A powerful piano ballad with lyrics that hit you in the gut, “Cutting Ties” by Lavinia Cos is beautifully moving. As a relationship falls apart, Cos struggles with accepting that she has to let go.
Cos is tired of doing all the work in a relationship where she gets nothing back. She says: “didn’t think you could let the house of cards fall so damn fast, I’m so done building it back up.” This metaphor is such a multi-faceted representation of this relationship, and for that reason it’s my favorite line in the song.
Comparing the relationship to a house of cards shows that it was doomed to fail. It was fragile and precarious, poised to fall at the first sign of wind. Yet every time it fell, Cos built it back up. A tedious, time-consuming task that could go wrong at any second. She’s tired of putting her energy into something so flimsy, knowing that it will only inevitably fail again.
“I didn’t want to cut all ties, but you’re the one that handed me the knife.” Another killer metaphor, Cos wouldn’t have ended this relationship if she wasn’t forced to. She would’ve kept putting up with the hardships of the relationship because she just loved this person so much. But eventually, the problems couldn’t be ignored. The other person handed her the knife, leaving her no choice but to move on.
With rich and expressive vocals, you can feel Cos’s sadness and regret. “Cutting Ties” is emotional and dynamic, and will have you reminiscing on that relationship that just had to end, despite your best efforts to salvage it.
Written by Emily Cushing
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