Your Words - Behind the Lyrics

As my first song for these "behind the lyrics" blogs, I chose a song off the new record called "Your Words."  I picked it primarily because it’s one that very few of you have heard yet.  I hope you like it. 

             History:

I use words a lot in a way that most people don’t.  I put them into songs to communicate emotions and stories.  Because of that deep emotional connection, a lot of times it’s really hard for me to separate myself from things that people say to me.  It’s taken a long time for me to learn that sometimes people just say things for their own reasons – out of their own hurt, frustration, thoughtlessness – and that often the hurtful things they are saying have very little to do with me.  All of this to say, words when spoken by me (especially in song or written out) are usually expressing some of my deepest emotions, and words spoken to me go straight to my heart, whether I want them to or not. 

So you can imagine how many times I’ve been hurt by someone’s words.  And most of the time those people are very close to me.  Friends, family, people I thought were friends…each relationship is marked by the words we choose.  I know I’ve let my words hurt others. 

                                    Perspective:

So this song is about the damage done by someone’s words.  Whose were they?  Yours.  Mine.  A friend who betrayed me.  A family member who let you down.  Our own inner critics.  Lingering and regrettable words ringing in our hearts. 

We get hurt.  We cry.  We dry our eyes, but somehow the pain doesn’t go away.  “Tears fall down and hang around…like the last guest a party who doesn’t see it’s time to leave…like the snow still clinging to the ground ‘cause the spring is so naïve…like an echo in a valley that only fades with time…”

We hope.  We make excuses.  We rationalize.  On the outside we smile and move on, while on the inside we stay stuck.  But at some point, we have to move on.  And most of the time, it has to be a conscious choice, not just something that happens.  “I’m not [going to] break myself to make you see that your words are killing me.”

                                                              Behind the scenes:

When we recorded this song, we set up a room mic.  That’s it.  One microphone.  One take.  No autotune.  We tried to capture as much of the emotion as possible.  This one hits me close to home and it’s hard for me to listen to sometimes because it takes me back to a place and emotion that I’ve worked hard to get away from.  But I hope it helps you realize that you can choose to heal and choose to move on.  Choose your words carefully, and in all things choose love.  “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  Proverbs 12:18 

Your Words

When you said what you needed to say

But it’s still cold at the end of the day

Do you see the hurt in me

Where your words stung bitterly?

Tears fall down and hang around

Like the last guest at a party who doesn’t see it’s time to leave

My heart still aches

I don’t know what it takes to make you finally see

That your words are killing me

It’s not enough to say you’re sorry again

‘Cause there’s a canyon-wide hurt inside

That “sorry” can’t mend

Can’t you see there’s a part of me

That’s hanging onto hope that maybe someday you’ll see

Tears fall down and hang around

Like the snow still clinging to the ground ‘cause the spring is so naïve

And my heart still aches

I don’t know what it takes to make you finally see

That your words are killing me

And I’ve tried to look the other way

But it’s always you with more to say

And I’m done making light of our mistakes

I gotta just leave town

No more hanging around

Like an echo in the valley that only fades with time

My heart may ache but I’m not gonna break myself to make you see

That your words are killing me