“Gasoline” is the second track on The Weeknd’s 2022 album ‘Dawn FM.’ Staying true to the theme of the album, Abel talks about his 5 AM misadventures with drugs in this song. He only has his lover left by his side and not for too long.
The Weeknd announced his fifth studio album ‘Dawn FM’ just days prior to its release on January 7, 2022. The album marks Abel’s comeback to music after his highly successful album ‘After Hours’ that was released in 2020. The new album features some interesting features from Quincy Jones to the US actor Jim Carrey. Upon release, the album was live-streamed on several streaming platforms such as Twitch.
The title of the song is quite devastating in all aspects of the song. The Weeknd sings about the very likely possibility that he could overdose on the drugs that he consumes every day. In this likely event, Abel asks his lover to wrap his body in some sheets and set fire to it soaked in gasoline.
Listen to “Gasoline” by The Weeknd
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The Weeknd “Gasoline” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
In the first verse of the song, The Weeknd talks about his drug-fueled adventures at 5 am. He has been developing a tolerance to these drugs throughout the years so he has to push on and on to feel something now.
It’s 5 AM, I’m high again
The Weeknd also gives a subtle shoutout to his mega-hit “The Hills” when he says that he calls his lover at 5 AM. In “The Hills,” Abel also sings “I only call you when it’s half-past five.”
In the last lines of the verse, The Weeknd shouts out to one of the greatest songs of all time; “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. However, the clever part about this line is that REM (aka Rapid Eye Movement) is also one of the four stages of our sleep. During the REM stage, brain activity increases and you tend to have vivid dreams. The sleep is not as deep and calm during this stage. This is a perfect demonstration of the effect of drugs on your brain while you are awake: the vivid hallucinations and restlessness.
In the chorus of the song, The Weeknd talks about his lover.
And I love it when you watch me sleep
You spin me ’round so I can breathe
The first line sounds quite romantic. But by the second line, we come to realize that The Weeknd relies heavily on his lover to save his life. Laying on his back, Abel is more likely to die from choking on his own throw-up, which is, unfortunately, one of the more common ways people die from drug overdoses. So, The Weeknd loves the fact that there is someone to literally save his life while he sleeps.
In the second verse, things only get worse. The Weeknd calls himself a nihilist, a person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles. This is a very dangerous mindset to live in as you tend to pose a risk to your life as well as others.
The only thing I understand
Is zero sum of tenderness (Tenderness)
A zero-sum game is where the total outcome of changes in several variables still results in zero: or no change in the total output. In the context of these lyrics, Abel is saying that he has never found a love that gives more than what they take. It has always been a back and forth battle and maybe this is why he only uses his relationships for his own gain.
In this game called life, we are not free
This line is quite true. There is a cost to everything. Even your thoughts and actions have a cost, although they might not be apparent immediately. So, always think good and do good.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.