Saturn Returns Interlude & Eternal Sunshine
- Daniella Rojas
- Mar 30
- 4 min read
Updated: May 7
In the realm of contemporary music, few artists have captured the complexity of human emotions connecting with films as effectively as Ariana Grande has done. Her songs often thread elaborate narratives that explore themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. In this essay, I will break down two captivating pieces from her discography: "Saturn Returns Interlude" and "eternal sunshine." Both tracks, though distinct in structure and sound, resonate with a profound sense of vulnerability and connection. Grande went all out by examining how they intertwine, particularly in terms of emotional and cinematic inspiration. As we explore the deep emotions of yearning and reflection found within these songs, we discover a diverse blend that encourages audiences to consider their own journeys of love and loss.
"Saturn Returns Interlude" is short but significant. The original statement comes from astrologist Diana Garland, who posted a YouTube video back in 2013, explaining how and why age 29 is your prime age, discussing how the Saturn cycle takes around 29 years to return to its natal position. “When we're all born, Saturn's somewhere, and the Saturn cycle takes around about 29 years. That's when we gotta wake up and smell the coffee because if we'd just been sort of relying on our cleverness, or relying, you know, just kind of floating along. Saturn comes along and hits you over the head, hits you over the head, hits you over the head, and says, "Wake up!" It's time for you to get real about life and sort out who you really are. Wake up, get real.” It's a moment of deep reflection when you start to question whether you are truly in the right place, surrounded by the right people.
“I don't care what people say; we both know I couldn't change you. I guess you could say the same, can't rearrange truth.” Rumors have spread about your breakup. Blaming yourself, blaming him, and cheating on each other. It seems that you attempted to change him for the better (for the sake of the relationship), but nothing succeeded in working out. “I've never seen someone lie like you do; so much, even you start to think it's true.” This person would lie about every single thing; you even doubted he meant it when he said, “I love you.” The lies were so consistent that he eventually believed they were true. “Get me out of this loop, yeah, yeah.” The loop refers to the constant lies, feeling miserable and hurt instead of loved and cared for (similar to the repetition mentioned in “bye”). As mentioned in “intro (the end of the world),” Eternal Sunshine is inspired by the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as well as Grande’s previous experience, in which there is an ongoing loop of Clementine and Joel falling in love and calling things off before Clementine erases her memory.
“So now we play our separate scenes. Now, now she's in my bed, mm-mm, layin' on your chest. Now I'm in my head, wonderin' how it ends.” Things are over between the two of you. He’s with someone else, in the bed that was once yours, and you're wondering all the things he did with you—is he doing them with her? “I'll be the first to say, 'I'm sorry’; now you got me feelin' sorry.” You usually apologize for things that weren’t your fault, but now you’re sorry about how everything evolved. “I showed you all my demons, all my lies, yet you played me like Atari.” You showed him your most vulnerable aspect. Showing him your scars, the ways you lie, and what haunts you, yet he played you as if you weren’t his wife. “Now it's like I'm lookin' in the mirror, hope you feel alright when you're in her. I found a good boy and he's on my side; you're just my eternal sunshine, sunshine.” He is your eternal sunshine, just like in the film. He is your lesson learned, the chapter in your life that revealed things you didn't realize you needed to learn. Regardless of how things ended, you reflect on those experiences and learn from your mistakes instead of trying to erase them.
“So I try to wipe my mind, just so I feel less insane, rather feel painless.” You try your best to erase them from your memories so you can think straight and unacknowledge the pain because it is unbearable. “I'd rather forget than know, know for sure what we could've fought through behind this door, mm, so I close it and move, yeah, yeah.” You chose to forget the reason for your fight instead of acknowledging it and trying to fix it, so you closed the door and decided it was best to move on. “So now we play our separate scenes. Now, now he's in your bed, and layin' on my chest. Now I'm in my head, and wonderin' how it ends, ends, ends.” As mentioned not long ago, things between the two of you are over, and you have moved on. However, in contrast to the prior line, you are the one in the same bed that was once shared by both of you, but with someone else. While you were together, signs of infidelity may have emerged from distinct sections, but the truth is, only you and he know what went down.
“Won't break, can't shake; this fate, rewrite. Deep breaths, tight chest; life, death, rewind." The beat paired with the bridge is pure perfection. The beat feels like a repetition, much like your relationship—it won’t break and won’t stop. You want to change the tale you’re living in; you want to rewrite it. The tightness in your chest and deep breaths resonate with a panic attack, reflecting how you often felt during your relationship. You lived and died in this relationship, yet you kept rewinding back to it. The outro seems to illustrate the loop you want to escape, reminding you of both the good and bad times, the highlights, the lessons learned, and what is meant to stay with you. Unlike the bridge, in the outro, Grande does not mention "rewind" when the song ends, indicating that it concludes there, no more ongoing loop of feelings.
Grande, Ariana. "eternal sunshine." eternal sunshine. Republic Records, 2024. Apple Music, https://music.apple.com/us/album/eternal-sunshine/1725877944?i=1725877964
Garland, Diana. “Saturn Return - Why 29 Years Old Is An Important Age.” YouTube, youtu.be/QLPfIrJa8X8?si=18jd3dyd9q7Unr-r. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Directed by Michel Gondry, performances by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Focus Features, 2004.
