What does Happy Little Pill mean?

Troye Sivan: Happy Little Pill Meaning

Album cover for Happy Little Pill album cover

Song Released: 2014


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Happy Little Pill Lyrics

In the crowd alone
And every second passing reminds me I’m not whole
Bright lights and city sounds are ringing like a drone
Unknown, unknown

Oh, glazed eyes, empty hearts
Buying happy from shopping carts
Nothing but time to kill
Sipping...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Oct 23rd 2014 !⃝

    I'm actually not completely anonymous, if you catch my drift. Anyway, I think this song is either about anti-depressants, combined with social anxiety, along with being in a relationship. The first line,"In the crowd alone" is sort of like a social anxiety reference, because in the midst of an attack, you're all alone in a huge crowd of people. No one will help you, because you're not in the right state of mind, and can't speak. Then, of course, there's the "buying happy from shopping carts" line. This is likely about over-the-counter drugs that can be used to overdose on, and since the person is suicidal, they will soon be "happy", no longer living their stressful, depressed lifestyle. The relationship part comes into play in the lines, "dry my eyes" and "bring color to my skies". To a person on medication (or a drug user), the drug makes the pain go away and allows the color to "come back", as if he/she were seeing everything in black and white, which is how it feels when one is depressed. However, their partner also dries their tears and puts color in their life. In a sense, I think the person wants to overdose, but the happy little pill represents both the actual pill, and their significant other. The person cannot decide whether or not they want to die or continue living.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jan 20th 2015 !⃝

    My interpretation of Happy Little Pill is that Troye wrote this song so everyone takes it differently. So one person who may be depressed takes it as a song describing their life as another that has a person that "brings colors to [their] skies" as another that had recovered from depression views it as their journey. I feel as thought there is no one meaning to the song, that Troye wrote this song with such deep lyrics so everyone in their own life experiences take it as they please.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Oct 28th 2014 !⃝

    If you listen to Tyler Oakley's Podcast, which is a good friend of Troye Sivan, Troye talks about what the song is about.. He wrote this about a friend while they were still in highschool. It's about depression, and being addicted to antidepressants because they make you numb, you no longer feel the pain you did before..

  4. anonymous
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    Dec 14th 2020 !⃝

    in my interpretation, this song is about ecstasy.
    the song describes the numbing sensation on the skin, the way the skies light up when you’re high and about how the drug suppresses appetite.
    “numb my skin”
    “bring colour to my skies”
    “take my hunger”
    it also obviously suggests that this pill is making him happy, which is the main thing ecstasy does, hence its name.

  5. anonymous
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    May 4th 2020 !⃝

    This probably isn't what Troye meant when he wrote this song, but for me this song is talking about how we have ways to cope with crap, whether it be a person, a situation, or, like in my case, just life in general. Sometimes these things we do aren't too bad, like eating chocolate or something like that, but other times they are really unhealthy, like cutting or drugs or sex. I think the song is saying we know they are bad, but we don't feel like there is any better option out there, so we continue to use these things numb the pain.

  6. anonymous
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    Nov 6th 2017 !⃝

    its about how a rich person, who is an addict, possibly antidepressants. the song mentions bodyguards, so maybe a celebrity. it describes how someone so famous and rich is always feeling incomplete and the only thing that can make them happy is that pill

  7. Skyewolf13
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    Apr 3rd 2017 !⃝

    I believe it's about mental illness...and how some people choose to deal with it. Alcohol..pills..drugs...and so much more.

  8. anonymous
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    Feb 15th 2017 !⃝

    There is no meaning to "Happy Little Pill" by Troye Sivan. I'm guessing he wants us to interpret it as how we see it. I'm also guessing that the way he sees it is how he describes his mother. I honestly can relate to him. I've had someone very close to me (almost like a father figure) die. He commit suicide and now his wife is drinking and won't stop. I'm listening to this song right now, and every time it replays and I think I have an answer, it flip-flops and I redo my thinking. I've been cutting and hoping it will make me feel better, but nothing changed. (Don't worry, I don't use knives like other people. I use scissors.) Because of this, I have to go to therapy sessions AND go to the guidance counselor at my school. Honestly, I really can relate to this song. Anyone who is like me out there, we will get through this. Put your trust and your friends and ask them for help. But you can't put all the work on their shoulders, so do a little by thinking about positive things instead of the negative.

