“We Both Know” is a famously unreleased duet by Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter about two people who are unable to stay away from each other despite their intentions to remain “just friends.”
The song’s core meaning explores the undeniable magnetic attraction and shared, unspoken truth that their relationship is inevitably romantic, even as they go through the motions of pretending it’s not. In this article, we explore the meaning of this song, breaking down its metaphors and emotions.
Introduction to the Song
“We Both Know” holds a unique and almost mythical status in the modern pop music landscape because it was never officially released. The track was originally slated to be the third song on Joshua Bassett’s self-titled debut EP, scheduled for release in early 2021. Bassett had even teased a snippet of the collaboration, building anticipation for what was seen as a major duet between two rising stars.
However, in the weeks leading up to the EP’s release, an unprecedented pop culture firestorm erupted following the massive success of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” which fueled intense public speculation about a love triangle involving the three artists. In response to the overwhelming and often vicious online discourse, Bassett made the difficult decision to pull “We Both Know” from the EP’s final tracklist. This act transformed the song from a simple duet into a symbol of a story silenced by public pressure, making its leaked lyrics and the story of its non-release a fascinating piece of pop culture history.
Central Theme & Message
The central theme of “We Both Know” is the futility of fighting an irresistible and mutual attraction. The song is a candid exploration of a relationship that exists in a gray area, where both individuals are consciously trying to maintain distance or a platonic facade, but are continually drawn back together by a powerful, unspoken connection. It delves into the tension between what you say you should do and what your heart and actions actually do.
The primary message of the song is that some connections are so strong they defy logic and good intentions. No matter how many times you try to end things or label a relationship as “just friends,” the underlying truth of a deeper desire will eventually make itself known. The song is a resigned admission of this fact—a shared confession that they are both lying to themselves and each other, because they “both know” where their connection is inevitably headed.
Lyrical Meaning, Section by Section
The First Verse
The song opens from Joshua Bassett’s perspective, immediately establishing the central conflict between the couple’s words and their actions. He describes a scenario where his partner has come over with the explicit intention of ending their relationship for good. However, despite her declaration that it’s “over,” the scene has somehow ended with them in his bed.
He points out this stark contradiction, questioning how it’s possible that she can say they can’t keep seeing each other, yet she physically hasn’t left his side. He then reflects on their current status—officially broken up and living separate lives—but notes that whenever they happen to run into each other, a heavy, unspoken tension hangs in the air. This verse perfectly sets up the premise: their attempts to stay apart are consistently failing.
The Second Verse
The second verse shifts to Sabrina Carpenter’s perspective, revealing that the pull is equally strong from her side. She describes initiating contact with him late at night, a time often associated with vulnerability and secret desires. She uses a fight with her “new man” as a pretext for her call, which suggests that her connection with Bassett is a source of comfort or excitement that her current, more “official” relationship lacks.
Her call is a test, and his immediate response, a promise that he is “on my way,” shows his equal inability to resist her. This verse is crucial because it establishes that the magnetic pull is entirely mutual. She reaches out in a moment of weakness or desire, and he immediately drops everything to be with her, proving that neither of them has the willpower to maintain their distance.
The Chorus
The chorus is the moment where both artists come together to confess their shared, unspoken truth. It is a powerful admission of their collective failure to maintain their platonic facade. They sing about being unable to “keep lying” to themselves and others, and the impossibility of pretending they are “just friends.”
The central line of the song, “We both know where this is going,” is repeated like a mantra of inevitable destiny. It’s the phrase that encapsulates their entire dynamic. They don’t need to discuss it or define it, because on a deep, intuitive level, they are both fully aware that their connection is leading them back to a romantic and physical place. The chorus is a surrender to this truth.
The Bridge
The bridge strips away all the pretense and subtext, escalating the song’s tension to its peak. The lyrics transform into a direct, almost desperate, plea for acknowledgment. The repeated demand, “Say you want me,” is a challenge for the other person to finally stop hiding behind excuses and admit their true feelings out loud.
