I literally love this song and NEED at least someone else to acknowledge the weirdly positive stance it takes on life (for Mitski standards lol). Okay and the way she mentions “trees are swaying in the wind like sea anemones,” LIKE THEY JUST GO WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT, THEYRE RESILIENT AND POWERFUL YET BEND TO THE WORLD AROUND THEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN NOT FIGHT IT. The actual phenomenon that is sometimes called heat lightning is simply cloud-to-ground lightning that occurs very far away, with thunder that dissipates before.

I recognize that it should be sad, but i’m comforted by the idea of finding peace in yourself and the things that you struggle with, accepting that they come as a part of you and that (like the weather) they come and go. The idea that there’s this storm of emotion/ life on the horizon and you’re absolutely powerless to stop it, so you relent to your nature and just surrender. It almost contextualizes the entirety of Mitski’s feelings and direction with this album, at least in my opinion. I just feel like there’s such an explicit healing aspect to this song that I often find elusive in many other Mitski works. I need more appreciation, this is a crime. For instance, lightning, which plays a major allegorical role in the lyrics, can have a number of different symbolic applications. Owing to this, it necessitates listeners to use some creative interpretation, as nothing contained in this narrative is stated forthrightly. I haven’t heard anyone talk about it and it’s my favorite on the album, since she released it as a single it’s been my favorite. Mitski’s Heat Lightning is highly symbolic as well as poetic.

Heat lightning meaning