Lyrics:

The Song:

"Defriended" first popped up when Beck copyrighted a song with this title in April 2013.

A short while later, "Defriended" could be heard on Youtube, where someone anonymously uploaded it for all to hear.

A week later Beck uploaded his own version to his own Youtube account, with a somewhat improved sound quality. It was then announced that it would be a standalone single, and not be on any of Beck's upcoming albums. It was solely available as a digital download for about a week, and then Beck announced you could buy a vinyl 12" single. The single includes an extended 14-minute version of the song (which quite frankly blows the 3-minute cut away; there's no reason to ever listen to the short one).

According to the liner notes on the single, the song was mainly recorded back in 2008, but then finished off in 2012. Beck has since explained that it was intended for an album in 2008, but one that he never quite finished. (As were the other two 2013 singles, "Gimme" and "I Won't Be Long".)

The song goes on a journey, through new wave sections to acoustic guitar, all with Beck's melodies going in and out and returning. The drumming is heavy, the vocals light, the song moody. 14 minutes of bliss.

I hear lots of other older Beck songs in some aspects ("Let's Get Lost," "Cities," Beck's IRM background vocals, buried acoustic guitar like on Information, even a little ".000.000"). But stepping back, it feels fresh, alive.

Lyrically, the song is very unique for Beck. He rarely if ever has written lyrics without some sort of verse/chorus structure (or even without rhymes!). There's even a notable lack of imagery in the song, something Beck usually relies on (and excels at). These forms though are part of being a pop writer, and in many ways this is far far from the usual songwriting (though still just as addicting). "Defriended" is must have been Beck's attempt to create a pop song out of new non pop-parts: long without worry, evocative phrases without imagery, melodies without hooks. Now perhaps these things have been done by other artists, but for Beck, they are a different direction (and to do it all in one song!).

The song seems to me to be about destroying everything, or losing everything--but I mainly get that from the title, and the idea of "liquidate before you turn it all around." Liquidation is getting rid of everything, and when you lose those feelings finally, you can move forward. There's also an idea about someone escaping him, and giving up ("lay your arms down") which fit in. Also Karin shows up. The song is an abstract painting, but one that you can still get lost in.