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Honesty Over Aesthetics
Girl in red has always been vulnerable with her fans, and that honesty continues with her newest track “Hemingway.” When announcing the song, Marie Ringheim — the name behind girl in red — opened up about her struggles with addiction, an eating disorder, and depression, describing the new track as “part of that story.” But "Hemingway" is more than that. Yes, it’s the story of Ringheim's struggles, but it’s also a powerful take down of the “tortured artist” myth — making it clear there's nothing romantic about addiction and self-destruction.
Verse 1: Denial as Defense
The song starts in a place of denial:
“I'd be the last to say
I've got problems
Embarrassed to admit
That I can't solve them”
The narrator doesn’t want to acknowledge her problems, because then she might have to admit she needs help. There’s tension here between self-awareness and avoidance — she knows she’s ignoring her addiction but she wants to keep pretending for just a little while longer. Between the layers of shame and avoidance, the hushed, introspective nature of the verse hints at her desire for change, even if she’s not quite ready.
Pre-Chorus: The Harsh Truth
Here, the audience meets a second person — the partner — who functions as a lie detector and a foil to the unreliable narrator.
“You know when I'm tellin' lies
It's impossible to hide
Yeah, you catch me every time"
It sounds like a pretty standard addiction story — use, get caught, disappoint the people who care. But there’s tenderness here, particularly in the line “you catch me every time.” Sure, the partner catches her lies, but they’re also there to catch her when she falls, fucks up, or relapses. It’s harsh love, but girl in red makes it very clear it’s still love.
Chorus: The Hemingway Complex
With the chorus, we get to the heart of the song’s conflict — and its namesake.
"God damn, baby, you drink like Hemingway
But your writing's no good and your songs all sound the same
You gotta give up this act, you don't know how to play"
Off the cuff, these sound like cutting remarks, but there’s a desperation underneath. The partner isn’t mocking the narrator, they’re trying to inject reality into the illusion she’s clinging to — she’s no Hemingway, she’s just an addict. Girl in red flips the “tortured artist” trope on its head, making it very clear that addiction is addiction, even if it produces great art.
The final line — “You gotta come back down before it's too late” — cuts to the heart of this. Literally, the narrator has to come down from her high. Figuratively, she needs a dose of reality — this isn’t some path to great art, it’s just self-destruction.
Verse 2: Necessary Judgment
The second verse turns away from the self-flagellation for a softer, gentler self-awareness:
“You listen and you judge
I probably need it
You do it out of love"
I'm unable to receive it”
There’s still guilt and shame wrapped up in these lines, but it’s resigned. The narrator acknowledges that her partner is being harsh out of love, and she takes full responsibility for the havoc her addiction causes. There’s an emotional numbness here, as if the self-hate has run out, leaving nothing behind. But if this is a moment of peace, it’s only just before the storm. We’re a step above rock bottom, and the narrator warns us things are about to get worse.
Pre-Chorus: Repeating Patterns
“Yeah, my breath never lies
The disappointment in your eyes”
This moment makes clear the cyclical nature of addiction.The alcohol on her breath says what she doesn’t. The partner’s disappointment doesn’t need to be voiced. They don’t need to speak to communicate anymore; it’s a cycle they’re both intimately familiar with at this point.
Bridge: Rock Bottom
“Letting myself go
Crashing at the bottom
There's no light at the end of the bottle
[…]
Enough is not enough but my body's saying ‘Stop’”
As expected, we hit rock bottom. The narrator knows her addiction is killing her, but she can’t let it go just yet. There’s tension here between her body failing and her mind refusing to let go. It’s the end of the road unless she chooses something different. The final line offers hope: “So I gotta listen up when you say.” She admits she needs help, and finally, she’s ready to hear it.
The last chorus repeats the desperate pleas of the narrator’s partner, ending on the line, "You need to come back down 'cause this isn't safe, mm."
Conclusion: The Myth Doesn’t Hold
Instead of romanticizing the “tortured artist” myth, girl in red’s “Hemingway” reverses it and ultimately tears it down. The song peels back the layers behind art and celebrity to reveal the tender person behind it — and the people keeping her sane. It’s a vulnerable and unwieldy story about the wreckage of addiction and the harsh truths it takes to overcome it. Addiction is addiction, being an artist doesn’t change that.
