It’ll be a Wednesday
And I’ll be going to this coffee shop
Hear the barista call an oat-milk latte and your name
And I look up from my phone
And think there’s no chance it’s you, but it is
You’ll say, “Hi”, I’ll say, “Hi. How are you?”
You’ll say, “How’s your family? How’s your sister?”
I’ll say, “Shannon’s being Shannon.”
After a minute of nonsensical chatter, you’ll say
“Well, this was really nice. Maybe we should do this on purpose sometime.”
And it’ll have been long enough that we won’t harp on (Mmm-hmm)
Arguments in your garage
All the ways we sabotaged it (Mmm-hmm)
What it was and what it wasn’t
We’ve been swimming on the edge of a cliff
I’m resistant, but going down with the ship
It’d be so nice, right? Right?
If we could take it all off and just exist
And skinny dip in water under the bridge
You’ll suggest a restaurant we used to go to
And I’ll say, “Won’t that be too nostalgic?”
And you’ll say, “Maybe, but let’s do it anyway”
We won’t sit at our same old table, I promise
And we won’t bring up the past, we’ll keep it bureaucratic
And we won’t say it
But both of us, we’ll be thinking about how different we are
From those scared little kids that had those (Mmm-hmm)
Arguments in your garage
All the ways we sabotaged it (Mmm-hmm)
What it was and what it wasn’t
We’ve been swimming on the edge of a cliff
I’m resistant, but going down with the ship
It’d be so nice, right? Right?
If we could take it all off and just exist
And skinny dip in water under the bridge
Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, ha
Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, ha
Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, ha
Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, ha
We’ve been swimming on the edge of a cliff
I’m resistant, but going down with the ship
It’d be so nice, right? Right?
If we could take it all off and just exist
And skinny dip in water under the bridge
Chance Encounters and Emotional Growth
“skinny dipping” by Sabrina Carpenter beautifully captures the bittersweet aftermath of a past relationship. The song opens with an imagined, serendipitous meeting at a coffee shop, setting a tone of nostalgia and gentle longing. Carpenter’s conversational storytelling pulls listeners into a world where ex-lovers navigate awkward small talk and memories, illustrating how time can blur the pain and sharpen the fondness for what once was.
Letting Go and Moving Forward
The recurring metaphor of “skinny dipping”—taking it all off and just existing—symbolizes vulnerability and the desire to move beyond emotional baggage. By reflecting on old arguments and the ways the relationship was sabotaged, the lyrics express a wish for genuine reconnection, free from past grievances. Ultimately, the song is about embracing change, personal growth, and the hope that healing can transform former pain into something gentle and new.
Song Credits
Artist: Sabrina Carpenter
Songwriters: Sabrina Carpenter, Julia Michaels, JP Saxe
Release Year: 2021
Label: Island Records