What does "Oh My God" by Alec Benjamin mean?
“Oh My God” Lyrics Meaning
Alec Benjamin’s most recent single is emotional and introspective. The narrator of the song-- whether it’s Alec or a character he has created (which he often does)-- is struggling with losing himself. It isn’t clear what has caused him to lose sight of his identity, but it seems to have slipped heart wrenchingly from his view.
“I didn’t know what I had, and I thought I had to leave”
Alec may not explain why the narrator let go of his identity, but part of that may be because he isn’t sure. This explanation makes the most sense, and would fit with the emotional haze that he experiences. If it is difficult for him to remember the person he has been for most of his life, it makes sense that he might have also forgotten what caused him to change so quickly in all the ways he didn’t want to.
Verse 1
Looking at the pictures I keep on my shelf
Cause it's been so long since I've looked like myself
Burn another candle down
Burn another candle down
Running low on patience, running now on fumes
I'm never gonna make it halfway to the moon
But it's too late to turn around
But it's too late to turn around
The narrator of “Oh My God’ is trying to remember the person he truly is by looking at old photos of himself. He spends so much time trying to rediscover himself in these pictures, that the candle he lit when he sat down has burned out. This loss of self is exhausting him. The “moon” that he is trying to reach represents whatever goal has caused him to lose sight of himself. He believes it’s “too late to turn” back now.
Pre-Chorus
I'm running out of oxygen
I'll never be the same again now
Same again now
The oxygen represents the remaining vestiges of his true self. Like someone in space who is too far out to return to earth, and not close enough to reach the moon, he feels suffocated as he loses what is left of his identity. He fears he will never be the same person he used to be again. The second pre-chorus is slightly different, but communicates the same feeling of helplessly drifting in space: “I’m running out of oxygen/ Can’t help but wish I’d stayed/ I’m lost just like Will Robinson/ A rocket man in space.”(Will Robinson is a character from the science fiction series Lost in Space.)
Chorus
Oh my god, I can't remember
Who I was just last December
What have I done, how did I get here?
What have I done?
Oh my god, look in the mirror
I was young, nothing to fear once
What have I done, how did I get here?
What have I done?
Suddenly, the narrator is forced to think about how much he has changed. He feels like a stranger to himself. Although it has only been a few months, he realizes that he can’t remember the person he was “just last December.” He knows he must have had a reason for giving up his identity, but now nothing seems worth sacrificing the “young” and fearless person he was.
Verse 2
Maybe I was foolish, I guess I was naive
I didn't know what I had, and I thought I had to leave
I wish that I was homeward bound
I wish that I was homeward bound
I'm searching for a signal, holding out my phone
Have I gone too far, am I on my own?
No one here to hold me now
No one here to hold me now
He speculates as to why he would ever want to forget the person he still is deep down. Maybe it was because he was “naive” and didn’t understand “what [he] had” or thought he needed to leave behind some of the best parts of himself to be successful or to live a full life. His new self has left him feeling alone, with “no one [t]here to hold [him] now.” If it’s possible, he hopes he can go back to the way he used to be, and escape the isolation he is experiencing as a result of this internal conflict.
Deeper Meaning of “Oh My God” by Alec Benjamin
Alec Benjmain’s new song is about someone wanting to return to a better, truer version of himself. Many people experience a moment like the one described here, on either a small or large scale: a moment of confusion at the person they are today, and how that image conflicts with who they truly are, and used to be. Often, internal or external pressure can cause people to change their thinking or behavior, and the change can take place so gradually that once someone notices it, it can feel overwhelming to go back to how they used to be (that overwhelming feeling is the focus of “Oh My God”). The good news is, it is more than possible to go back. The first step is recognizing that the change has happened, like Alec does with his lyrics here. Though the narrator can’t go back to “last December,” we can hope that by next December, he will feel like himself again.
