Saw you today, you wouldn't look my way
You wouldn't even smile or say hello
"Faithless!", she cried, let you decide
But there's another side and I think you know
But you remember all the times I brought you down
I'm still upstanding though my dignity's left town
So I won't stay, but I won't slope away
The change has come and there's no-one
To justify

Too late to try, bad luck goodbye
You sprinkled hot foot powder on my trail
No common ground, don't turn around
You might see more than half the tale
So look me in the eye next time you stonewall me
Good luck, bad vibe, another jaded divorcee
But I've no time to talk of tender crime
It's a dirty deed, but I've no need
To justify

I hate to break your sad misguided cheap ideals
I lived the fairytale ‘neath Tarantino's wheels
But it's OK, I don't have much to say
The change has come—now it's over and done
Don't justify

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sanctuary Rig's song Justify tell a story of a failed relationship, where one person seems to be continuously pushing the other away. The singer saw their former lover and attempted to make contact, but they were met with coldness and indifference. The other person even goes so far as to call the singer "faithless," which seems to be a projection of their own feelings of guilt and betrayal. However, the singer knows that there is more to the situation than that, and that the other person must also remember the times they were brought down.

Despite the harsh treatment received, the singer maintains their integrity and refuses to "slope away." They know that the change has come, and there is no point in trying to justify their actions or feelings. The other person may have sprinkled "hot foot powder" on their trail, but the singer is not interested in playing those kinds of games. They urge the other person to look them in the eye, but also acknowledge that it might be too painful for them to see the whole truth. In the end, the singer accepts that the relationship is over and done, and there is no need to justify anything.

Overall, the lyrics of Justify explore the complicated emotions and dynamics of a failing relationship, and highlight the importance of standing up for oneself and refusing to be dragged down by another person's negativity.

Line by Line Meaning

Saw you today, you wouldn't look my way
I saw you but you didn't acknowledge me or give a friendly greeting.

You wouldn't even smile or say hello
You didn't show any friendliness or warmth towards me.

"Faithless!", she cried, let you decide
Someone else called you unfaithful, but it's up to you to decide if that's true.

But there's another side and I think you know
I believe there is more to your story than what others are saying.

But you remember all the times I brought you down
You hold onto the past instances where I may have let you down.

I'm still upstanding though my dignity's left town
Despite my pride being lost, I still have moral integrity.

So I won't stay, but I won't slope away
I won't linger here, but I won't retreat either.

The change has come and there's no-one To justify
Things have changed and there's no one you need to explain yourself to anymore.

Too late to try, bad luck goodbye
It's too late to make amends, so goodbye with bad luck.

You sprinkled hot foot powder on my trail
You placed obstacles or bad luck in my path intentionally.

No common ground, don't turn around You might see more than half the tale
We have nothing in common, and if you turn to look back, you might see the full picture of what happened.

So look me in the eye next time you stonewall me
Face me directly next time you ignore or avoid me.

Good luck, bad vibe, another jaded divorcee
Wishing you luck, but sensing negative energy, like a cynic who has gone through a divorce.

But I've no time to talk of tender crime It's a dirty deed, but I've no need To justify
I don't have the time to discuss any wrongdoing on my part, but I don't feel the need to explain or justify myself either.

I hate to break your sad misguided cheap ideals
I don't want to upset you, but your beliefs are sad, wrong, and shallow.

I lived the fairytale ‘neath Tarantino's wheels
My life was like a fairytale at one point, but it took a turn for the worse, like a character in a Quentin Tarantino movie.

But it's OK, I don't have much to say The change has come—now it's over and done Don't justify
It's alright, I don't have much to add. It's time to move on, so let's not dwell on the past and make excuses for it.

Contributed by Hailey J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.