  9. anonymous
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    May 18th 2016 !⃝

    I think he said it wa about his mom because his mom took a drug, sounds like adderall or vivanse, which I have taken because of ADD and depression because my mother passed when I was very young. I was eventually taken off if it though, because I lost 10 pounds, it's also an spirited depressant. I now take another ADD med and an antidepressant, but neither really works. This brings me to another amazing thing about this song: it's a song, and I now find peace and joy in music. It works better and is safer than any antidepressant, and I think that's the hidden point Troye Sivan was hiding in this song. Absolutely brilliant.

    Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi have a YouTube channel called Superfruit and they did a gorgeous cover of this song.
    Thanks for reading!

  10. anonymous
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    Apr 1st 2016 !⃝

    I thought from the title that it was about suicide, but after listening to it, I think it is about antidepressants and how they make you feel. I have (and still do) had depression and suicidal thoughts and many times I have wanted to take my own life (overdosing) but as I've never told anyone other than friends, I haven't taken antidepressants.

  11. anonymous
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    Dec 9th 2015 !⃝

    This song is about the prescription drug Adderall. it is used as an antidepressant and also for treating ADD and to prevent obesity. It is a highly addictive drug that makes you very jittery and gives you feels of euphoria when used recreationally. While high you feel as if you aren't even present in the real world (Depersonalization & Derealization). Your skin is numb and you cannot sleep, you cannot stop talking and sweating is common. People describe a sensation of floating while also feeling body heavy, the feeling of time dissipates and you are left unknowing of time spans. Once the effects wear off- you are at an emotionally numb state where you can feel nothing, almost zombie like, causing you to go back to the pill for feeling alive again.

    "My happy little pill
    Take me away
    Dry my eyes
    Bring color to my skies
    My sweet little pill
    Tame my hunger
    Lie within
    Numb my skin"

    "Like a rock I float
    Sweat and conversations seep into my bones
    Four walls are not enough
    I'll take a dip into the
    Unknown, unknown"

    "Oh, glazed eyes, empty hearts
    Buying happy from shopping carts
    Nothing but time to kill
    Sipping life from bottles
    Tight skin, bodyguards
    Gucci down the boulevard
    Cocaine, dollar bills
    And my happy little pill"

  12. anonymous
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    Dec 2nd 2015 !⃝

    I'm listening to the song write now, and I think it's about people who get addicted to drugs and become addicted. It's an amazing song, and honestly it feels it also could be about wealthy people who have addiction problems. It mentions a lot of expensive things, so it could be about someone famous or rich who isn't happy..

  13. anonymous
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    Nov 15th 2015 !⃝

    Whoever Troye is referring to, they're an antidepressant addict. They use the anti-depressants so much that they don't feel anything anymore. "Numb my skin". It's almost as if they forgot who they are. "Glazed eyes, empty hearts". Having glazed eyes means that you either are staring off into space, or that you've been restless at night. "Every second passing reminds me I'm not home". Every second that passes reminds the person of the life they used to live, and their old home and connected lifestyle.

  14. anonymous
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    Oct 19th 2015 !⃝

    He says that My Happy Little Pill he is referring to his mom. It's unclear how or why though.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEWHF3E9YJQ

  15. anonymous
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    Oct 19th 2015 !⃝

    In a interview Troye Sivan said it was about his mom it's unclear how it was about his mom though.

  16. tranhtinkerrice
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    Jul 19th 2015 !⃝

    I think it's about someone whose been depressed and they don't know what to do, confused, and so they just do drugs to make themselves feel "happier" and keep their mind off of things..

  17. anonymous
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    May 12th 2015 !⃝

    when I first herd this song I was in love it made me feel a lot of ways happy, sad, angry, alone, graceful but all at different times it made me reflect on different things in my life when Troye sings this song he makes everything seem okay like nothing is wrong that's why I love troye "my happy little pill" can be anything that makes you happy" or feel okay I believe this song could be about depression but everyone has gone throw that sad period in there life and troye helped people understand that it was okay -leggy

  18. ThinkingForever
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    May 12th 2015 !⃝

    This song it's about depression and the effects of the antidepressant on your system.

    You try the best you can to supress the internal pain, with cocaine and alcohol, who can make you feel alive. But the effect of the pill, it's of nothingness. You stop crying, and feeling sorrowful, because the pill "dries your eyes" and can give you the illusion of "happiness", makes you lose appetite and slowly changes you and it actually makes you so numb you feel like an empty case, and the feeling of nothing, nor happy or sad, it's the effect. It's like not having a soul. Troye portraits it perfectly.

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