us are prone to do, Dacus rallies the song back, saying, “But before then, I’ve got some ideas.” This brings it back to enjoying the time with those you love while you still have them.
These lyrics, along with allusions in the bridge to a friend that Dacus lost early in life encourage us to enjoy our friends rather than finding ways to avoid them
Simple, Clean, and Fun
The lyric video for this song plays a nice juxtaposition to the lyrics. Instead of being filled with depressing images, Dacus makes the music video fun with doodles and sketches on notepads in a store.
For me, this video is reminiscent of a bedroom pop TikTok from 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. It has the same relatability and comfortable nature as those videos, which always make me want to come back for more.
Bedroom Pop is Back?
I think that what makes this song an instant hit for me is the way it beckons back to the 2020 bedroom pop scene. It feels nostalgic to me. It is comfortable, and despite “Planting Tomatoes” being intricately layered with vocals and different takes on guitar riffs, it feels simplistic enough that it feels as if almost anyone could play it. This makes the song more approachable for us.
What’s Next?
Currently, Dacus is on tour, so be sure to check out any dates that you can get to! Outside of that, as can be seen with “Planting Tomatoes,” Dacus is prone to releasing new music at any moment, so be on the lookout!
