“Grapejuice” is the third on Harry Styles’ 2022 album ‘Harry’s House.’ In the song, Harry Styles explains the euphoria of escaping into a world of solitude with the one person you love and a vintage bottle of wine, which is what grape juice really is.
Harry Styles released his third studio album ‘Harry’s House‘ on May 20, 2022. The album follows Harry’s previous release in 2019, titled ‘Fine Line.’ The new album takes melodic themes about people’s mental states during current days. Although, the album cover paints a house turned upside-down, a house is where your heart is.
“Grapejuice” doesn’t necessarily tell a sweet romantic story. It could also be hinting at his need for escapism with a stimulant such as red wine. He does mention that he was going to buy flowers for his partner, but instead, he went for a bottle of wine. This draws a clear line between emotional stimulants versus physical stimulants–and sacrifice versus self-fulfillment.
Listen to “Grapejuice” by Harry Styles
Download ‘Harry’s House’ Album on Apple Music & Amazon
Harry Styles “Grapejuice” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
The story goes about Harry Styles finally catching a break to hang out with his partner on a sunny evening. He walks out to buy some flowers for his partner–a proper act of selfless love for his partner. But, on the way, he changes his mind. He goes for a bottle of red wine, instead.
As innocent and simple as this act may seem, it might be talking about a much deeper issue. His act of selfless love turned into an act of selfishness. The following lyric only adds to the problem.
But I got over it and I said, “Give me something old and red”
I pay for it more than I did back then
Harry Styles is most definitely not talking about the price of a wine bottle in these lyrics. He is talking about the repercussions of consuming his bottle of wine. Maybe he simply drinks more than he used to, and as such pays for more bottles. Or, he simply goes deeper and deeper into an inhibition that he is losing control over.
Maybe all the memories with his partner now are getting more and more vivid because he is too drunk to process his emotions. Maybe he is both drunk on love and wine at the same time.
His partner might not be appreciating that they have to walk back a drunk man home. They might be having more issues now. Harry might be paying a higher emotional price with every passing wine bottle.
There’s just no getting through
The grape juice blues
As bright red as wine is, the chemicals in it make Harry feel blue. And blue is the color of sadness and depression. He pays to inflict these emotional traumas on himself. He could have easily avoided all of this had he just gone to the flower shop.
Get your priorities straight, Harry (and to anyone else who needs to hear this)!
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.
I’ve got some theories, which are simply my own thoughts. Could be perceived as coincidences, but the last one seems deliberate. But who knows? I’m not Harry.
1. The vibe of the song is very Sunday morning, waking up with your lover, and greeting the sunlight and expanse of the day together.
2. “I’m so over whites and pinks” brings me back to a scene from Schitt’s Creek where David explains to his friend about “liking wine and not the label” as a simile to his sexual preference. He talks of trying whites, reds, and even pinks. The red being men, in the context of their conversation. Rouge is a red wine.
3. 1982. Harry rarely references numbers in his lyrics without a meaning. If 19 and 82 and switches around, you have 91 and 28. Someone n Harry’s life was born in 1991 (and also has it tattooed on their chest), and 28 references a number that is widely known to be affiliated with this person.
4. The counting. This is not a rock or dance song where the common 1-2-3-4 is used to hype people up. There’s really no need for counting, given the vibe of this song. But Harry counts at different times during the song. Add the numbers he says together and you get… 28.
They literally make no sense, you’re just trying to make it sound the way you want to.
It completely makes sense. Knowing Harry. The actual article doesn’t make slightes sense to me.