“See You Again” by Tyler, The Creator, featuring Kali Uchis, is a lush and heartbreaking song about an idealized lover who only exists in his dreams. As a standout track from the 2017 album Flower Boy, the song’s core meaning is the conflict between a beautiful, perfect fantasy and the painful, lonely reality. Tyler is so in love with this person he has created in his mind that he dreads waking up, which he compares to “going to war.”
The Core Meaning: A Love That Only Exists in Dreams
The entire concept of “See You Again” is built on a single, powerful idea: Tyler is in love with a fantasy. This is not just a song about a crush; it’s about a person he has literally dreamed into existence. He states this immediately, telling this imaginary person, “You live in my dream state.”
This line sets up the song’s central conflict. He is painfully aware that he “stays in reality,” while the object of his affection is trapped in his subconscious. The only time they can be together is when he is asleep. This is why he says the only time they “make up” is when he “counts sheep.”
This creates a deep sense of longing and tragedy. His perfect love is inaccessible. He reinforces this idea by saying, “You exist behind my eyelids.” This is a beautiful, poetic way of saying this person has no physical form.
The devastating conclusion to this thought is, “Now, I don’t wanna wake up.” The fantasy is so much better than his reality that he would prefer to stay asleep forever. This taps directly into the deep themes of loneliness that define the Flower Boy album.
The “War” Metaphor: Battling Against Reality
The song’s iconic chorus, sung by Kali Uchis, introduces a new, urgent metaphor. She sings, “I’m ’bout to go to war / And I don’t know if I’ma see you again.” This line is the key to the entire song’s emotional weight.
The “war” is not a literal conflict. The “war” is the daily battle of waking up. The alarm clock is the enemy. The morning sun is the invasion. He is “going to war” with reality, and he is terrified that if he wakes up, he won’t be able to find this person in his dreams again.
This is why the chorus is a desperate plea. He asks, “Can I get a kiss? And can you make it last forever?” He is begging his dream lover for one last moment of connection and trying to make it “last forever” by pulling it into the real world.
He knows this is impossible. The dream is fragile, and “forever” is only as long as he can stay asleep. This fear that he may “never see you again” is the fear that his mind won’t be able to create this perfect fantasy on command. It’s a fear of losing the one thing that brings him true joy.
A Frustrating Chase: The Pre-Chorus Breakdown
The pre-chorus, which Tyler delivers with a frantic, tumbling energy, explores the deep frustration of this one-sided love. He begins by saying he has “20/20, 20/20 visions,” meaning his vision of this person is perfectly clear. They are not a vague idea; they are a fully-realized, high-definition fantasy.
He says, “Cupid hit me with precision.” This love is not an accident. It feels fated, real, and incredibly powerful. This line is almost tragic because he has all the real feelings of love for someone who is not real at all.
This leads to one of the song’s most famous and clever lines: “I wonder if you look both ways when you cross my mind.” He is personifying his own thoughts. This person is always on his mind, constantly “crossing” it. He is so deep in this fantasy that he wonders if this imaginary person is aware of him, too.
This frustration builds to the breaking point. He is “sick of, sick of, sick of, sick of chasing.” But how can you chase someone who is in your own head? He clarifies this paradox immediately: “You’re the one that’s always running through my daydream.” He is exhausted from his own infatuation. He can’t escape it, and he can’t catch it, because it’s all happening inside his own skull.
The Manic Obsession of Verse 2
The second verse shows Tyler’s self-awareness. His “okey-dokey” intro sounds manic, like he’s trying to talk himself through his own obsession. He admits, “My infatuation is translatin’ to another form of… love.” He knows this is more than a simple fantasy; it has become a genuine, all-consuming love.
He then gives the clearest confirmation that this person is not real: “I ain’t met you, I’ve been lookin’.” This one line is heartbreaking. It reveals that he is actively searching for this dream person in the real world, but he can’t find them.
This leads to another desperate plea, this time aimed at the fantasy itself. “Stop the waitin’ ‘fore I stop the chasin’, like a alcoholic.” This is another powerful metaphor. He is addicted to this dream. He knows it’s an unhealthy obsession, “like a alcoholic,” and he is on the verge of giving up. He is begging this idea to become real before he is forced to quit his “addiction.”
Building the Perfect “Flower Boy”
When Tyler describes this imaginary person, he does not use realistic language. He uses a series of beautiful, natural, and idealized images. This is the “Flower Boy” theme in its purest form.
He describes “rose-tinted cheeks” and “dirt-colored eyes.” These are poetic, not literal. He mentions “sugar-honey iced tea” and “bumblebee on the scene.” He is not describing a person; he is describing a feeling. He is building his perfect companion from all the beautiful, natural things he loves.
This connects directly to the album’s artwork and themes. Flower Boy is full of images of flowers, bees, and the sun. This dream lover is the human embodiment of the album’s entire aesthetic.
He ends the verse with a classic, endearingly awkward Tyler line: “I’d give up my bakery to have a piece of your pie.” This is a sweet and sincere promise. He would give up everything he has, all his success (his “bakery”), for just one small piece of this perfect, impossible fantasy.
