| “ | Yeah, I think you fear that when you experience certain things and you go through really traumatic shit. This wasn’t from a one hundred percent “this is how I really feel”, but that fear is something that exists of course, in your head, when you let the trauma part of your brain take command seat. That of course exists and your brain is constantly telling you “No, you don’t deserve this. No, this won’t happen. Yes, this person is too good to be true.” There are moments where that PTSD part of your brain takes the command seat and tells you that things so I think this was written from that place and not from a real “I’m in my right mind and I know that I deserve love” place. It was just from the fear place but it deserves to be expressed and come out. | ” |
–Grande via Interview on Zach Sang Show | ||
"Off The Table" (stylized in all lowercase; originally titled "Off Da Table") is the fifth track by Ariana Grande from her sixth studio album, Positions, and prequel to "Die For You". This is Grande's second collaboration with Canadian singer The Weeknd. The song was confirmed as the fifth track of Positions on October 24, 2020, through Grande's social media.[1] It was released on October 30, 2020, through Republic Records.
Background[]
This song talks about Ariana questioning whether she’s ready to dive deep in a potential relationship, while her partner, The Weeknd, is reassuring her saying that he’ll be be patient for her, and that he is in a better place than he was previously before.
This song starts off with a really slow, synth-heavy instrumental, complimented by lush strings in the background. Many assume this song may be about Ariana’s past relationships and there unfortunate endings. After a tough breakup with Mac Miller, and broken off engagement with former fiancé Pete Davidson, Grande was asking if she’s was ready to love again, with her ex husband Dalton.
Ariana is asking if she’ll ever be able to love anyone the same way she’s loved the people in her past relationships. The song continues with the theme of love and healing through heartbreak, featuring lyrics like "Not yet healed or ready”. The Weeknd’s fifth line in the song reads "You’re trying to fill the void with a couple boys", most likely mentioning Ariana’s previous fast paced relationship timeline, and following her many hardships of heartbreak.
The first collaborative demo leaked on June 16, 2023. There was a few changes made in the demo. There is a couple of extra adlibs added, half of The Weeknd’s verse from the released version is cut off and it wasn’t added at the end of his verse on the demo, and there’s some ringshifter/flanger added to the instrumental stems.
The solo demo leaked on January 22, 2024, alongside the full session. There are some very distinctive changes from the final version, such as no reverb on the snaps, a present guitar stem, the vocals are drier, a different bass towards the end and less instruments in comparison to the final.
Audios[]
- Demo 1 - (
listen)
- Demo 2 (Feat. The Weeknd) - (
listen) - Demo 3 (Feat. The Weeknd) - ( listen)
- Acapella - ( listen)
- Acapella - (
- Demo 4 (Feat. The Weeknd) - ( listen)
- Demo 5 (String Reference) - ( listen)
- Demo 6 (Feat. The Weeknd) - ( listen)
- Demo 7 (Feat. The Weeknd) - ( listen)
Chart performance[]
"Off The Table" debuted at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week of November 14, 2020.[2]
The song surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify and it's Ariana’s 72nd song to reach this milestone.
Live performances[]
On July 21, 2021, Grande released the first live performance of "Off The Table" with The Weeknd as part of Vevo's Official Live Performance series.
Trivia[]
- This song was originally supposed to be the fourth track.[3]
- During a Zach Sang interview for Positions, Grande mentioned that her dog Myron was sitting near her while she wrote this song.
- This is the longest song on Positions, running for 3 minutes and 59 seconds.
- This is Grande's second collaboration with singer The Weeknd since "Love Me Harder", from Grande's 2014 album My Everything.
- The line "I can love you harder than I did before" is a reference to "Love Me Harder".
- The line The Weeknd sings "I was haunted by the hills" is a reference to his song "The Hills".
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: Ariana Grande]
Will I ever love the same way again? (Way again)
Will I ever love somebody like the way I did you?
Never thought you'd be so damn hard to replace
I swear I don't mean to be this way
If I can't have you, is love completely off the table?
Do I sit this one out and wait for the next life? (Next life)
Am I too cold? Am I not nice?
Might not be quite yet healed or ready
Should I be goin' too steady? (Too steady)
But I just wanna know is love complеtely off the table?
