Songfacts®:

• Romantic bonds don't always snap cleanly. On "Never Ending Song," Conan Gray candidly expresses his grievances towards his romantic partner, calling her out as the toxic one in their relationship.
  
  You and I sacrificed my adolescence,
  Just to waste my time on the edges of your life
  
  They are deeply entwined, and Gray finds himself trapped in a never-ending cycle with no sign of relief in sight.
  
  And it goes on, and on, and on
  Like a never ending song
• Gray remains hopelessly in love with someone he already knows is incompatible with him. The struggle persists, defying logic and reason. "It's about a tale as old as time and something we've all gone through, which is a painful, tumultuous relationship that just never seems to die no matter how many times you kill it," said Gray. "The story just drags on and on. Maybe that's by design, or maybe you secretly don't want it to ever end."
• So, who is this lover he can't get over? In the first verse Gray implies they're someone famous.
  
  First, I'll say, "I apologize for calling
  But I saw your face in a magazine today"
  Wasn't you, too late, all my tears already fallin'
  
  And in the second verse, we learn it's a musician.
  
  I can hear your voice in the music on the radio
  
  However, like many of the pop star's other songs about heartbreak, "Never Ending Song" is probably fictional. According to Gray, there was no real romantic partner in his life.
  
  "You will probably be surprised to learn that I've never actually dated anyone. It's embarrassing! Dating makes me nervous," he told GQ in 2022. "All my best friends are dating people, though, so I live vicariously through them. I've been heartbroken, obviously. I've been in love with people, but they haven't loved me back."
• Gray co-wrote "Never Ending Song" with Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin and his co-writing and production partner, Ilya Salmanzadeh. Martin and Ilya have co-produced many of Ariana Grande and Lizzo's hits.
• Martin and Ilya's '80-sounding, catchy production is at odds with Gray's downbeat lyrics. "I've always enjoyed disguising my sadness inside of upbeat music," the singer said. "It's how I've handled life. I never like to take myself too seriously – life is painful enough as is."