The song describes a relationship between an older man and a 17-year old girl. In the first verse, he tries to convince her to sleep with him despite knowing their relationship is wrong. Over time, the casual relationship becomes more serious as they start living together, causing him to realize she is too young for him. Throughout the song, he repeats the refrain "they're just girls" to remind himself not to get too attached, as she is still a teenager, while their growing involvement leads to arguments as he tells her they cannot continue and she should be with someone her own age.

1. Girls – The 1975
Lyric analysis

2. Bite your face to spite your nose
• Highlights her immaturity.
• She would ‘bite her face to spite her nose’
meaning she doesn’t understand the
consequences of her actions.

3. 17 and a half years old
• Highlights her age

4. Worrying about my brother finding out
• Suggests that their relationship is wrong.

5. What’s the fun in doing what you’re
told?
• Shows the rebellion involved in the
relationship.
• Also shows that he doesn’t really care for
other people’s opinions.

6. I said “No! Oh give it a rest, I could
persuade you, I’m not your typical
stoned 18 year old, give me a night I’ll
make you”
• Convincing the girl that sleeping with him is
the right thing to do as it will ‘make’ her.
• He is trying to convince her also that he is not
a ‘typical’ boy.

7. “I know you’re looking for salvation in
the secular age, but girl I’m not your
savior”
• Saying that he cannot be the one to save her.
• Suggests their relationship would be light
hearted/not too serious.

8. Wrestle to the ground
• Sexual connotation, they sleep together.

9. God help me now because
• He knows that by sleeping with her he has
gotten in too deep with her.

10. (Chorus) They’re just girls breaking
hearts, eyes bright, uptight, just girls.
• He reminding himself that he shouldn’t get in
too deep because at the end of the day she is
just a girl.
• Highlights age again, she’s not a woman, she’s
a girl.

11. But she can’t be what you need if she’s
17
• Again highlights her age.
• Again reminding himself not to get in too deep
with this girl.
• She is young and immature and she is not
what he needs.

12. They’re just girls, They’re just girls
• Again showing her immaturity.
• Reminding himself they’re just young and not
to get too serious.

13. A pair of frozen hands to hold
• He doesn’t have warm feelings towards her,
he is being cold towards her.

14. Oh she’s so southern so she’s feels the
cold
• She can tell that he isn’t feeling the same.
• This could have two meanings because it
could also mean that she is southern – and it
is warmer down south – so she can feel how
cold he is. This highlights differences between
them.

15. One moment I was tearing off your
blouse, now you’re living in my house,
what happened to just messing
around?
• The relationship has gotten to serious.
• He realises that it is no longer just sex, it is
now much more serious.

16. I said “Yo, I think you better go; I can’t
take you”
• Arguments are starting to arise in the
relationship.
• Again showing that it has gotten very serious
between them.

17. “You just sit and get stoned with 30
year olds and you think you’ve made
it”
• Showing her immaturity again.
• This is all she cares about.
• She has attention from older men and she
thinks that this means she is doing well in life.

18. “Well, shouldn’t you be fucking with
somebody your age instead of making
changes”
• He is trying to convince her to change her
lifestyle choices.
• Could also be him trying to get her to stop
seeing him because he is older and she should
be enjoying her youth.

19. Wrestle to the ground, god help me
now because
• Same as previous

20. They’re just girls breaking hearts
Eye’s bright, uptight, just girls
But she can’t be what you need if she’s
17
They’re just girls
They’re just girls

21. I told her from the start, destined to
be hard, I told her from the start, I’ll
break your heart, destined to be hard,
I’ll break your heart
• Putting the blame off himself that it didn’t
work out.
• He told her that it wasn’t going to work and
that it was going to be hard, she shouldn’t of
been with him in the first place.

22. I said “Yo, I think you better go; I can’t
take you”
• Again arguments are happening within the
relationship.

23. “I know you’re looking for salvation in
the secular age, but girl I’m not your
savior”
• Different from earlier in the song, this time it
is in the argument so holds different meaning.
• This time it is said more angrily.
• She is looking to him to save her from herself
and he is saying that he is not her savior and
he cannot look after her like she wants him to.

24. “Well shouldn’t you be fucking with
somebody your age instead of making
changes?”
• Same as we heard previously in the song, has
same meaning.

25. Wrestle to the ground
God help me now because,
They’re just girls breaking hearts,
Eyes bright, uptight, just girls
But she can’t be what you need if she’s 17
They’re just girls,
They’re just girls.
They’re just girls breaking hearts,
Eye’s bright, uptight, just girls
But she can’t be what you need if she’s 17,
They’re just girls,
They’re just girls.
Cause they’re just girls…
Just girls, they’re just girls..