"Concrete" by Ethel Cain (Unreleased)

Still from Youtube Video

"Concrete" is an unreleased song by Ethel Cain. There are no official lyrics so I'll be going off this reddit post with some of them. The video above is just someone who looped the lyrics to make it longer, and added some production. (Parataxis in italics.)

As far as I know about this song, it might be related to the canon of Ethel Cain's story. It definitely would fit as part of Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" because of the lyrics and how, honestly, male-centered they are. "But I wonder if you want her / in the way, way, way I wish you would need me" Is the main line that sticks out to me for the idea that this could fit in with the lore of Ethel Cain. It also reads like a mistress who is attached to the married man they are saying, almost like "Stay" by Sugarland, a country song that is about being the mistress to a married man and being sad about it. The lead singer of Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles, has also commented that she wrote that song in one sitting from the viewpoint of the mistress from Reba McEntire's "Whoever's in New England" which is a wife talking about her unfaithful husband.

It almost reads like Ethel wishes this man wanted her more than another girl, possibly Holly from the song "F*ck Me Eyes". I lean more towards the idea that this is her just desperate for the attention of this man, but he is already in a relationship. There's another lyric in this that alludes to more of an unfaithful partner.

"When she calls, and you pace / Saying, 'Baby, don't wait up late'" This makes it even more about being with a married/partnered man as Ethel is acknowledging that this man has a partner who is being lied to. I think if this is about Ethel Cain as a character, it shows her in a different light, because she's fine with being the mistress. In the lyric I quoted earlier, she doesn't even know if he truly wants her; "I wish you would need me"

The word "concrete" has meaning in this song, somewhat. It's basically just used as a means of her expressing her loyalty to this man.

She'll be there like concrete. Concrete is man-made though. I wonder why she used concrete specifically. It might have to do with it being man-made. It might have to do with it being able to break.

There is not much author insight on this song either, as Hayden Anhedonia has never really touched on this song's subject or story. All I know is that it makes me sad and I love the vocals and the rest of it.