Eventually

Album: Currents (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker mining the breakdown of a relationship. The band performed it live for the first time at Levitation (the festival formerly known as Austin Psych Fest) on May 8, 2015. "First show of the tour, it was crazy," Parker told NME of the event. "I didn't know we were headlining until a couple of hours before, and I was flattered to know that we were held in such regard in the psych world. It's always been a privilege to be a part of psychedelic music - it means people who get stoned and put on music, choose to put on your music! We were just happy to get through it without anything catastrophic happening. We literally started learning the song a few days before. It was pretty fresh."
  • Parker explained to NME that this psych popper tackles the struggle of "knowing that you have to leave something, that you've gotta move on, knowing you're about to damage someone, and the only consolation is that a long time in the future, it's going to be OK. It's going to work itself out."
  • "Eventually" is a breakup song told from the side of the person who wants out. "I find there's a lot of poetry, art and songs singing about the plight of someone with someone changing in front of them," explained Parker to The Guardian. "It excited me to tell the story from the other side. Trying to explain that it's not a bad thing, its just natural."

    "'Eventually' is a song about someone who knows they're about to damage someone," he continued. "They're not going to be the one experiencing the pain that's dealt. They're the one dealing it. Arguably, it's just as emotionally crippling knowing that you're gonna do that. It's just as heavy. It's just as torturous."

Comments: 2

  • Boma Somieari from Burlington NcI was in a very toxic relationship of 13 years, I only stayed for the sake of my step kids and the fear of the trauma it would inflict upon them knowing there father no longer lives under the same roof..needless to say my 14 year old stepson wrote me a letter and I was instructed to listen to this song as I read the letter. Basically my son told me dad it’s okay if you need to move on and that he sees the hurt and pain his mother has caused..long story short we are no longer together and I’m still heavily involved with the kids. Until this day I smile with joy when I hear this song..Thanks Tames Impala you really help pull through a difficult journey!
  • Claire Griffiths from Derby UkThis song was played at my ex husbands funeral back in February 2020. He was sadly murdered on New Year’s Day by his new partners ex husband. Our teenage daughter very carefully chose this song as she used to listen to Tame impala with her dad often but somehow the lyrics have such a deeper meaning and fit so deeply with how she wanted to verbalise her feelings. my ex husband did suffer with his mental health and at times did think we would be happier without him and he would happier gone. It takes a lot of strength for me to listen to this song now but every time I do I get goosebumps and feel tremendous calm. Thank you Tame Impala for giving us this
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.