Have you ever misheard a song lyric so hilariously wrong that it completely changed the song’s meaning for you? That’s exactly what happened to me with The Chainsmokers’ mega-hit “Closer,” featuring Halsey. Like many in 2016, I couldn’t escape this track, and one particular line in the chorus, revolving around a tattoo, really got my brain working overtime.
For those who might need a quick refresher, The Chainsmokers are the duo Andrew Taggert and Alex Pall, the masterminds behind this inescapable earworm.
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Seriously, “Closer” was everywhere. Malls, coffee shops, you name it – within minutes of entering any public space, that infectious beat and catchy chorus would be blasting. It was sonic ubiquity. If you need a reminder, take a quick listen to the preview of “Closer on iTunes.” You’ll instantly recognize it.
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Image alt text: “Closer” single art featuring The Chainsmokers and Halsey, promoting their hit song.
With that level of saturation, the lyrics eventually seeped into my consciousness. And honestly, beneath the pop hooks, there’s a relatable little narrative: boy and girl have a past, reconnect in a bar, and things get… intimate in a car.
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Then comes that chorus, the one that gets stuck in your head for days: “Baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover, that I know you can’t afford by that tattoo on your shoulder.”
Wait… what? Did I really hear “by that tattoo on your shoulder?”
On repeat listens, I became convinced. “Baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover, that I know you can’t afford BY that tattoo on your shoulder.”
My brain screeched to a halt. He’s judging her car affordability… based on her shoulder tattoo?
Image alt text: Close up image of a person’s shoulder, suggesting the focus on tattoos and their perceived meaning in the song lyrics.
This sparked immediate questions:
Tattoo Economics: Can You Judge Affluence by Ink?
- Is tattoo analysis a thing? Can someone genuinely assess your financial status based on your body art? Is there a secret tattoo language where certain designs scream “Range Rover owner” while others whisper “second-hand sedan”?
As someone who appreciates tattoos but isn’t deeply immersed in the culture, I can admire good tattoo art. I can spot the difference between professional work and, well, something less polished. But discerning a luxury car owner’s tattoo from a more budget-conscious individual’s? That seemed like a stretch.
Image alt text: A tattoo of a cartoonish skull and crossbones, humorously contrasting with the idea of sophisticated or expensive tattoo styles.
And then…
- Is he saying this out loud during a romantic moment? “Baby, pull me closer… let me just analyze your socioeconomic status based on your ink.” It doesn’t exactly scream romance. Is the whole song a stream of judgmental consciousness disguised as a love song?
Rover Reality: Luxury Car or Just Out of Reach?
The lyric mentions a Rover, implying either a Land Rover or Range Rover. Either way, we’re talking about vehicles that lean towards the pricier side, definitely beyond my immediate budget. More high-end than, say, the reliable Toyota Corolla often favored by musicians.
Image alt text: Sleek silver Range Rover car, representing the luxury vehicle mentioned in the Chainsmokers’ song lyrics.
Researching Rover prices confirmed my suspicions. According to automotive resources, Land Rovers start in the mid-range, but Range Rovers, especially fully loaded, can easily hit six-figure price tags. Luxury SUVs indeed.
This made the lyric even more puzzling. If she’s in a Range Rover, and he’s judging her based on a tattoo, the whole scenario felt increasingly bizarre. The verses hint at a past where she was struggling, moving to the city in a “broke-down” car. Was it her car or his? The details were fuzzy. But the focus on the tattoo in the chorus kept pulling me back to this strange financial assessment based on body art. Was this tattoo that bad?
The Prison Tattoo Theory: A Wild Detour
My mind then conjured up images of truly questionable tattoos. Remember that Jackass episode where Steve-O gets tattooed in a Humvee bouncing across sand dunes? The result was… memorable, for all the wrong reasons.
Image alt text: Animated GIF of Steve-O from Jackass getting a tattoo in a moving Humvee, highlighting the potential for disastrous tattoo outcomes.
Okay, probably not that bad. But still, the song aims for a romantic, summer anthem vibe. The Chainsmokers likely wanted listeners to imagine something like this:
Image alt text: Romantic image of a couple embracing at sunset, contrasting with the humorous tattoo misinterpretations.
Instead, my “by that tattoo” interpretation kept conjuring up something far less romantic:
Image alt text: Humorous image of a poorly drawn tattoo of a heart with crooked lines, representing a low-quality or “bad” tattoo.
Then, a lightbulb moment! What if it wasn’t just a bad tattoo? What if it was a prison tattoo?
Suddenly, it clicked. That’s why he knows she can’t afford the Rover. She’s fresh out of jail! The Rover is stolen, hence “mattress that you stole from your roommate back in Boulder.” Who steals a mattress from a roommate? Someone with “Orange is the New Black” tendencies, that’s who.
Image alt text: Image still from “Orange is the New Black” TV series, connecting the idea of prison and rebellious characters to the tattoo interpretation.
“Bite That Tattoo”: The Actual Lyric and the Real Story
Of course, I knew I was likely spiraling into a fictional crime drama. Driven by curiosity, I looked up the actual lyrics for “Closer” online, hoping for some wild backstory about a jailbird girlfriend and a stolen Range Rover.
No such luck.
Turns out, the lyric isn’t “by that tattoo on your shoulder” at all. It’s “BITE that tattoo on your shoulder.”
The Chainsmokers themselves clarified on Genius.com that the line is about the heat of the moment, a passionate bite on her shoulder. The girl isn’t a criminal mastermind; she’s actually supposed to be the “rich, bratty” type who gets gifted luxury cars. And the broke-down car? He was the one driving it, the one who disappeared for four years.
My elaborate, tattoo-based financial analysis and prison escape narrative crumbled. It was simply a misheard lyric. A bit anticlimactic, like watching Shutter Island expecting a spy thriller and discovering… well, you know.
Image alt text: Movie poster for “Shutter Island”, referencing the film’s plot twist as an analogy to the lyric misunderstanding.
So, if you, like me, were hoping for a more dramatic story behind “Bite The Tattoo On Your Shoulder,” you might be a little disappointed. But in fairness, the mishearing was entirely my fault. Which is ironic, considering the song’s repeated line, “We ain’t ever getting older.”
Well, Chainsmokers, from someone who also once insisted “I ain’t ever getting older,” reality catches up. One day, you’ll be mishearing lyrics, wondering “Wait, did they just say what?”
In the meantime, you can check out the official lyric video for “Closer,” viewed nearly two billion times. Maybe give it a listen and see if you ever misheard any lyrics. You might be surprised!