This demand is immediately followed by the confident assertion, “I know you want me,” which confirms that this desire is not one-sided. It’s a moment of intense emotional honesty, where they are forcing each other to confront the truth that they have both been trying to suppress. It is the climax of their shared “lie,” the moment right before they give in completely.
Emotional Tone & Mood
- Tone: The emotional tone of “We Both Know” is charged with romantic and sexual tension. It is a blend of intense desire, frustration with their own lack of control, and a sense of inevitable surrender to their feelings. The tone is confessional and intimate, as if the singers are admitting a secret they can no longer keep.
- Mood: The mood is intimate, sultry, and slightly clandestine. The song creates the atmosphere of a late-night, private conversation happening behind closed doors. There’s a feeling of forbidden excitement and a powerful magnetic pull that makes the listener feel like they are eavesdropping on a pivotal, private moment between two people who can’t resist each other.
Artist’s Perspective & The Story of Its Non-Release
The story behind “We Both Know” is as significant as the song itself. In January 2021, Joshua Bassett announced his debut self-titled EP, with the duet listed as a key track. However, this was immediately following the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” which became a global phenomenon and sparked an intense, fan-driven narrative of a love triangle between the three artists.
Faced with a massive and often toxic public discourse that was making assumptions about their private lives, Joshua Bassett made the decision to remove “We Both Know” from his EP just weeks before its release. In an interview with Billboard, he explained the reasoning with remarkable maturity. He stated that it was a very difficult decision, but he didn’t want to “fuel the fire of a story that is already rampant.” He explained that he wanted his EP to be about his own growth and vulnerability, not about feeding into public drama. He also made it clear that this was a mutual decision, saying, “Sabrina was a co-writer on the song, and she was a dear friend. I would never want to do anything that would hurt her.” The song was ultimately replaced with “Telling Myself.” This decision transformed “We Both Know” into a pop culture artifact—a song whose meaning is forever intertwined with the story of why it was silenced.
Metaphors & Symbolism
- Pretending We’re Just Friends: This is the song’s central symbol, representing the shared lie that both individuals are trying to uphold. The “friend” label is a flimsy facade they have constructed to hide their undeniable romantic feelings from themselves and the world. The entire song is about the inevitable collapse of this facade.
- The Late-Night Call: The act of calling someone “after midnight” is a classic symbol of a secret, vulnerable, or perhaps forbidden connection. It represents turning to the person you have the deepest connection with, especially when your public-facing life (represented by her fight with her “new man”) is proving unsatisfying.
- The Unreleased Song Itself: The most powerful symbol associated with “We Both Know” is its real-life status as an unreleased track. The song itself has become a metaphor for a story that was silenced by public pressure, a “what if” moment in pop history. It symbolizes the intense drama of that period and represents a private truth that was deemed too controversial for the public to hear.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question 1: What is the main meaning of “We Both Know”? Answer 1: The song is about two people who have an irresistible magnetic attraction to each other and are unable to stay apart, despite their best intentions to remain “just friends.” It’s a confession of their shared, unspoken knowledge that their relationship is inevitably romantic.
Question 2: Why was “We Both Know” never officially released? Answer 2: Joshua Bassett decided to pull the song from his 2021 EP due to the intense public drama and speculation surrounding the rumored love triangle between himself, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo. He stated that he didn’t want to “fuel the fire” of the rampant online narrative.
Question 3: What public drama led to the song being pulled? Answer 3: The release of Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit “drivers license” in January 2021 sparked a massive, fan-driven narrative about a love triangle. “We Both Know,” a duet between the other two figures in that narrative, was seen as potentially inflammatory, leading to its removal.
Question 4: What has Joshua Bassett said about the decision not to release the song? Answer 4: He has said it was a mutual decision with Sabrina Carpenter and that he ultimately wanted to protect her from further online harassment. He wanted his EP to be about his own story and healing, not about adding to the public drama.
