Read the lyrics for Courtney Barnett’s new single ‘Site Unseen’ featuring Waxahatchee. The song discusses indecision and commitment.
The lyrics for Courtney Barnett’s ‘Site Unseen’ navigate a moment of personal hesitation and the proposal of a leap of faith. The opening line, “Always getting in my own way,” establishes a theme of self-imposed obstruction that the entire song works to dismantle. The narrator questions if it is “too late, for making any changes,” weighing the release of past possibilities (“everything that might’ve been”) against the promise of a new, temporary commitment (“it’s only for a year”). This framing creates a sense of manageable risk, making a potentially daunting change seem like a short-term experiment.
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The chorus, “Site unseen I promise babe / Let’s figure out the rest another day,” acts as the song’s central proposition. It is a request for trust and a suspension of detailed planning, emphasizing presence over foresight. The phrase “site unseen,” typically used in property transactions, is repurposed here as a romantic or life metaphor, suggesting a commitment made without full knowledge of the outcome. The outro shifts decisively from questioning to resolution, with the narrator declaring, “From now on I wanna finish what I start,” directly rejecting the “indecision” mentioned earlier. The repeated invitation to “stay awhile and see” reinforces the song’s core idea: embracing an uncertain present to discover a future.
For listeners engaging with these lyrics, the song offers a relatable script for moments of transition. The conversational tone and internal monologue style are characteristic of Barnett’s songwriting, making the words feel immediately genuine and singable. The structure moves from self-doubt to a clear, if open-ended, decision, providing a narrative arc that is satisfying to follow and perform. Sharing these lyrics allows fans to connect with the specific vulnerability of admitting indecision and the cautious optimism of choosing to move forward without a complete map.
Produced by John Congleton
March 27, 2026
1 song, 3 minutes
℗ 2026 Mom+Pop
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Always getting in my own way
Is it too late, for making any changes?
Letting go of everything, that might’ve been
I know it seems a lot, it’s only for a year
[Chorus]
Site unseen I promise babe
Let’s figure out the rest another day
[Verse 2]
Falling in and out of time today
Questioning all the choices that I ever made
Letting go of everything that might’ve been
And if we like it here, we’ll stay another year
[Chorus]
Site unseen I promise babe
Let’s figure out the rest another day
[Outro]
From now on I wanna finish what I start and
That indecision’s never been of much help to me
And it won’t take long until I get my head together
Either way, why don’t we stay awhile and see
Stay awhile and see
Stay awhile and see
Stay awhile