Will I ever love the same way again?
Will I ever love somebody like the way I did you?
Never thought you’d be so damn hard to replace
I swear it don’t mean to be this way
If I can’t have you, is love completely off the table?
Do I sit this one out and wait for the next life?
Am I too cold, am I not nice?
Might not be quite yet healed already
Should I be going too steady
But I just wanna know, is love completely off the table?
Will you be there?
Can I still love you? (Can I, can I?)
Not yet healed already (Not ready)
Should I be going too steady (Too steady)
Just wanna know, is love completely off the table?
I’ll wait for you, even though it always feels like I’ll be number two
To someone you can’t hold anymore
If you let me in, I’m ready to give you what I couldn’t before
‘Cause I got you girl, let me help you through it
You’re trying to fill the void with a couple boys
I can see right through it
I can love you harder than I did before
Was in a dark place back then, I was toxic and then I was toxic to someone else
I was haunted by the hills, oh yeah
I couldn’t give you my all, but I will
If you let me in your arms
If you let me in your heart
I don’t think that love’s completely off the table
Will you be there? (Yes, I will be there for ya)
Can I still love you? (Yes, I been hurt before, before)
Not yet healed already (Not ready)
Should I be going too steady (Too steady)
Just wanna know, is love completely off the table?
So can you hold me?
If I let you, can you prove it to me?
‘Cause I need you to calm me down, babe
Gotta get out of my head
Trying to be here from this bed
Just wanna know, just wanna know know know, baby
Can you touch it like you believe in it, baby?
Let me think you never gonna leave on me, baby
‘Cause I ain’t her and you ain’t him thankfully
But it’s gon’ be hard to let someone else in again, babe
Will you be there? Will you be there?
(I’ll still wait, I’ll still wait for you baby)
Can I still love you?
Not yet healed already (Not ready)
Should I be going too steady (No, no, no)
Just wanna know, is love completely off the table?
I swear, I swear
I will wait for you whenever you need
Ooh-ooh
Exploring the Fragility of Love After Heartbreak
“off the table” by Ariana Grande, featuring The Weeknd, delves into the uncertainty and vulnerability that follows a deep emotional loss. The lyrics capture the hesitancy to open up to love again, with Grande questioning if she can ever experience a love as intense as her past. The song’s conversational structure, echoed in the back-and-forth between Grande and The Weeknd, highlights the inner conflict between wanting to move forward and the fear of being hurt again. The repeated questioning—”Is love completely off the table?”—reflects the universal struggle of healing and the hope that love can eventually be rediscovered.
Song Credits
“off the table” is performed by Ariana Grande featuring The Weeknd. The song was written by Ariana Grande, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd), Tommy Brown, Steven Franks, Shintaro Yasuda, and Travis Sayles. It was released in 2020 under Republic Records.