One of the most poignant tracks on the “Harry’s House” album is “Matilda.” Harry Styles revealed to Zane Lowe he shared the song with friends, and Styles said that “all of them cried” over the acoustic track. “Matilda” is an emotional ballad that chronicles the problems of a young woman with a troubled past who wants a brighter future. Two chorus lines give insight into this powerful song: “‘Cause they never showed you love/You don’t have to be sorry for doing it on your own.”
Styles talked to Zane Lowe in an Apple Music interview. The British singer said the ballad was about a friend, saying, “I had an experience with someone, where in getting to know them better, they revealed some stuff to me that was very much like ‘that’s not normal.'” Styles continued, “‘Matilda’ is relatively self-explanatory… It’s more important than making music about myself, it could mean more to you and a lot more people.”
Although Styles referred to the classic children’s book “Matilda” when speaking to Lowe, some have linked the song to his ex-girlfriend Camille Rowe, who once played a character named Matilda. Fans are comforted and inspired by the lyrics. One fan, on a sub-Reddit for people dealing with CPTSD, wrote that the song’s “message is beautiful and hopeful.” The lyrics are gutting, but empowering: “But I know that you feel like a piece of you’s dead insidе / You showed me a power that is strong еnough to bring sun to the darkest days.” It sounds like the song is helping people, exactly as Styles hoped.
