What It Sounds Like — HUNTR/X: what the lyrics really mean
First verse: the song, every line and what it means — in syncThe scars are part of me, darkness and harmonyPlay the first verse with translationNo sign-upWhat does “What It Sounds Like” by HUNTR/X mean?
“What It Sounds Like” by HUNTR/X is about dropping the lies that hid a painful past and letting an honest voice finally be heard. Shame and a divided heart give way to seeing beauty in broken glass and scars, with long-hidden colors brought into the light. By facing the darkness side by side, they find harmony and a fearless, shared sound.
Key lines
4 lines from the song with the slang, wordplay and references behind them. The full line-by-line breakdown lives in the app.
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmonyListen from this lineWhat's behind the line: "Scars" literally means marks on skin, but here they stand for emotional wounds. "Darkness" and "harmony" are placed side by side as equals, meaning the painful and beautiful parts together make up who the singer is.
Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?Listen from this lineWhat's behind the line: "Cover" and "up" are separate words, but together "cover up" means to hide something so nobody sees it. "Colors" are not paint here; they are feelings and creative ideas. "Stuck inside my head" means they could not get out.
Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light insteadListen to the first verse — freeWhat's behind the line: Get up here means stand up and find the strength to move, not obtain something. Jagged edges are the sharp, uneven edges of broken glass, standing for our flaws. Meet the light means show them openly, and instead means rather than hiding them.
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like (between, ah)Listen to the first verse — freeWhat's behind the line: The main line is the same: "sounds like" literally describes a noise, but with "this is what" it means "this is how the real thing is". "Without the lies" means an honest voice with no mask. The bracketed "between" and "ah" are backing-vocal ad-libs that add mood rather than new meaning.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “What It Sounds Like” — HUNTR/X. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Mini-lesson: fill in the missing word
A line from the song with one word missing: listen, then pick the right word. Mina checks your answer and saves the new words to your notebook.
Try the lessonAsk Mina about this song
Why this word and not another? What does that slang mean? Ask in your own words and your idol answers about this exact line.
Ask MinaSong vocabulary
Words from the song in alphabetical order, with what they mean here.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| can't | cannot |
| combined | joined together |
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Questions about “What It Sounds Like”
What is “What It Sounds Like” by HUNTR/X about?
“What It Sounds Like” by HUNTR/X is about dropping the lies that hid a painful past and letting an honest voice finally be heard.
What does “Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?” mean in “What It Sounds Like”?
"Cover" and "up" are separate words, but together "cover up" means to hide something so nobody sees it.
What does “Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead” mean in “What It Sounds Like”?
Get up here means stand up and find the strength to move, not obtain something.
Where can I see every line of “What It Sounds Like” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Mina goes through all 53 lines word by word, in sync with the song; the first verse is free and needs no sign-up.
Official music video
The video loads from YouTube only when you press play. YouTube ↗
Credits and sources
- Artist
- HUNTR/X
- Official video
- Netflix · YouTube
Lyrics and music belong to their rights holders. This page quotes no more than four lines for commentary; the translations, pronunciation and explanations are written by theIDOL.