Julien Baker and TORRES Tuesday Meaning and Review

A Southern Queer Ballad Wrapped in Smoke

“Tuesday” is a piercing centerpiece of Send A Prayer My Way, the emotionally charged collaboration between TORRES and Julien Baker. It’s a song that explores queerness, shame, and redemption through the lens of a small-town romance marked by rejection. With a voice both bruised and beautiful, TORRES tells a story that’s deeply personal yet universally painful. The track channels a wistful southern energy, filled with smoky sadness and lyrical honesty, giving it the texture of old country records played late at night.

Rich, Country-Rooted Instrumentation

Musically, the song leans into a perfect blend of country twang and atmospheric melancholy. The instrumentation is steeped in tradition—twanging guitars, slow-burning rhythms, and a production style that feels intimate without being overproduced. The arrangement supports the emotional weight of the lyrics without ever overwhelming them. TORRES' voice glides over the melody with aching clarity, while Baker’s harmonies drift in like a ghost, adding emotional texture to an already soul-bearing piece.

Brutal Honesty at the Heart

What makes “Tuesday” stand out is its unapologetic truth. It doesn't flinch when recounting moments of betrayal, internalized homophobia, and self-harm. The story unfolds with devastating detail—from a mother’s condemnation to Tuesday’s heartbreaking denial and TORRES’ silent suffering. But the song never falls into melodrama. It’s grounded in real, raw experience. The line “I should have told you I loved you / And now I know that your shame was not mine” is especially powerful, transforming personal tragedy into something universally resonant.

Baker’s Presence as a Gentle Anchor

Julien Baker’s role in the song is subtle yet impactful. She doesn’t dominate the track but blends seamlessly into its emotional fabric. Her harmonies act like a balm to TORRES' pain, suggesting solidarity and shared experience. Their performance of “Tuesday” at The Mercury Lounge on December 11, 2024, was a moment of live music alchemy, capturing the spirit of the song perfectly. Baker’s quiet presence reinforces the message that healing doesn’t always come from grand gestures, but from simply being understood.

A Final Goodbye to Shame

“Tuesday” closes with a sense of emotional release. The outro is both vulnerable and confrontational, as TORRES reclaims her narrative with a sharp and necessary final line: “Tell your mama she can go suck an egg.” It’s not just a jab—it’s a declaration of self-worth, a refusal to carry someone else’s guilt. This song is a long-overdue exorcism of shame, wrapped in the haze of southern heartbreak and sacred reckoning. It’s one of the most emotionally potent releases of 2025 so far, and an unforgettable entry in both artists’ discographies.

Listen to Julien Baker and TORRES Tuesday 

Julien Baker and TORRES Tuesday Lyrics Meaning Explained 

The meaning of "Tuesday" by Julien Baker and TORRES is a raw, poignant exploration of love, shame, and self-acceptance. The song delves deeply into the emotional and psychological impact of a queer relationship marred by societal rejection and internalized homophobia. Through vivid storytelling and heartbreaking honesty, it chronicles the experiences of two women—TORRES and her love interest, Tuesday—who are forced to confront the complexities of their feelings amidst a backdrop of fear, shame, and religious guilt. As the narrative unfolds, the song moves from regret and self-loathing to eventual liberation, offering a powerful meditation on the weight of suppressed desires and the difficult journey toward self-empowerment.

Verse 1: TORRES

"Left Georgia for Tennessee when I was eighteen

Met a girl named Tuesday who shined her light on me

She was five foot nine with a storm in her eyes

And of all the shoulders on which she could've cried

She picked mine

She picked mine"

In this opening verse, TORRES sets the stage for a deeply personal memory. Moving from Georgia to Tennessee at 18 is likely a symbolic rite of passage, as she embarks on a new chapter of life, perhaps one that feels uncertain or full of emotional weight. Meeting a girl named Tuesday feels almost fateful—her light shining on TORRES suggests she brought warmth or a sense of hope into her life. The line "She was five foot nine with a storm in her eyes" is striking, indicating that Tuesday was a complex, intense figure, possibly with her own inner turmoil or unresolved emotions. The phrase "Of all the shoulders on which she could’ve cried, she picked mine" suggests a deep emotional connection between the two, where Tuesday chose TORRES as her confidante, making this bond feel special and significant.

Chorus: TORRES, TORRES & Baker

"Now I wish that I hadn't stepped down and lied

When I acted like it was nothing to me

And if I could only go back in time

I'd rewrite our whole story"

In the chorus, TORRES reflects on a painful regret—her decision to "step down and lie." This suggests that when faced with the truth of her emotions or the situation, she chose to deny them, likely out of fear or shame. The line "acted like it was nothing to me" implies that TORRES pretended the relationship didn’t matter, possibly due to societal pressures or internalized homophobia. The wish to "rewrite our whole story" represents the longing for a different outcome, where she could have acted with more honesty and courage, free from the constraints of shame and fear.

Verse 2: TORRES, TORRES & Baker

"Well, her mama caught wind that her daughter's friend

Might be of the wrong persuasion

Next thing I know, her mama's calling, telling her daughter

Just the thought of it made her sick over the toilet"

This verse dives deeper into the tension caused by societal and familial rejection. "Her mama caught wind that her daughter's friend might be of the wrong persuasion" references the mother’s discovery that the relationship between TORRES and Tuesday might be queer. The phrase "wrong persuasion" highlights the negative judgment often directed at LGBTQ+ relationships, especially in conservative environments. The imagery of the mother "sick over the toilet" conveys the visceral disgust she feels, symbolizing the moral and emotional sickness that comes with this rejection.

