Slim Pickins

Album

Short n' Sweet

Label

Island Records

Genre

Country

Composer(s)

Sabrina Carpente;Amy Allen;Jack Antonoff

Entered Chart

Sep 7, 2024

Peak Date

Sep 7, 2024

Released

August 23, 2024

Recorded

Studio Sharp Sonics (Los Angeles) Electric Lady (New York City) Big Mercy Sound (New York City)

The phrase "Slim Pickings" typically describes a situation where there are precious few good options, like searching for a ripe apple in a bowl full of bruised ones. In this country-influenced song, Sabrina Carpenter sees slim pickings when she peers into the dating pool, which looks more like a desert. She's faced with the unenviable choice of settling for a less-than-ideal partner or braving the wilderness of singlehood alone. "Slim Pickins" made its way onto Carpenter's sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet. She debuted the track live on August 2, 2024, during an intimate performance at the Grammy Museum just a few weeks before the album's official release. As Carpenter introduced the song, she playfully confessed, "This one's cute, and I just wanted to sing it for you today. Super random of me." Sabrina Carpenter started dating Irish actor Barry Keoghan in late 2023, but "Slim Pickins" doesn't appear to be aimed at him specifically. Instead, it seems more like a reflection on past romantic misadventures or just the general trials and tribulations of dating in the modern age. So why "Slim Pickins" instead of the more standard "Slim Pickings?" Carpenter's choice of title serves a few purposes. 1) There's the casual, laid-back vibe. By dropping the 'g,' the title takes on a more relaxed, conversational feel that matches the song's relatable tone - like a friend sharing her dating woes over a cup of coffee. 2) Then there's the nod to the song's country roots. With its twangy, country-inspired sound, "Pickins" taps into the kind of rural or down-home dialect you'd expect from a Southern porch-sitter with a banjo in hand. 3) And let's not forget the playful wordplay at work here. "Pickins" brings to mind the actor Slim Pickens, renowned for his cowboy roles, adding an extra layer of meaning - or at least a bit of fun ambiguity - to the title. The song is a collaborative effort with songwriter Amy Allen and producer Jack Antonoff. Amy Allen had a hand in all 12 songs on Short n' Sweet, and Carpenter credits their partnership as a central force in shaping the album's themes and overall vibe. As for Jack Antonoff, he's also worked with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, as well as on his own Bleachers project. His fingerprints are over three other Short n' Sweet tracks: "Please Please Please," "Lie to Girls," and "Sharpest Tools." Carpenter was understandably thrilled to work with Antonoff, telling Rolling Stone that the collaboration felt inevitable: "I was peeing my pants because I wanted to work with him my whole life," she said, with typical bluntness. "He heard some of the stuff I was working on for this album, and we just started to make magic. At first, I was wondering if it was separate projects or if it felt like one. And then, as everything came together, I was like, 'This is one album.'" Carpenter recorded "Slim Pickins" at Los Angeles' Sharp Sonics Studios and New York City's Electric Lady Studios and Big Mercy Sound. Antonoff played drums, acoustic guitar, and percussion. The other musicians are: Sean Hutchinson: drums, percussion Mikey Freedom Hart: slide guitar, engineer Francisco Ojeda: double bass Bobby Hawk: violin Hart and Hutchinson are both members of the Antonoff-led band Bleachers. Hart plays guitar and provides backing vocals, while Hutchinson is their drummer.

Guess I'll end this life alone
I am not dramatic, these are just the thoughts that pass right through me
All the douchebags in my phone
Play 'em like a slot machine
If they're winnin', I'm just losin'

A boy who's jacked and kind
Can't find his ass to save my life

Oh, it's slim pickings
If I can't have the one I love
I guess it's you that I'll be kissing
Just to get my fixings
Since the good ones are deceased or taken
I'll just keep on moanin' and bitchin'

Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah

Jesus, what's a girl to do?
This boy doesn't even know the difference between "their," "there" and "they are"
Yet he's naked in my room
Missing all the things he's missing
God knows that he isn't living large

A boy who's nice, that breathes
I swear he's nowhere to be seen

It's slim pickings
If I can't have the one I love
I guess it's you that I'll be kissing
Just to get my fixings
Since the good ones are deceased or taken
I'll just keep on moanin' and bitchin'
Moanin' and bitchin'

Since the good ones call their exes wasted
And since the Lord forgot my gay awakening
Then I'll just be here in the kitchen
Serving up some moanin' and bitchin'