Inspiration can strike anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. However, when it comes to music, the possibilities are endless. In Harry Styles’ third studio album, Harry’s House, his 13 tracks have received all kinds of interpretations as to what inspired the emotional weight the music carries. A particular song that stands out within this project is its seventh track, “Matilda,” written by Styles, Thomas Hull, Amy Allen, Tyler Johnson and produced by frequent collaborator Kid Harpoon and Johnson. For nearly 4 years after the album’s release, I had truly believed that my own interpretation of the song had no correlation with the approach the musician took.
In my mind, the track, which focuses on the singer’s perspective of a young woman from a dysfunctional family, was a reference to the famous eponymous story by Roald Dahl. While some people have yet to read the book, the story is mostly known for the Danny DeVito film adaptation from 1996.
While researching for this article, I discovered that Styles indeed addressed the correlation. According to an interview he did for Apple Music while promoting the album, Harry Styles mentioned:
“I had an experience with someone where, in getting to know them better, they revealed some stuff to me that was very much like, ‘Oh, that’s not normal, like I think you should maybe get some help or something.’ This song was inspired by that experience and person, who I kind of disguised as Matilda from the Roald Dahl book. I played it to a couple of friends and all of them cried. So I was like, ‘Okay, I think this is something to pay attention to.’ It’s a weird one, because with something like this, it’s like, ‘I want to give you something, I want to support you in some way, but it’s not necessarily my place to make it about me because it’s not my experience.’ Sometimes it’s just about listening. I hope that’s what I did here. If nothing else, it just says, ‘I was listening to you.’”
Styles’ purpose for the track became an outlet to express the love he feels for this unnamed loved one. The helplessness that one can feel when witnessing a friend deteriorate under the doom and gloom of a dysfunctional family or relationship is simply devastating. They say pain can be transformed through art, and the mere act of carrying that transformation possesses more power than one can imagine. Delicate situations such as these may be relatable, which is why the song works well for listeners such as you and I.
Now… you may be wondering, what exactly ties this song to the Dahl story? Let’s take a closer look at the track’s lyricism for a thorough analysis.
The song begins with the following verses:
“You were riding your bike to the sound of ’It’s No Big Deal’
And you’re trying to lift off the ground on those old two wheels
Nothing ’bout the way that you were treated ever seemed especially alarming till now
So you tie up your hair and you smile like it’s no big deal” (Source: Genius)
Quite a tame beginning to contemplate over the track’s kickoff. Said tameness also holds a degree of innocence that parallels how Matilda’s story also starts, with a young girl brushing off the severity of the situation and marching on. “Lifting off the ground on those old two wheels” may refer to the critical conditions in which both Matilda from the book and this song’s character are burdened with duties that no child should bear, facing pressure that does not belong to them.
The parallelisms continue in the chorus, in which Styles croons:
“You can let it go
You can throw a party full of everyone you know
And not invite your family ’cause they never showed you love
You don’t have to be sorry for leavin’ and growin’ up, mmm”
While these verses may represent a more relevant reference to a contextual environment only Styles as a songwriter and person is aware of, they also allude to Matilda’s conflicting guilt and desire to build a new life outside of her biological family. In the story, Matilda forges a profound connection with her schoolteacher Miss Honey, who assumes the role of a maternal figure that she lacked prior to attending school. “They never showed you love” could allude to the possible scenario of abuse, whether it’s physical or, in this case, verbal and psychological.
Shortly after, Styles sings the following verses;
“Matilda, you talk of the pain like it’s all alright
But I know that you feel like a piece of you’s dead insidе
You showed me a power that is strong еnough to bring sun to the darkest days
It’s none of my business, but it’s just been on my mind”
More often than not, victims or survivors of long-term abuse tend to normalize the circumstances they find themselves in, even if they’re aware of the horrors of the situation. This behavior may be interpreted in the first line. The second line, however, where Styles sings about “a piece of her being dead inside” may refer to a numbness that develops over time from said abuse. In Matilda’s case, the neglect her biological family showed her was so severe that she was prohibited from attending school until she’d begged for it so much that she “became a nuisance.”
Before school, Matilda had to raise and educate herself on basic skills around the house as well as intellectual skills like reading, writing, and mathematical analyses. Being “dead inside” meant never embracing their childhood so they could survive as a human being. As for the power, it can be interpreted as possessing optimism through a cloud of hostility or as Matilda’s literal power of telekinesis and advanced intelligence, which were gifts she’d adapted to use for good… mostly.
As the song continues, the chorus repeats itself, but this time, it expands, enriching the story of the titular character as well as deepening the parallels between her and the Matilda from Dahl’s story. Styles sings in the chorus:
“You can let it go
You can throw a party full of everyone you know
And not invite your family ’cause they never showed you love
You don’t have to be sorry for leavin’ and growin’ up
You can see the world, following the seasons
Anywhere you go, you don’t need a reason
‘Cause they never showed you love
You don’t have to be sorry for doin’ it on your own”
This second chorus emphasizes Styles’ stance as the supportive friend who justifies his advice on urging her to leave that troubled past behind. Through the lens of Matilda, I interpret it as the film and book protagonist having support from her loved ones (Miss Honey as well as her friends Lavender, Bruce, etc.) to seek enlightenment and peace far away from the only home she’s ever known. Perhaps the parallel deviates on the last line, where there is a clear separation between Matilda, the song’s subject, and Matilda, the fictional character. The former is a grown woman with full autonomy to embrace the consequences of her decisions while the latter is a child with little autonomy who can’t be encouraged to be alone since an adult figure must be able to raise, feed, educate, and provide her the life she’s always wished for.
The bridge and final chorus provide a hopeful message, delightfully wrapping the ending in the following lyrics:
“You’re just in time, make your tea and your toast
You framed all your posters and dyed your clothes, ooh
You don’t have to go
You don’t have to go home
Oh, there’s a long way to go
I don’t believe that time will change your mind
In other words, I know they won’t hurt you anymore
As long as you can let them go
You can let it go
You can throw a party full of everyone you know
You can start a family who will always show you love
You don’t have to be sorry for doin’ it on your own
You can let it go
You can throw a party full of everyone you know
You can start a family who will always show you love
You don’t have to be sorry, no”
Repetition is key in this poignant song. Not only is it a source of validation for whoever the song is dedicated to, but it also marks a strong emphasis that sometimes biological families aren’t always one’s true family. A found family has just as much value as long as they provide a child strength, food, shelter, support, and love. If there’s anything that this song reminds us is that children, and people, seek love before and above all else. Humans aren’t born into this world knowing what evil and cruelty are. Just as any skill and lesson, they’re taught and harnessed. If love is taught from the very beginning, that child may become a radiance of light as an adult, just as both Matildas hope to grow as.