Meaning of "However Long" by All Get Out

The lyrics of "However Long" delve into the theme of unrequited love and the lingering feelings that come with it. The speaker vividly describes their deep connection to the person they are missing, highlighting how their memory seems to consume their thoughts and dreams. The imagery of forming a statue out of the other person's words and feeling like just a knot in the same necklace emphasizes the consuming and rather one-sided nature of their emotions. Despite expressing their need and longing, the speaker also acknowledges the absence of reciprocity, as evident in the lines "How many times have I said I need you, Just a few in a quiet room, Pretty sure that no one never heard me." The repeated phrase "However long it's gonna be, I can guarantee I'm gonna miss you" reflects the speaker's resigned acceptance of their unchanging feelings, even in the face of distance or time passing. The internal conflict of feeling possessive yet knowing they cannot control the other person's actions is also captured in lines like "I'm self-possessed but you break my focus." Overall, the song portrays a complex emotional landscape of longing, nostalgia, and acceptance of unreciprocated emotions.