On the surface, “We Can’t Be Friends” is a post-breakup song told from Ariana Grande’s perspective that perhaps references her split from her ex-husband Dalton Gomez. It navigates the complexities of failed relationships and begins with Grande singing about being misunderstood by her significant other but refusing to hide and tiptoe around him. However, she expresses her desire to stay friends with her ex despite it being a tricky situation while waiting for him to love her again. “We can’t be friends / But I’d like to just pretend / You cling to your papers and pens / Wait until you like me again,” Grande sings in the chorus. “Wait for your love / My love, I’ll wait for your love.”
That’s just one interpretation. On closer inspection, “We Can’t Be Friends” is not really about the struggles of dealing with a breakup but rather Grande’s complicated relationship with her fans and the media (The giveaway? “Papers and pens.”) This particularly theory — which has been popular among Arianators on Reddit — is supported in the bridge, in which Grande sings, “Know that you made me / I don’t like how you paint me / yet I’m still here hanging.” She also sings in the second verse, “Me and my truth, we sit in silence / Babygirl, it’s just me and you / ‘Cause I don’t wanna argue, but I don’t wanna bite … You got me misunderstood / But at least I look this good.”
