The song "Let The Record Play" by Ugly Kid Joe is about a failed romantic relationship. The narrator acknowledges that the breakup hurts, but they believe they will be okay with time. They express their frustration with the repetitive cycle of love and feeling like their relationship never had a chance. The lyrics convey a strong message for the ex-partner to not dwell on the past and try to reminisce about their failed relationship. The line "Don't you rewind to yesterday, put the needle down and let the record play" serves as a metaphor for not going back to the old memories and continuously replaying the same mistakes or regrets. The song highlights the freedom the narrator feels after the breakup, realizing that they were not meant to be together. They emphasize that the relationship was overplayed and compares it to an old skipping record. The repetition of the lines "Don't even try to reminisce, never were a hit, we are a total miss" reinforces the idea that the relationship was never successful or satisfying. The lyrics also touch upon the idea of trying to make the relationship work, but always coming out wrong. The mention of rehearsing tunes and singing songs symbolizes the efforts put into the relationship, but in the end, it was always out of tune, in the wrong key, and never in sync. The narrator realizes that there is nothing left to do or say and advises the ex-partner to move on. Overall, the meaning behind "Let The Record Play" is about acceptance, letting go of the past, and moving forward from a failed relationship. It encourages embracing freedom and not dwelling on the memories or attempting to fix something that was never meant to work.