[Chorus: Ariana Grande]
Will you bе there? (Will you be there?)
Can I still love you? (Can I, can I, babe?)
Not yet healed or ready (Not ready)
Shouldn't be goin' too steady (Too steady)
Just wanna know is love completely off the table?
[Verse 2: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
I'll wait for you
Even though it always feels like I'll be number two
To someone you can't hold anymore
If you let me in, I'm ready to give you what I couldn't before
'Cause I got you, girl, let me help you through it
You're trying to fill the void with a couple boys
I can see right through it (You can see right through it)
I can you love you harder than I did before
Was in a dark place back then
I was toxic, then I was toxic to someone else
I was haunted by the hills (Oh yeah, yeah)
I couldn't give you my all, but I will
If you let me in your arms (Your arms)
If you let me in your heart
I don't think that love's completely off the table
[Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
Will you be there? (Yes, I will be there for you)
Can I still love you? (Yes, I been hurt before, before)
Not yet healed or ready (Not ready)
Shouldn't be goin' too steady (Too steady; no, no)
Just wanna know is love completely off the table?
[Bridge: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
So can you hold me?
If I let you, can you prove it to me (Oh, no-no, no)
'Cause I need you to calm me down, babe
Gotta get out of my head (Oh, woah)
Tryna be healed from this pain (Oh)
Just wanna know, just wanna know, can you, baby? (Hey)
Can you touch it like you believe in it, baby? (Oh, hey)
Do you think you never gonna leave on me, baby?
'Cause I ain't her and you ain't him, thankfully (Baby, don't leave)
But it's gon' be hard to let someone else in again (Woah)
Baby, baby (Woo-hoo)
[Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
Will you be there? (Will you be there? I'll still wait)
Can I still love you? (I'll still wait for you, babe, oh, no-no, no; can I still love you?)
Not yet healed or ready (Ooh, not ready)
Shouldn't be goin' too steady (No, no, ooh)
Just wanna know is love completely off the table, baby?
[Outro: The Weeknd]
I swear, I swear
I will wait for you, whenever you need
Ooh, ooh
[Verse 1: Ariana Grande]
Will I ever love the same way again? (Way again)
Will I ever love somebody like the way I did you?
Never thought you'd be so damn hard to replace
I swear it don't need to be this way
If I can't have you, is love completely off the table?
Do I sit this one out and wait for the next life? (Next life)
Am I too cold? Am I not nice?
Might not be quite yet healed already
Should I be goin' too steady? (Too steady)
But I just wanna know is love completely off the table?
[Chorus: Ariana Grande]
Will you be there?
Can I still love you? (Can I, can I)
Not yet healed or ready (Not ready)
Should I be goin' too steady? (Too steady)
Just wanna know is love completely off the table?
[Verse 2: The Weeknd, Ariana Grande & Both]
I'll wait for you
Even though it always feels like I'll be number two
To someone you can't hold anymore
If you let me in, I'm ready to give you what I couldn't before
'Cause I got you, girl, (Cause I got you, boy)
Let me help you through it
You're trying to fill the void with a couple boys
I can see right through it (You can see right through it)
I can love you harder than I did before
Was in a dark place back then
I was toxic, then I was toxic to someone else
You might also like
[Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
Will you be there? (Will you be there?) (Yes, I will be there for you)
Can I still love you? (Yes, I been hurt before, before)
Not yet healed or ready (Not ready)
Should I be goin' too steady? (Too steady, no, no)
Just wanna know is love completely off the table?
[Bridge: Ariana Grande]
So can you hold me?
If I let you, can you prove it to me?
'Cause I need you to calm me down, babe
Gotta get out of my head
Tryna be here from this bed
Just wanna know, just wanna know, know, know, baby
Can you touch it like you believe in it, baby? (Babe)
Let me think you never gonna leave on me, baby
'Cause I ain't her and you ain't him, thankfully
But it's gon' be hard to let someone else in again, bae
[Chorus: Ariana Grande & The Weeknd]
Will you be there? (Yes, I will be there for you)
Can I still love you? (Yes, I been hurt before, before)
Not yet healed or ready (Not ready)
Should I be goin' too steady? (Too steady, no, no)
Just wanna know is love completely off the table?
[Outro]
Will you be there?