“Handlebars” by JENNIE & Dua Lipa

🎵 Song Details

📝 Lyric-by-Lyric Analysis & Meaning

[Chorus: JENNIE]

“I trip and fall in love / Just like a Tuesday drunk”
→ This simile captures the recklessness of falling in love — spontaneous, uncontrolled, and a bit foolish — like getting drunk in the middle of an ordinary week. It’s casual, unexpected, and risky.

“I always go all in, all in, all in / Over the handlebars”
→ She doesn’t love halfway — she plunges headfirst. “Over the handlebars” suggests losing control and crashing emotionally.

“Hitting the ground so hard / If I’m alone, fallin’, fallin’, fallin’”
→ The aftermath of that reckless love — heartbreak and solitude. The repetition of fallin’ mirrors the descent into emotional chaos.

“We ain’t gotta talk about it”
→ A deflection. She’s either avoiding confrontation or admitting this kind of love doesn’t require discussion — it’s messy and instinctive.

[Verse 1: JENNIE, Dua Lipa]

“Mercy / Why is it love is never kind to me?”
→ A plea, a moment of reflection. Love has consistently hurt her, and she wonders why it keeps repeating.

“I heard that fools rush in and, yeah, that’s me”
→ Referencing the famous adage. She knows she falls in love too quickly, but can’t seem to stop.

“It burns me time and time again / So why am I still fixing for this frying pan?”
→ Despite the painful patterns, she keeps returning. The frying pan metaphor reflects self-destructive longing — knowingly stepping into the heat again.

[Pre-Chorus: Dua Lipa & JENNIE]

“I wonder what you’re doing for tonight and forever”
→ Juxtaposing casual curiosity (tonight) with intense longing (forever) — a sign of how quickly affection can escalate.

“I could be the rest of your life or whatever”
→ Teasing tone — as if trying to play it cool, but still deeply romantic underneath.

“My lips and your lips, we could press them together / I don’t ever think twice, and, baby, that’s why…”
→ They act on impulse, not logic. This sets the emotional tone for the chorus: deep feelings + little caution.

[Chorus Reprise: JENNIE & Dua Lipa]

Same core lines, but now sung by both, highlighting shared vulnerability and showing that both women experience love as a beautiful disaster.

[Verse 2: Dua Lipa]

“Another round, another drink / I try to stop, but I can’t think”
→ The intoxication is emotional and literal — metaphor for being drunk on love. She’s lost in obsession.

“About anything else but you”
→ All-consuming affection.

“And I’m a little too buzzed on your love to play it cute”
→ She can’t pretend or play hard to get — love makes her emotionally uninhibited.

“A single kiss, I lost my mind for seven days and seven nights”
→ One small gesture has thrown her into a week-long emotional spiral — again, showing the deep impact of small acts of love.

“Can’t eat, sleep, baby, it’s true / Tryna bite my lip, I’m probably gonna slip / And say some crazy sh!t to you”
→ Physical and emotional spiraling. She’s trying to restrain herself, but love makes her unfiltered and impulsive.

[Outro]

“We ain’t gotta talk about / Na-na-na-na-na-na-na”
→ A catchy outro that echoes emotional denial or avoidance. It suggests that their love is instinctual, not intellectual — no explanations needed.

💔 Themes & Symbolism

❓ FAQs

❓ What is Handlebars a metaphor for?

“Handlebars” symbolizes control — or more accurately, the loss of it. Going “over the handlebars” means you’re flying forward, helpless, just like when you fall for someone without brakes or caution.

❓ Is this song about a specific relationship?

The lyrics are emotionally universal and not explicitly about a specific person, but fans speculate it may reflect personal experiences of both artists — known for high-profile romances and intense fan scrutiny.

❓ What genre is the song?

Electro-pop with dreamy R&B and synth textures. The beat is smooth, modern, and emotionally rich — perfectly balancing the song’s vulnerability with a club-ready edge.

❓ What’s the tone of the song?

Melancholic but vibrant. There’s a sense of emotional chaos and surrender — almost like dancing through heartbreak.

❓ What does “Tuesday drunk” mean?

Getting drunk on a Tuesday implies randomness, lack of self-control, and acting without justification — just like falling in love when you know you shouldn’t.

✅ Conclusion

“Handlebars” by JENNIE & Dua Lipa is a poetic, emotionally-driven exploration of falling recklessly in love. With vivid metaphors, honest confessions, and a dreamy, synth-pop backdrop, it paints the picture of two women spiraling into affection they can’t control. It’s bold, relatable, and haunting — a modern anthem for anyone who’s ever loved with their whole heart, even when it hurt.