The Top 10 Harry Styles Lyrics From ‘Harry’s House’

Harry Styles took a gamble with Harry’s House, switching up his sound quite heavily. Luckily, the gamble paid off in spades becoming his most successful pursuit to date. The ex-boy-bander stretched his legs on this record, taking his songwriting leaps and bounds forward.

Nearly a year after its release, Styles’ third album has more than retained its replay value. On top of most of the songs being irresistible floor fillers, the lyrics Styles and his co-writers penned are some of the most impressive and vulnerable in his catalog.

We’ve chosen 10 of the best lyrics from the record to herald Styles as the adept lyricist he is. Revisit the most poetic strokes from Styles’ Harry’s House below.

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10. It’s not what I wanted, to leave you behind / Don’t know where you’ll land when you fly (“Love Of My Life”)

The album’s closer, “Love Of My Life,” is dedicated to England. In the chorus, Styles apologizes to his country for leaving her behind in the wake of superstardom. With him having experienced nearly unparalleled success, it’s nice to know that Styles still thinks of his roots fondly.

9. I just think you’re cool / I dig your cinema / Do you think I’m cool, too? / Or am I too into you? (“Cinema”)

Styles isn’t normally an artist that makes obvious nods to his personal life, but he allows for a moment of candor in “Cinema.” With Styles being linked to director Olivia Wilde at the time of this album’s release, it’s very clear just whose “cinema” Styles digs. Though the chorus to this track isn’t Styles’ most imaginative, we admire his bluntness and thus it earns a spot on this list.

8. I could cook an egg on you (“Music for a Sushi Restaurant”)

Musicians have nearly exhausted ways to express attraction to their partners in their lyrics. Styles delivers possibly the most unique version of that sentiment in “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.” Though at first listen, the line I could cook an egg on you feels puzzling, it’s really just a roundabout way for Styles to say, “Hey, you’re hot” while still keeping with the food theme he establishes in the track. We tip our hat to Styles and his co-writers for coming up with that one.

7. Out of New York, I’m on the comedown speed / We’re on bicycles, saying, ‘There’s life out there’ / You’vе got the antidote / I’ll take onе to go-go, please (“Daylight”)

Styles told Howard Stern that “Daylight” was written during an all-nighter, which explains the stream-of-consciousness style lyrics. “Daylight” seems to tumble out of Styles like he’s thinking of it on the fly, despite it being a deep rumination on lost love. The second verse, as seen above, plays into that juxtaposition. Stylistically, he’s careless and free while under the surface he’s begging for reconciliation.

6. Did you dress up for Halloween? / I spilled beer on your friend, I’m not sorry / A golf swing and a trampoline / Maybe we’ll do this again (“Little Freak”)

“Little Freak” feels like it was written in a secret language only Styles and his ex can understand. He doesn’t shy away from being referential to specific moments, like the lines above, uncaring about the possibility of narrowing his audience. But, of course, it’s Styles so there’s probably no danger of losing the audience anyway. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting offering in Styles’ catalog that feels singular in its dialect.

5. Passports in footwells / Kiss her and don’t tells / Wine glass, puff pass, tea with cyborgs / Riot America, science and edibles / Life hacks going viral in the bathroom (“Keep Driving”)

The bridge of “Keep Driving” sees Styles deliver an onslaught of lyrics. Slightly off-kilter and deeply visual, the lyrics above are some of Styles’ most articulate. The internal rhymes linking the strange assortment of ideas are a testament to the singer’s ever-growing prowess behind the pen.

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4. I was tryna count up all the places we’ve been / You’re always there, so don’t overthink / I’m so over whites and pinks (“Grapejuice”)

“Grapejuice” is effectively an ode to red wine. When you first give the song a spin, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was just another, run-of-the-mill love song, but upon further inspection, you’ll find a playful dedication to something “old and red.” The lyrics above are the best example of Styles’ ability to hide that message in plain sight.

3. They don’t tell you where it’s heading / and you know the game’s never-ending / you, you lay with him as you stay in the daydream / you feel a fool (“Boyfriends”)

“Boyfriends” interrupts the string of new wave bangers on Harry’s House for a welcomed change of pace. The folky ballad left fans wondering if Styles was opening up about his sexuality or dissecting his own behavior with lyrics about a deadbeat boyfriend. Styles has opted to let the music speak for itself and kept that mystery intact. The lines above are familiar territory for anyone who has ever been with that type of guy, making it clear Styles knows the experience firsthand—one way or another.

2. You showed me a power that is strong еnough to bring sun to the darkest days (“Matilda”)

“Matilda” is one of Styles’ most earnest songs. Throughout the lyrics, Styles tells the story of a friend who had a troubled home life. He reminds them that growing up means they have a chance to build their own family and move on from the memories that haunt them. He is assured they will be able to accomplish this task because, as seen in the above lines, they’ve already managed to turn his dark days around. While most of Harry’s House consists of blithe pop tunes, “Matilda” sees Styles take on something with more weight to it.

1. In this world, it’s just us / You know it’s not the same as it was (“As It Was”)

Given the song is his biggest hit to date, the chorus from “As It Was” had to take the No. 1 spot on this list. Part of what made “As It Was” so successful was the timely lyrics. Written as the world was coming out of the pandemic haze, Styles spoke to the new normal everyone was attempting to settle into. Lyrics are special when they can work on both a personal level and on a mass scale. Though “As It Was” was likely written in regard to Styles’ own experiences, the public found the message endlessly applicable, taking him all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Photo by Jacopo Raule/FilmMagic