“Chicago” is the sixth track on Louis Tomlinson’s 2022 album ‘Faith in the Future.’ The song mourns for a former lover, living in the big city, with her baby and herself, while the singer watches from a distance and looks over the bitter memories of their past.
Louis Tomlinson released his second studio album ‘Faith in the Future’ on November 11, 2022. In an interview, Louis revealed that he thought of the album title first and then built the album around it; “In lockdown, for whatever reason, that phrase found its way onto my lap and it spoke to me in a certain way. I wanted this album to feel more hopeful than my last record.”
From the very early days, the city of Chicago (in the province of Illinois, US) has been a central part of ‘the American Dream.’ It was a city of industrial supremacy and a lot of people from the outskirts of the United States moved to Chicago to follow their dreams. Listening to the song, this is the timeline that got painted in my head. The girl leaves her small-town lover to follow her dreams in the big city. She finds a man, has a child with him, and he abandons them. Sometimes, big cities grant your dreams and takes something in return.
Listen to “Chicago” by Louis Tomlinson
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Louis Tomlinson “Chicago” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
The song starts with the singer noticing a picture of his former partner holding a baby. A sudden sting runs through his body. But, maybe it’s not her baby? If the baby is hers, could she have used any of the baby names they had talked about?
These two former lovers have been quite deep in love some time ago. They had planned their future together. How many children they were going to have and what boy and girl names they would use? But at some point she snapped–she realizes that there is nothing for her in this small town where nothing ever happens.
It was not smooth sailing for them in the small town either. Her mother didn’t like him. And the lyrics suggest that he might have bought this up on himself. Maybe he fought over her with her brother. This never goes well for lovers.
“Bitter ends turn sweet in time”
If you had connected with someone deeply and some issues forced a breakup, time tends to heal some wounds. A few years down the line, one might look back at the relationship and only remember the sweeter times. Because the things you connected with them on a deeper level usually last longer than the flesh wounds that caused bitter ends.
The singer wonders if this holds true to their story. Most certainly, the singer does feel this way. He feels as if this girl might be missing something she used to love before–companionship. Has enough time passed that she can forgive his mistakes?
In the second verse, the singer wonders if she knows anything about him, just as he knows about her. He wonders what she would have told him about his pursuits and affairs. There was a time when he would rely on her support for everything he did.
Is there a chance for a comeback for these two lovers from two cities far away?
Let us know what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.