Tales of Lonely Hearts
What if the defenses you built to protect yourself are what keeping you from healing?
Meaning
"Tales of Lonely Hearts" is a cinematic folk fairytale that introduces its three archetypes: the fierce Warrior who is afraid to be vulnerable, the charming Actor who hides behind masks, and the passive Dreamer who retreats into fantasy. Each embodies a different defense mechanism we use to guard ourselves from the pain of real connection, both to others and to our own authentic selves. Sung like an old tale carried down from ancient times, the song asks what happens when night falls, the masks come off, and we're left alone with the void underneath.
The Archetypes
The song introduces 3 archetypes which embodies different defense mechanisms.
The Warrior. Independent, fierce, confident, dislikes asking for help or showing any kind of “vulnerabilities”. The Warrior stays guarded and keep everyone at arm's length so she can't be hurt.
The Actor. Friendly, well-liked by others, and easily fits in to any group. The Actor switches personas to please others and feel accepted. Deep down, he’s afraid that his real self isn’t worthy of being loved, so he hides it behind masks.
The Dreamer. Imaginative and rich inner world, the Dreamer lives in her fantasy and hides behind perfectionism. She doesn’t act in the real world to avoiding the risk of failure or judgment.
The first chorus refers these archetypes as “they/their”, but then shifted to “we/our” in the final chorus. This shift hinted that the Warrior, the Actor, and the Dreamer were never three different people. They are aspects of all of us. We may lean toward one more than the others at different points in life, but at some point we live inside each of them.
Inspiration
This song started with me questioning why we so often feel lonely, lost, and cry more easily at night when we're completely alone. The darkness and quiet of night make us feel vulnerable. It’s the time our defenses finally come down. The masks and armor we wear through the day are no longer needed, and in that quiet we feel the void in our hearts: the emptiness that comes from being afraid to be our authentic selves.
I built the three archetypes that depict different modes of defense mechanisms inspired by Jungian archetypes and Enneagram personality theory. If you know Enneagram, see if you can guess which is which, and which one is you.
Music
I wanted the song to sound like a old tale told around campfire since ancient times, so both the lyrics and the music sound like a cautionary fairytale and fantasy soundtrack. I was inspired by fantasy game soundtracks like The Witcher 3, Divinity 2, and Baldur's Gate 3, some of my favorite games.
Each archetype is represented by its own signature "character" instrument, which you can hear as the lyrics introduce each archetype.
Warrior: doumbek, a Middle Eastern handheld drum with a sharp, piercing sound. It matches the fierce warrior whose instinct is to attack and defend first.
Actor: bansuri, a South Asian bamboo flute with a wide range and a warm, soothing tone. Like the actor, it's charming and easy to listen to, slipping smoothly between registers the way he slips between personas to please others and fit in.
Dreamer: celesta, a dreamy, ethereal, slightly lonely sound that feels like it's floating inside your head. It mirrors the dreamer who keeps her dreams to herself, never sharing them or acting them out in the real world for fear of failing or being judged.
The song also has other world instruments. One is the theorbo, an Italian bass version of the lute. I'd never even heard of it until Paul, a musician I hired to play lute, suggested it instead, and I fell in love with its beautiful sound, which feels like a fantasy landscape come to life.
The other is the khim, a Thai instrument that plays alongside the theorbo in the chorus. I'm Thai, and I actually learned the khim back in elementary school. It has an ethereal, ancient quality that fits the story the lyrics tell perfectly.
Lyrics
Let me tell you a tale about a great warrior
With a sword in one hand, a mighty shield in another
She fiercely fends off all who let down their guards
Never lets anyone get too close to her heart
Let me tell you a tale about a great actor
His silver tongue can win him any favor
Switching personas’ such an easy task
Never lets anyone see behind the mask
When night falls and the silence is unbearable
Their lonely hearts beat in unison
As teardrops roll down their faces
They wonder why there’s something missing inside
Let me tell you a tale about a great dreamer
Hiding in her own world of endless wonder
Afraid to ever find out that her failures are real
Never act, never love, never hurt, never feel
When night falls and the silence is unbearable
Our lonely hearts beat in unison
As teardrops roll down our faces
We wonder why there’s something missing inside
Credits
Music
Artist, Composer, & Producer: Tamlin.
Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Max Honsinger
Bansuri: Akshat Mehrotra
Cello: Liz Hanks
Theorbo: Tommaso Tarsi
