u/Afraid-Result1379

Instead of silly stan wars let's actually talk about the music 🎶

BETTING FOLK - on Zayns new album KONNAKOL

****edit to clarify that when I'm talking about "he" and "him" I just mean the protagonist of the song, the point of view in the song, not Zayn himself because I'm trying to get the vibe of the song and relate to it not figure out the details of his private life lol

This song has grown on me so much! The surreal dream like quality and the ease of it. My parents are from yorkshire and this has some northern phrases and sentiment.

"Brought me down, went over town
Broke my heart, didn't make sound
And my feet weren't there
When I hit the ground
I swear I seen that yesterday
Lift me up, I fall again
Lightening strike the same place again

Holding on
I let it go, leave it for the betting folk
You don't do, you never know"

I think this is about someone bringing him down and spreading the talk all over town. This was unexpected (feet werent there when he hit the ground, it floored him, he did not hit the ground running) and broke his heart. "I swear i seen that yesterday" cracks me up as it makes me think of an unexpected stumble - whoops a fookin daisey! There's a few meanings possible for the next bit. This broke his heart but he didn't make a sound, or talk about it. Or they broke his heart because they didn't make a sound , didn't speak up for him?

The relationship is on off but it sounds like sounds like he's surprised. The odds were good for them, but lightening struck the same place twice, which has almost no chance of happening. So why did it happen, why? Because he can't figure out why, he's holding on.

Maybe he's holding on because he's trying to understand why it didn't work out. How can he have a relationship work in future if he doesn't know why he couldn't make this one work. But in the end he decides to leave it to the betting folk, because if you don't do you never know. Meaning the only way to learn is through experience.

Leave it to the betting folk is a yorkshire saying that means "who knows". Its saying you can't control some things, but more than that if you think you know ahead of time you're probably a bit foolish. ie Do you think I'll get the job?... leave it to the betting folk you've done all you can.

"Try but it ain't easy leaning all the way out
Come and hit this weed, won't you kiss me on clouds
Swimming though seas with trees right now
Tracing your shadow, shadow"

It's not easy being vulnerable and leaning all the way out. And then we are into a Jimi Hendrix trippy bit. Hitting the weed and kissing in clouds rather than kissing the sky! I see some dislike for the "swimming through seas with trees right now" lyric but I love it. I immediately visualized swimming  in very deep ocean amoungst a kelp forrest. Tracing your shadow could have several meanings. Often the case with Zayn. Could be trying to figure out how that relationship effecting him, the shadow of it. Could be that he's high and is thinking it through. A visual of swimming underwater following the shadow of someone swimming on the surface comes to my mind.

"Tell me once
Fool me twice
Broke my heart
Didn't try to fight
And you weren't there when I needed light
What is wrong, what is right, no advice, set the vibe
Dim the light and play house again

Holding on
Let it go
Leave it for the betting folk
You don't do, you never know"

I really like the tell me once fool me twice line. It seems a play on Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I think it's saying that this person said they loved him and he believed her and gave her another chance but was let down again. This person was not there for him, they weren't when he needed light. When he needed truth? When he needed help?

But they wanted to "Dim the light and play house again." Just don't look to hard and pretend things are OK. It's really interesting how he plays with light and shadow in these lyrics. And light and shadow is a recurring them on the album as well as the elements.

The song pairs a lightness especially with the ba daa bada da da das with some introspective thoughts.

It feels like he's done trying to understand and is just going to let it go and feels lighter for it.

This is my response to the lyrics. Is it what Zayn intended or a reflection of his real life  we can never know and its less important than our own response anyway.

If you've got to the end, congratulations! Love your thoughts