The Sound of a Dream: Orchestral Production
The meaning of “See You Again” is not just in the lyrics; it is in the sound. The production of the song is the most important clue. The track does not sound like a typical rap song. It sounds like a dream.
The music is lush, orchestral, and cinematic. It is built on a bed of soft, pillowy Wurlitzer electric piano and soaring string arrangements. The drums are soft and muted, adding to the hazy, sleepy atmosphere. The sound is heavily influenced by 1970s soul and old movie soundtracks.
This production is intentional. It is designed to sonically create the “dream state” that Tyler is singing about. The entire song feels like it is floating, suspended in the moments just before waking up. This rich, beautiful, and “unrealistic” sound is a major reason why Flower Boy was seen as such a massive artistic leap for Tyler, moving away from the harsh, aggressive sounds of his earlier work.
The Angelic Voice of Kali Uchis
The feature from Kali Uchis is one of the most essential elements of the song. She is not just a background singer; she is a central character in this dream. Her voice is ethereal, soft, and otherworldly.
Her presence can be interpreted in a few different ways. Is she the voice of the dream lover, singing back to Tyler? Or is she an angelic, third-person narrator, like a Greek Chorus, describing the tragedy of his situation?
The contrast between their voices is what makes the song so compelling. Tyler’s verses are raspy, urgent, and frantic. Kali Uchis’s chorus is smooth, calm, and angelic. This contrast mimics the feeling of a chaotic mind inside a peaceful, beautiful dream. Her delivery of the desperate line “Can I get a kiss?” makes it sound even more heartbreaking.
The Surprising Origin: A Song for Zayn Malik
One of the most fascinating pieces of research about “See You Again” is its origin story. Tyler, The Creator has spoken about this in interviews. He did not originally write the song for himself. He wrote it for pop star Zayn Malik, formerly of One Direction.
Tyler had a writing session planned with Zayn, but Zayn reportedly “flaked” and never showed up. Tyler then tried to offer the song to other artists, including Justin Bieber. No one took it. He eventually decided to keep the song for himself.
This context is crucial. It explains why “See You Again” is so melodic, catchy, and has such a strong pop structure. It was designed to be a massive pop hit.
By keeping the song, Tyler performed a kind of magic. He took a song written for a pop star and, by placing it in the context of Flower Boy, turned it into his own deep, personal confession. It became a perfect vehicle for his own themes of loneliness and longing. It was a happy accident that resulted in one of his most iconic songs.
The Flower Boy Context: Loneliness and Sexuality
“See You Again” cannot be fully understood without its album, Flower Boy. The entire album is a deep dive into Tyler’s loneliness. Songs like “Boredom” and “911 / Mr. Lonely” paint a picture of a man who is famous and successful, but deeply isolated.
“See You Again” is the ultimate anthem of this loneliness. He is so lonely in his real life that his only meaningful relationship is with a person who does not exist. This is the tragic heart of the album.
Furthermore, Flower Boy is the album where Tyler, The Creator first began to openly discuss his sexuality. On other tracks, he famously raps lines like, “I’ve been kissin’ white boys since 2004.” This adds a profound and important layer to “See You Again.”
Many fans and critics interpret the “you” in the song as a “he.” If this is the case, the “dream state” takes on an even more powerful meaning. For years, Tyler’s public persona and his aggressive music (which often included homophobic slurs) were at odds with this private reality.
The “dream state” may have been the only safe place where he could fully explore his love for a man, free from the judgment of the outside world or even his own internal conflict. This makes the “war” of waking up even more tragic. He has to “go to war” with a reality that he fears will not accept him or his love.
Cultural Impact: From Album Cut to Viral Smash
When Flower Boy was released, “See You Again” was not the biggest single. However, the song had a slow, organic, and massive rise in popularity. It became a huge streaming hit, resonating with listeners for its universal theme of unrequited love and idealized fantasy.
Years after its release, the song exploded on social media platforms like TikTok. Users latched onto the song’s dreamy sound and its “Can I get a kiss?” plea. This gave the song a second, even bigger life, introducing it to a whole new generation.
The song’s journey is a testament to its power. It is the perfect blend of Tyler’s “pop” sensibilities (the Zayn song) and his “art” sensibilities (the deep, personal themes). It is vulnerable, catchy, and sonically beautiful, making it one of the most enduring and beloved songs of his entire career.
Final Summary: A Masterpiece of Longing
“See You Again” by Tyler, The Creator, is a tragic masterpiece. It is a song about the beauty and pain of escapism. It tells the story of a man so consumed by loneliness that he creates a perfect partner in his own mind.
This love is so powerful that he prefers the fantasy to the real world, and he dreads the “war” of waking up every morning. The song’s lush, orchestral sound creates this dream world for the listener.
Born from a “failed” pop song for Zayn Malik, Tyler, The Creator reclaimed it. He turned it into a deeply personal confession of his own infatuation, his loneliness, and a brave, vulnerable exploration of a love he could only feel safe expressing in his “dream state.” It is the ultimate song of impossible, idealized longing.