Ribbons

While most of the songs on Lemonboy are fairly recent, “Ribbons” has been with me for over a decade. I wrote it when I was around 18 or 19, reflecting on the doubts, fears, and comforts that keep us tethered in place when we otherwise crave some sort of momentum.

Life’s obstacles often feel obvious; they’re sharp, jagged, and hard. Sometimes, though, what holds us back is soft and beautiful—so gentle we hardly notice how tightly we’re bound. In these times, what holds us in place feels less obvious. It can be the quiet fear of the unknown. It can be the temptation to remain in the space that is known. It’s a choice that’s simply waiting to be made.

Pursuing Lemonboy was the greatest step out of my comfort zone I’ve ever taken, so it felt only fitting to include this song in this collection. This project is so deeply rooted in themes of identity and self-discovery and, at least to me, “Ribbons” captures the moment of hesitation just before you push past fear into growth and something new.