Meaning of “Sirens” by Travis Scott

Some of the lyrics of Travis Scott’s “Sirens” are particularly ear-catching, i.e. from the end of the first verse into the second verse. There we have Travis apparently singing about “a festival”, one in which “you(‘re) never leaving”. And the reason such a statement is interesting is because going back to his Astroworld Festival of 2021, some people really didn’t make it out of that event alive. 

This is also the one song we have thus far come across from “Utopia” in which Scott is referring to “the devils” and “demons” in a way that doesn’t insinuate he’s at odds with them. But he does go on to clarify that the “festival” he’s referring to, the one that “all the demons” are attending, is apparently transpiring “right in (his) room” during a late night session.

With that in mind the outro of the song, in which Drake participates, implies that the above observation may be Travis’s way of putting forth that his room is “utopia”. That is to say that the philosophy behind the title of this album, as put forth via its marketing campaign, reads “utopia is wherever you are”. 

“I thought we were going to utopia?
What makes you say this isn’t utopia?
I mean, I don’t know, isn’t it supposed to be some perfect destination?
This is just your hotel room Yeah, it looks perfect to me”

There’s a number of different ways of taking that statement, but ultimately it points to a notion akin to life being what you make it. And going back to the beginning of the second verse, that appears to be Travis’s disposition in a manner of interpretation, i.e. ‘the festival’ not being held in some outside venue but rather in his room. 

Or put otherwise, wherever the vocalist may find himself, he possesses the type of attitude whereby the place would likewise be jumping.

With all of that being hypothesized, the word “sirens” itself is not found in this song. So it is basically up to the listener to determine what the title may mean in context.

Meaning of “Sirens”

It should be noted that sirens are actually creatures from Greek mythology. They are typically depicted as gorgeous women with voices to die for, literally! These ladies knew how to belt out a tune that would draw sailors to their doom.

They were often shown as part bird, part woman and lived on an island. Their irresistible music made sailors crash their ships. The most famous tale about sirens comes from Homer’s “Odyssey”.

In a modern context, the term “siren” is typically used for those loud, piercing sounds that alert us to emergencies or air raids. Kinda makes sense, right? Just like those mythical ladies, these modern sirens are all about grabbing our attention with their sounds.

Do the lyrics of “Sirens” have any connection with the aforementioned Greek mythology? Actually, I don’t see what the lyrics have to do with that mythology.

Credits for “Sirens”

A team of songwriters are credited with composing “Sirens”. The members of the said songwriting team are:

• Travis Scott
• Noah Goldstein
• Keith Kabwe
• John Fannon
• Jahaan Sweet
• Isaac Mpofu
• E.Vax
• Buddy Ross

Co-writers Vax, Scott, Ross and Goldstein also co-produced “Sirens” with WondaGurl and John Mayer.

Date of Release

“Sirens” is a part of Travis’ “Utopia,” his fourth studio album, which hit the airwaves on July 28th, 2023.