Stab My Back
AAR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She just wants me to share her
It hasn't been this way before
She just wants me to dare her
The phone rings (the phone rings)
And she screams
"Stab my back
Walk on me
It never was enough to do"
I can't get past her
Falling faster
It's true
It hasn't done a lot for you
And every time he held you close
Yeah, were you thinking of me?
When I needed you the most
Well I hope that you're happy
The phone rings (the phone rings)
And she screams
"Stab my back
It's better when I bleed for you
Walk on me
It never was enough to do"
I can't get past her
Falling faster
It's true
It's better when I bleed for you
I hope that love he gave you
Was just enough to save you
You nearly broke my heart
Just look at what you're tearin' apart
Stab my back
It's better when I bleed for you
Walk on me
It never was enough to do
I can't get past her
Falling faster
It's true
It hasn't done a lot for you
(It's better when I bleed for you)
(It never was enough to do)
It hasn't done a lot for you
The song "Stab My Back" by The All-American Rejects is a poignant musing on the aftermath of a broken relationship. The two partners, now estranged, find themselves lonely and seeking comfort in each other, even though the history of their relationship has not been kind. The singer paints a picture of misery and confusion with the lines "Now we're broken on the floor/ She just wants me to share her/ It hasn't been this way before/ She just wants me to dare her." It is clear that they both are hurting, and they are clinging to each other as a way to forget their pain.
The chorus of the song is the most powerful part, with the female partner screaming for the singer to hurt her. She is so desperate for his love that she is willing to be hurt by him, even if that is the only way she can feel it. The singer is tormented by her request, feeling unequal to the task of satisfying her needs, and unable to overcome his own feelings of anger and despair.
The second verse is a rumination on the past, with the singer asking whether his former partner thought of him when she was with someone else. He admits that he needed her desperately, but she was not there for him. This section of the song is melancholy and full of regret, as the singer comes to terms with the fact that his love was not enough to salvage the relationship.
Overall, the song is a stark reminder of the fragile nature of relationships, and how easy it is to hurt the ones we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Now we're broken on the floor
The relationship between the singer and his partner is damaged and they are in chaos.
She just wants me to share her
The partner of the singer wants him to share her sorrows, responsibilities, and difficulties.
It hasn't been this way before
The situation between the singer and his partner has never been worse than this in the past.
She just wants me to dare her
The partner of the artist wants him to challenge her and put her at risk.
The phone rings (the phone rings)
Someone has called the artist's partner's phone.
And she screams
The singer's partner cries in pain, anger or fear.
"Stab my back
The singer's partner wants him to hurt her emotionally.
It's better when I bleed for you
The partner of the artist feels better when she experiences pain for his sake.
Walk on me
The artist's partner is willing to be taken for granted or hurt just to make him happy.
It never was enough to do"
The actions of the artist's partner never felt enough or satisfactory to him.
I can't get past her
The singer can't move on from this relationship.
Falling faster
The artist's emotional state is declining rapidly.
It's true
The singer is sure about his feelings and situation.
And every time he held you close
The singer imagines his partner with someone else and is talking to her about it.
Yeah, were you thinking of me?
The singer asks if his partner still remembers him in her present life.
When I needed you the most
The artist accuses his partner of abandoning him when he was in most need of her.
Well I hope that you're happy
The artist expresses his dissatisfaction with how his partner treated him in the past.
I hope that love he gave you
The singer has hope that the person with whom his partner is now in a relationship will offer her love.
Was just enough to save you
The singer thinks that his partner needed someone better and that she found him and was able to heal herself.
You nearly broke my heart
The artist confronts his partner for almost destroying his emotions.
Just look at what you're tearin' apart
The artist asks his partner to see the damage she has caused between them.
It hasn't done a lot for you
The artist suggests that the actions of his partner didn't achieve much good for their relationship besides hurting him.
"It's better when I bleed for you"
The partner of the singer repeats her desire to experience pain for him.
"It never was enough to do"
The partner of the artist repeats her belief that her efforts were not enough to make the artist happy.
Contributed by Alexis J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.