With Not What He Seems, STELLA PARIS offers a gripping tale of illusion, disillusion, and truth revelation. The lyrics are cutting and painful, drawing the listener into a situation to which they can easily relate—falling for someone who hides their dark side behind charm and loving kindness.

STELLA PARIS is not afraid to speak candidly of the pain of discovering the individual who has made you feel so wonderful has the potential to hurt you too. Her metaphors of pleasure and pain are evocative. She says to us that having the ability to bring the good times is no guarantee they are good for us. This frank but honest message is conveyed to us through her repetitive lyrics, and it makes the song memorable and emotionally striking.

Among the lyrics’ positives is the explanation of emotional abuse using simple but still evocative terms. STELLA PARIS doesn’t shy away from metaphors being too complicated. She uses instead evocative phrases such as “his tongue, sharp as a knife” and “his words, pure arsenic” to explain exactly how harmful the words of another can be without being physical. These lines show pain doesn’t have to be physical. At times it’s experienced through manipulation, lying, and harmful words.

There is so much sorrow in her portrayal of ignoring the warning signs. She describes the picture of someone who is tiptoeing through the mine field when the signs were there for all to see. The picture of tiptoeing through the mine field and the heart turning into “little stones” is the picture of slow accumulation of pain slowly building up to emotional collapse. STELLA PARIS doesn’t shame or blame anyone who has been there. She just describes the picture of it being so easy to fall prey to being loved back unconditionally.

The chorus is especially strong. With the exhortation to “open your eyes,” STELLA PARIS makes you think you’re being shaken out of sleep. It’s an insistence to stop turning your head and wake up to the reality of things. The repetition also makes the song strong and compelling, so the message lingers even when the song has ended.

The latter part of the lyrics is sadder and desperate. The “run away” chorus is simple and sincere. It is the turning point of the story—after all the pain, there is now the strength to just walk away. STELLA PARIS doesn’t idealize it, but makes the act of departure possible like the only recourse. It is the moment of courage and resolve, the epiphany that for all you have been through, you can always choose to break free. 

In short, the lyrics to Not What He Seems are raw, honest, and painful. STELLA PARIS recounts something most women can identify with, and yet, it is at the same time a caution and an inspiring message. Her lyrics are painful but empowering. It is the wake-up call we need at times to finally see the truth and move on.