Music Review: Bruno Mars "Grenade"

Bruno Mars

Grenade

Album: Doo Wops & Hooligans

Year: 2010

         Bruno resents his girlfriend for not having strong feelings for him in the vitrolic “Grenade.”

         A wary guitar opens the single, setting a provoked tone. He accuses her taking advantage of him and says she’s the problem. She led him on and pretended to like him.He jumps on her for not having any affection for him, staring at the wall while they kissed. However, he fails to note that his eyes were open long enough for him to see, which voids his complaint. (“Easy come, easy go/That's just how you live, oh/Take, take, take it all/
But you never give/Should've known you was trouble/From the first kiss/Had your eyes wide open/
Why were they open?”)

         In the pre-chorus, he tells her he was a devoted boyfriend and she didn’t care. He wanted her to be in a long-distance relationship with him. She responded to it was a real relationship to her. He thinks he’s not willing to sacrifice for him. (“Gave you all I had/And you tossed it in the trash/You tossed it in the trash, you did/To give me all your love/Is all I ever asked/Cause what you don't understand/Is.”)

         In the chorus, he tells her would put himself in danger for her, even if it meant it would cause his death. However,.she’s only for herself. (“I'd catch a grenade for you/Throw my hand on a blade for you/
I'd jump in front of a train for you/You know I'd do anything for you/I would go through all this pain/
Take a bullet straight through my brain/Yes, I would die for you, baby/But you won't do the same/No, no, no, no.”)

      He lashes out insults, demonizing and belittling her. He even calls her psycho. (“Black, black, black and blue/Beat me 'til I'm numb/Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from/Mad woman, bad woman/That's just what you are/Yeah, you smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car.”)

        The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

       In the bridge, he criticizes her for not supporting him if he needed it. She was dishonest the entire time they were together, scraping his emotions like animal excrement on the pavement.  (“If my body was on fire/You would watch me burn down in flames/You said you loved me, you're a liar/Cause you never ever ever did, baby.”)

     The chorus is sung again.

    He adds their relationship was one-sided on his part. (“No, you won't do the same/You wouldn't do the same/Oh, you'd never do the same/Oh, no no no.”)

    Mars’ whiny, patronizing vocals are needy, clinging a death grip to the the thumb he keeps her under, only lifting it to attack her when she expresses an opinion different than his. His love is conditional and it has to be on his strict terms. If she doesn’t respond the way he expects her to he turns it around on her, blaming her for ruining his life.

   The misognistic  “Grenade” holds women to double standards and high expectations, turning love into a man’s entitlement.