It starts with a simple, lonely piano melody. Joji’s voice drops in, barely a whisper, and suddenly you’re thinking about your ex. You’re not alone. When 88rising released "Glimpse of Us" in June 2022, it didn't just climb the charts; it basically triggered a global emotional crisis. The A Glimpse of Us lyrics tell a story that is brutally honest about something most people are too ashamed to admit: being with someone perfect while still being haunted by someone else.
The song is a paradox. It is a love song, but it’s a devastating one. It’s a ballad about a "perfect" girl, yet she’s the one losing.
The Brutal Honesty of the Opening Verse
Joji sets the scene with a chilling level of mundanity. He talks about his current partner. She’s great. She "smooths the edges" and "shines a light." Honestly, she sounds like a dream. She’s the person you’re supposed to end up with—the one who fixes the things you broke.
But then, the lyrics take a sharp turn. He’s looking for a "glimpse" of his past in her eyes. It’s a specific kind of cruelty. He isn't saying his new girlfriend is bad. He’s saying she isn't her.
Think about the line: "She'd take the world off my shoulders if it was ever hard to move." That's high praise. It's the kind of stability most people spend their entire lives searching for. Yet, the song suggests that stability is actually a problem. It’s too easy. It lacks the chaos and the specific spark of the previous relationship. This is a common psychological phenomenon—the "trauma bond" or the "unresolved grief" that makes a healthy relationship feel boring or "wrong" simply because it doesn't hurt.
Why A Glimpse of Us Lyrics Hits Different
Most breakup songs are about the breakup itself. They’re about the screaming matches, the cheating, or the "I miss you" texts at 3:00 AM. Joji went a different way. He wrote about the aftermath of "moving on" before you’re actually ready.
The chorus is where the knife really twists. "Cause sometimes I look in her eyes and that's where I find a glimpse of us."
👉 See also: Kate Moss Family Guy: What Most People Get Wrong About That Cutaway
When he says "us," he isn't talking about himself and the girl he's currently holding. He's talking about a ghost. The tragedy isn't that he’s alone; it’s that he’s with someone else and still feels alone. It’s a betrayal of the present moment.
The Composition of a Heartbreak
Musically, the song stays out of its own way. Produced by Connor McDonough, the track is remarkably sparse. No heavy 808s. No complex synth layers. Just a piano and a vocal. This was a massive departure from Joji's previous work on Nectar, which often featured more polished, pop-leaning production.
By stripping everything back, the A Glimpse of Us lyrics are forced into the spotlight. You can’t hide from the words. You can hear the slight rasp in his voice, the way he breathes between lines. It feels like a confession caught on a voice memo.
The Psychological Weight of the Bridge
The bridge is often the emotional peak of a Joji song, and this one is no exception. "Said I'm fine and said I moved on, I'm only here passing the time in her arms."
That’s a heavy confession. "Passing the time."
Imagine being the "perfect" girl in this scenario. You're doing everything right. You're supportive, you're loving, and you're there. But to the person you love, you are just a placeholder. You are a human band-aid.
✨ Don't miss: Blink-182 Mark Hoppus: What Most People Get Wrong About His 2026 Comeback
This resonates because it taps into a universal fear: the fear of being someone's second choice, or worse, their distraction. The lyrics suggest a sense of guilt, but also a sense of helplessness. He wants to love the new girl. He tries to. But the "glimpse" keeps pulling him back.
Comparing Glimpse of Us to the Ballads of the Past
We’ve seen this theme before, but rarely this dark. Adele’s "Hello" is about reaching out to an ex. Taylor Swift’s "Back to December" is about regret. But Joji's track is darker because it involves a third party who is innocent.
It reminds me of the concept of "limerence," a term coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in the 1970s. It describes an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated. Even when a person is in a stable relationship, limerence for a past flame can act like a ghost in the room.
The song doesn't offer a resolution. It doesn't end with him leaving the new girl or going back to the old one. It just ends with the realization.
The Viral Impact and Why It Matters
You couldn't open TikTok in late 2022 without hearing that piano riff. The song became a "trend," but not in the usual way. People used it to share their own stories of the "one that got away."
It sparked a massive conversation about "the right person at the wrong time."
🔗 Read more: Why Grand Funk’s Bad Time is Secretly the Best Pop Song of the 1970s
Some critics argued the song was "toxic." And, well, yeah. It is. It describes a toxic emotional state. But art isn't always meant to be a moral compass; it’s meant to be a mirror. The A Glimpse of Us lyrics mirror a very real, very ugly part of the human experience that we usually keep buried in our journals.
What People Get Wrong About the Meaning
A common misconception is that the song is about a girl who cheated or a relationship that ended badly. If you listen closely, there’s no evidence of that. In fact, the "us" he’s looking for seems like it might have been just as flawed as he is now.
The nostalgia filter is a powerful thing. It wipes away the fights and the reasons why things ended, leaving only the "glimpse" of the highs. He isn't necessarily missing a person; he’s missing a feeling that he hasn't been able to replicate.
Actionable Takeaways from the Song's Themes
If you find yourself relating a little too hard to these lyrics, it might be time for some introspection. Life isn't a Joji song, and staying in a "placeholder" relationship isn't fair to anyone involved.
- Acknowledge the Ghost: If you’re looking for a "glimpse" of an ex in your current partner, you haven't fully processed the previous breakup. Grief isn't linear.
- Stop Comparing Highs to Constants: A new, healthy relationship will never feel like the chaotic "highs" of a past obsession. Don't mistake peace for boredom.
- Practice Radically Honest Communication: You don't have to tell your partner they're a "placeholder," but you should be honest with yourself about why you're there.
- Seek Professional Closure: Sometimes we can't close the door ourselves. Therapy can help disentangle the "glimpse" from reality.
The power of the A Glimpse of Us lyrics lies in their ability to articulate the unspoken. It’s a masterpiece of melancholia that reminds us that moving on isn't just about finding someone new—it's about letting go of the version of yourself that existed with someone else.
The song leaves us in that gray area. No happy ending. No dramatic exit. Just a man sitting at a piano, wondering if he’ll ever see the world through his own eyes again, rather than through the lens of a memory. It's haunting, it's beautiful, and it's exactly why Joji remains one of the most compelling artists of this decade.
Check your own motives. Are you truly present, or are you just passing the time?