Vanessa Carlton - White Houses - Lyrics Meaning

"White Houses" was the first single from Vanessa Carlton's second album, Harmonium (2004). The song tells the story of the complicated relationships between a group of teenagers. At the outset they are naive and optimistic, convinced that their friendships will last forever. Over time, after the narrator loses her virginity, their relationships crumble and regrets begin to sink in. They grew up too fast, and gave up on each other too easily. According to Carlton, the song is about living on your own for the first time, jealousy, sex, becoming hardened by life. It is about the rites of passage that every teenager must endure, and the transition from innocence (represented here by the white color of the houses) to experience. Many fans believe that "White Houses" was written about the summers Carlton spent at the American Ballet Academy in New York City when she was a young girl. It was during one of these summers that she first fell in love, lost her virginity, and had her heart broken. In an interview with MTV, Carlton explained that "It's a story that most people can relate to, that chapter in your life from 16 to 25, where you're trying to figure out who you are."