Rehtaeh
Adam Baldwin Lyrics


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It's a slow death by a thousand words
That echo in her ear
It's not yet a scar, she bleeds from her heart
It's a nosedive right into nothing
Nothing to appease anyone at all
It's dark and it's cold, she's scared and alone

Hold on dear life to me
What's frayed is not a tear
Hold on dear life I see
A young girl running scared and

What kind of a man would haunt you
And leave you with ghosts to taunt you
And what would you have me do

Who's to say that I ever would have found her
Who's to say she could have been found at all
The ifs and the hows, it's all over now
But tell me how you sat so stoic
Tell me how was it that you sat so still
Did a young girl's cries fall so hard onto deaf ears
That your eyes couldn't see what was clear

Hold on dear life to me
What's frayed is not a tear
Hold on dear life I see
A young girl running scared and

What kind of a man would haunt you
And leave you with ghosts to taunt you
And what would you have me do
I hope that the angels save ya
Cause all the king's men have failed ya
And what would you have me do
Rehtaeh

Now the echoes turn to a chorus
Of the Devil's favorite song
And it opens her scars
It rips her apart

Hold on dear life to me
What's frayed is not a tear
Hold on dear life I see
A young girl running scared

What kind of a man would haunt you
And leave you with ghosts to taunt you
And what would you have me do

Whatever you lost I'll find it
Before another young voice goes quiet
What would you have me do
Rehtaeh
What would you have me do
Rehtaeh




What would you have me do
Rehtaeh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Adam Baldwin's song "Rehtaeh" are a powerful and emotional commentary on the devastating impact of sexual assault and victim-blaming. The opening lines describe the slow, painful aftermath of the assault, with the victim still bleeding from her heart and haunted by the words of those who blame her for what happened. The chorus serves as a plea to the victim to hold on to life, to reach out for help, and to not let the memories and shame overwhelm her. The verses shift the focus to the perpetrator and those who failed to protect the victim, asking what kind of man could commit such a heinous act and what could have been done to prevent it.


The third verse is particularly poignant, as Baldwin wonders what could have been done to save Rehtaeh Parsons, a Canadian teenager who committed suicide in 2013 after being raped and then bullied by peers who shared photos of the assault. Baldwin acknowledges that it may have been too late to save her, but vows to do what he can to prevent future tragedies.


Overall, "Rehtaeh" is a moving tribute to the victims of sexual assault and a call to action for all of us to stand up against the culture of victim-blaming and to support survivors in their healing process.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a slow death by a thousand words
The constant negative comments she hears are taking a toll on her mental health


That echo in her ear
The words keep repeating in her head, making it difficult to forget


It's not yet a scar, she bleeds from her heart
The emotional pain is still fresh and affecting her deeply


It's a nosedive right into nothing
She feels like she's losing everything and has nothing left


Nothing to appease anyone at all
No matter what she does, she can't seem to make anyone happy


It's dark and it's cold, she's scared and alone
She feels like she's in a hopeless situation and has no one to turn to


Hold on dear life to me
I will offer my support and help her through this difficult time


What's frayed is not a tear
Although she may seem broken, she is still strong and capable of healing


Hold on dear life I see
I acknowledge her pain and will be there to support her


A young girl running scared and
She is afraid and needs help to feel safe again


What kind of a man would haunt you
The perpetrator of this pain is a cowardly and heartless person


And leave you with ghosts to taunt you
Their actions have caused lasting emotional damage


And what would you have me do
I am asking for guidance on how best to help her


I hope that the angels save ya
I wish for Rehtaeh to find peace and safety


Cause all the king's men have failed ya
The authorities and people who should have protected her have let her down


Now the echoes turn to a chorus
The constant negative comments are becoming overwhelming and unbearable


Of the Devil's favorite song
This pain and suffering is only causing more harm to her spirit


And it opens her scars
She is reminded of the pain and trauma she has experienced


It rips her apart
Emotionally, she feels like she is falling apart


Whatever you lost I'll find it
I am committed to helping her regain what was taken from her


Before another young voice goes quiet
I want to prevent others from experiencing the same pain and heartache


Rehtaeh
A tribute to the young girl who suffered so much




Writer(s): Adam Baldwin

Contributed by Aaron E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@stevanlewis3721

amazing guys. Thank you for what you do .

@oscardakota2876

Thank you for writing this , Adam. Saw you at Bruce G’s celebration of life, and your voice has stayed with me. I’ve been haunted by Rehtaeh’s story.

@lonelydwightfrye

This is a heavy song...and you can see these guys feeling every moment of it. Beautiful version. This song is for every young girl who had the world turn on them

@matthewlahey2909

Amazing! Please continue writing and performing songs, because you are sincerely amazingly good at it!

@taylorMFilms

This guy writes like Springsteen, amazing.

@_annhelga_

oh my heart, thanks for writing this song
this is a beautiful version

@garkdesign

I didn't realize this song was inspired by Rehteah Parsons' story. It is even more beautiful now. ❤

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