Question 5: What do the lyrics in the chorus reveal about their dynamic? Answer 5: The chorus reveals that they are both complicit in a shared lie—pretending to be just friends. The line “We both know where this is going” shows that they are both fully aware of their inevitable romantic destiny, even if they aren’t admitting it out loud.
Question 6: How does the song portray the attraction between the two singers? Answer 6: It’s portrayed as an irresistible, magnetic force that defies logic and their own stated intentions. Their actions (ending up in bed, him rushing over late at night) consistently contradict their words (“it’s over,” “we can’t keep seeing each other”).
Question 7: What is the significance of the bridge section? Answer 7: The bridge is the moment where the subtext becomes text. The repeated demand to “Say you want me” is a plea for them to finally drop the pretense and be honest about their mutual desire, moving from unspoken knowledge to an open admission.
Question 8: Was the full song “We Both Know” ever leaked? Answer 8: While Bassett officially teased a short snippet, the full, high-quality studio version of the song has never officially been released or leaked in its entirety, adding to its mythical status among fans.
Question 9: What song replaced “We Both Know” on Joshua Bassett’s EP? Answer 9: Joshua Bassett replaced “We Both Know” with the song “Telling Myself” on the final version of his self-titled 2021 EP.
Question 10: What does Sabrina’s verse reveal about her situation? Answer 10: Her verse reveals that she is in another relationship (“my new man”) but that it is unstable (“got into another fight”). It implies that she sees her connection with Bassett as an escape or a source of comfort that her current relationship lacks.
Question 11: What is the emotional tone of the song? Answer 11: The tone is charged with romantic and sexual tension, mixed with a sense of frustration and inevitable surrender. It feels intimate, confessional, and slightly forbidden.
Question 12: How do the two verses show that the attraction is mutual? Answer 12: The first verse shows her coming over to his place and staying despite saying it’s over. The second verse shows her initiating contact late at night and him immediately agreeing to come to her. Both verses show an equal inability to resist the other person.
Question 13: What does the song’s unreleased status symbolize? Answer 13: Its unreleased status has become a symbol of the intense and often toxic nature of modern fan culture and media scrutiny. It represents a piece of art that was sacrificed in an attempt to de-escalate a real-world drama that had spiraled out of the artists’ control.
Question 14: Is the song a love song or a song about a toxic dynamic? Answer 14: It can be interpreted as both. It is a love song in its depiction of an undeniable connection. However, the fact that they are sneaking around and that she is in another relationship adds a layer of toxicity and emotional complexity to their dynamic.
Question 15: What is the role of the ad-libs and background vocals? Answer 15: The ad-libs and overlapping vocals, particularly in the chorus and bridge, create a sense of a shared, frantic internal monologue. It makes it feel as though their thoughts are intertwining, reinforcing the idea that they are on the same wavelength.
Question 16: What was the fan reaction to the song being pulled? Answer 16: Many fans were disappointed that they wouldn’t get to hear the full duet, but there was also a widespread understanding and respect for the artists’ decision to prioritize their mental health and not engage with the online negativity.
Question 17: How does this song fit into the narrative of Sabrina Carpenter’s album emails i can’t send? Answer 17: While not on her album, the themes of “We Both Know” resonate with the confessional and complicated nature of emails i can’t send. Songs like “because i liked a boy” on her album directly address the fallout from the period in which “We Both Know” was supposed to be released.
Question 18: What is the meaning of the line “There’s so much that we don’t say”? Answer 18: This line refers to the unspoken tension and feelings that exist between them whenever they are near each other. It’s the romantic “elephant in the room” that they both acknowledge internally but refuse to address out loud.
Question 19: Why is the bridge structured as a repeated demand? Answer 19: The repetition of “Say you want me” builds tension and a sense of desperation. It’s a demand for catharsis, for the final wall of pretense to come down so they can stop lying to themselves.
Question 20: What is the ultimate message of “We Both Know”? Answer 20: The ultimate message is that true, powerful chemistry between two people cannot be suppressed by logic or social pretense. The truth of a deep connection will always find a way to surface, because on some level, both people already know where it’s destined to go.