"Instead of backing me up, Tuesday melted right down

Asked me to write her mother and say, sorry for the confusion

That of course there had been no sin

To emphasize how much I love Jesus and men"

Here, TORRES expresses further heartbreak. Instead of standing by her, Tuesday crumbles under the pressure and asks TORRES to lie to her mother, distancing herself from the truth of their relationship. The plea to "write her mother and say sorry for the confusion" reveals the painful dynamics of self-denial and internalized homophobia. The line about emphasizing her love for "Jesus and men" is particularly tragic, as it shows how Tuesday is trying to appease her mother’s religious sensibilities at the cost of her own truth, and TORRES feels the sting of rejection because of it.

Chorus: TORRES, TORRES & Baker

"How I wish that I hadn't stepped down and lied

When I acted like it was nothing to me

'Cause that night, for the first time, I took a knife

To the paper-thin skin on my arms"

The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the deep regret and self-loathing TORRES feels. The "knife" imagery in "took a knife to the paper-thin skin on my arms" is a heartbreaking and literal representation of the emotional pain she was going through. It speaks to the intensity of her internal suffering—cutting becomes a way to externalize the pain she was too afraid to confront or express. The "paper-thin skin" underscores her vulnerability, showing how fragile and fragile she felt in that moment of crisis.

"Oh my Lord, oh my Christ, is this the end?"

I heard myself cry from the tile

The darkness of eternal night started closing in

And I thought surely no future exists"

This moment is heavy with desperation and despair. The use of "Oh my Lord, oh my Christ" reflects the religious imagery that has been a part of TORRES' upbringing or experience, tying it back to the themes of shame and rejection she feels in the face of her queerness. The "darkness of eternal night" closing in symbolizes her overwhelming sense of hopelessness. At this point, she cannot envision a future where she is free from the shame and pain that is currently consuming her.

Verse 3: TORRES

"Tuesday, now I hardly think of you

But when I do, I only think of shame

And girl, I tell ya, if I could do it again

I sure as hell wouldn't do it the same"

In this verse, TORRES acknowledges the passage of time. She has moved on from Tuesday, but the memory still lingers, primarily associated with shame. This line is a powerful acknowledgment that the past, despite its fading presence, left an indelible mark on her sense of self. The statement "if I could do it again, I sure as hell wouldn't do it the same" reflects a painful but necessary shift in self-awareness, showing that she’s grown, learned, and regrets her actions.

Chorus: TORRES, TORRES & Baker

"No, I cannot believe that I stepped down and lied

I should have told you I loved you

And now I know that your shame was not mine

And I am perfect in my Lord's eyes"

The repeated chorus reinforces the realization that TORRES' shame was never hers to carry. By saying "I should have told you I loved you," she is confronting the deep pain of her silence. The line "your shame was not mine" is a crucial moment of liberation for TORRES, where she understands that the shame imposed on their love wasn’t her burden to bear. "I am perfect in my Lord's eyes" is a declarative, reclaiming statement of self-worth, free from the religious shame that once constrained her.

Outro: TORRES

"For a decade, I let you live in my head

But with this exorcism, I put our story to bed

And one more thing, if you ever hear this song

Tell your mama she can go suck an egg"

The outro marks the emotional closure of this chapter in TORRES’ life. The phrase "let you live in my head" indicates that Tuesday, or the shame tied to the relationship, haunted her for years. By calling it an "exorcism," TORRES is acknowledging that this song serves as a release, a final reckoning that allows her to move on. The final line, "Tell your mama she can go suck an egg," serves as a rebellious act of defiance. It’s a way for TORRES to reclaim her power and end the cycle of shame once and for all, even if it’s a small, symbolic act of defiance.

Tuesday Meaning

The lyrics of "Tuesday" explore themes of love, shame, internalized homophobia, and eventual liberation. TORRES uses the song as a powerful form of catharsis, reclaiming her narrative and rejecting the shame that once confined her.

Julien Baker and TORRES Tuesday Lyrics

[Verse 1: TORRES]

Left Georgia for Tennessee when I was eighteen

Met a girl named Tuesday who shined her light on me

She was five foot nine with a storm in her eyes

And of all the shoulders on which she could've cried

She picked mine

She picked mine

[Chorus: TORRES, TORRES & Baker]

Now I wish that I hadn't stepped down and lied

When I acted like it was nothing to me

And if I could only go back in time

I'd rewrite our whole story

[Verse 2: TORRES, TORRES & Baker]

Well, her mama caught wind that her daughter's friend

Might be of the wrong persuasion

Next thing I know, her mama's calling, telling her daughter

Just the thought of it made her sick over the toilet

Instead of backing me up, Tuesday melted right down

Asked me to write her mother and say, sorry for the confusion

That of course there had been no sin

To emphasize how much I love Jesus and men

[Chorus: TORRES, TORRES & Baker]

How I wish that I hadn't stepped down and lied

When I acted like it was nothing to me

'Cause that night, for the first time, I took a knife

To the paper-thin skin on my arms

"Oh my Lord, oh my Christ, is this the end?"

I heard myself cry from the tile

The darkness of eternal night started closing in

And I thought surely no future exists

[Verse 3: TORRES]

Tuesday, now I hardly think of you

But when I do, I only think of shame

And girl, I tell ya, if I could do it again

I sure as hell wouldn't do it the same

[Chorus: TORRES, TORRES & Baker]

No, I cannot believe that I stepped down and lied

I should have told you I loved you

And now I know that your shame was not mine

And I am perfect in my Lord's eyes

[Outro: TORRES]

For a decade, I let you live in my head

But with this exorcism, I put our story to bed

And one more thing, if you ever hear this song

Tell your mama she can go suck an egg