In moments of cinema, there comes a montage where everything goes ideal with an iconic song in the background that becomes the aesthetic of the movie’s plot. For instance, there’s “I Like Me Better” for “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “You’re So Vain” for “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Well, “dime” by sombr has yet to be featured in a romantic comedy of some sort, which is ironic due to its potential to have its listeners indulge in that giddy feeling one has when they have a new “Roman Empire” to dwell on. This track is featured in his indie rock album, “I Barely Know Her,” in which he depicts the friends into lovers trope, ultimately denying the inevitable, which is rejection. Here is how sombr characterizes a dime as an unforgettable sensation. 

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Verse 1

“You’re living in the city

And I’m living in the crevices of your heart

You like the spend your time with me

While you wait for something perilous to start

I don’t see you clearly

Just want the chance to show you I got more than charm

For you, I’m nothing but a villain

You’re livin’ free, but in a few years, I’ll do you harm”

Here, sombr introduces the song with a harmonious balance between strings and drums, and then proceeds to describe the life of his supposed obsession. For the listeners, they are able to see the perspective of a male being hopelessly devoted, characterizing his crush as a cool person living in a city, one that is prone to being absent-minded to his yearning. There is an irony, knowing that it is predisposed that the male interests in a crush are perceived as this nonchalant figure, who could care any less about indulging in the crush’s fantasies. 

Verse 2

“You’re on a plane to Europe

And I just know you will do so well overseas

But I just can’t seem to cheer up

Knowing you will forget me”

The “right person, wrong timing” and “opposites attract” tropes are explored, depicted through the scene of people pursuing their personal niches or vocations. Here, sombr lets his conscience outweigh his pride, expressing a time of maturity in a time of yearning, an absent-minded gesture of comfort to those who find themselves naive and render themselves frustrated rather than realistic in times of differentiating between a future and a temporary moment of pleasure. 

Chorus

“We can be more than friends

I wanna love you ’til the end of my life

‘Cause you’re a ten

And I’m a man that needs a dime, oh

I wanna be more than friends

I wanna love you ’til the end of my life

‘Cause you’re a ten

And I’m a man that needs a dime, oh”

Ardently, sombr is conflicting himself into a state of “begging,” as a way to entice his interest to pursue him through promises that are loaded with meaning for him but just seen as an accessory to the other. In modern society, the slang for an attractive person would be to compare them to a ten, similarly to the equivalent of a dime. This is a unique analogy to foster charisma, which laces a child-like fashion into the song, ultimately making it so catchy. 

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Ultimately, listeners could take this song as a confidence boost to ask the person out, knowing that life on earth is limited, or as a wake-up call to delusions and knowing the fine line between being brave and setting yourself up for failure. Yes, a crush is supposed to be a fun and messy experience, but it is also an experience that concludes in self-reflection and maturation. So, the next time you crave the feelings of validation for high standards of love, similarly to the ones you obtain in a romantic comedy film, tune in to “dime.”