During the One Act Plays in May 2023 one of my good friends, Shawna, sent me a lengthy list of songs to listen to. Every single one of the songs were by the artist Tame Impala (Kevin Parker). It has now been five months and, thanks to Shawna, Tame Impala is my second most listened to artist on Spotify. That list of songs included the track “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” which happens to be my favorite song by him. So, per-usual, I’m going to give you the rundown on what everything means.
I can just hear them now
“How could you let us down?”
But they don’t know what I found
This is the first few lines of the song. This can be interpreted in a few ways. In the first line what I think Parker is trying to say is “I can feel it coming,” or “I know they’re gonna say this.” It’s definitely a line that overthinkers relate to because they think of every possible situation. Then the line, “Well they don’t know what I found.” Is the person trying to justify their actions before they were even comforted about it.
Feel like a brand-new person
But you’ll make the same old mistakes
Well, I don’t care, I’m in love
Next we have the beginning of the first chorus. These are the lines that are most well known; if you don’t know the song, there’s still a good chance you’ve heard these lines. This line can be interpreted as explaining how being in love can make you feel like a new person. Even if you’re not and you make the same old mistakes. When you’re under the influence of love, it’s easy to be blind to the fact that you haven’t changed that much because you’re so infatuated with the other person.
Feel like a brand-new person
But you’ll make the same old mistakes
I finally know what it’s like
Here we have the second part of the first chorus. With the last line, “I finally know what it’s like.” I interpret it as the person changed so much but they accepted that their flaws will always be the same.
And I know it seems wrong to accept
But you’ve got your demons, and she’s got her regrets
This line is from the second verse of the song. This kind of loops back to being in love ,because when you’re in love, it’s quite easy to think that the other person doesn’t have any flaws. It’s easy to be under the impression that the other person is perfect, when nobody is actually perfect.
Feel like a brand-new person
So, how will I know that it’s right?
In a new direction
So, how will I know I’ve gone too far?
To close out, we have the last chorus. Personally, this is my favorite part of the song. This is a bit of a different take than the other parts of the song. I stated that the other lines are all about love, which I do believe, but I also believe that this song is about being scared to try something new. This goes back to what I said about overthinking with the lines “How will I know that it’s right?” and “How will I know I’ve gone too far?” It’s a matter of not wanting to embark on something new because you aren’t aware of every possible outcome. Parker is asking “how will I know? What should I do?” Especially the line “In a new direction,” that is Parker confirming that he is in a new place, he is a new person.
As I stated at the beginning of this article, Tame Impala is my second most streamed artist on Spotify (first is Taylor Swift). I’m going to be honest, if you asked me in April who my favorite artists were, Tame Impala would not be in the mix. But I was wrong. So I will leave you with two things. Number one: Shawna if you’re reading, hellooo thanks for introducing to this man (and respond to my Snap). Number two: Kevin Parker. Tame Impala. PLEASE come to New Jersey. Please.
