Because Of You
Adam Harris vs. Kelly Clarkson Lyrics
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The same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery
I will not break
The way you did, you fell so hard
I've learned the hard way
To never let it get that far
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid
I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid
I watched you die
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known
Better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry in the middle of the night
For the same damn thing
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I try my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I'm ashamed of my life
Because it's empty
Because of you
I am afraid
Because of you
Because of you
The song "Because Of You" by Kelly Clarkson is a portrayal of the lasting consequences of parental neglect and emotional abuse. Through the song, Kelly speaks for a child of a dysfunctional family who perceives herself to be vulnerable, sensitive, and as carrying the burden of her parents’ mistakes. The first stanza highlights Kelly's determination not to repeat the same mistakes that her mom or dad did. She frames the memory of her parents' mistakes as a warning and reminder to look after herself and not be blindsided by love or trust. The pre-chorus mentions how the singer has picked up some adult habits of being constantly cautious, masking emotions, and trying to avoid ruptures as her parents did. The lyrics symbolize her understanding of love and the fear surrounding how she has learned it. The chorus reinforces the idea that Kelly's current relationship pattern and personality traits are a direct result of her parent's inability to be loving and nurturing. Due to her traumatic experiences, Kelly says that her heart isn't whole and can't break anymore because it's already been shattered.
The second verse of the song digs deeper into the lyrics and describes the dysfunctional family from which the singer comes from. It speaks of constant criticism, emotional neglect, and the mother's inability to recognize her daughter as an individual with feelings. In this verse, Kelly recalls her trauma and speaks about how it made her feel. The chorus again reminds us of the heavy duty the trauma has caused on Kelly's mental state. She becomes afraid of letting anyone into her life, feels empty, ashamed of her life, and is unable to move on from her past.
Line by Line Meaning
I will not make
I won't repeat the mistakes you made
The same mistakes that you did
I won't make the same mistakes as you did
I will not let myself
I won't allow myself
Cause my heart so much misery
To cause me so much pain like you did
I will not break
I won't fall apart
The way you did, you fell so hard
Like you did, you crumbled under the weight
I've learned the hard way
I had to learn the difficult way
To never let it get that far
To never let it go as far as it did with you
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
I'm hesitant to take risks and stay safe
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
I learned to be cautious and avoid getting hurt
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
I struggle to trust not only myself but everyone else too
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I am afraid
I am scared
I lose my way
I get lost
And it's not too long before you point it out
You quickly point it out
I cannot cry
I can't let myself cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
Because I know in your eyes crying is seen as a weakness
I'm forced to fake
I have to pretend
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
To smile and laugh every day of my life
My heart can't possibly break
My heart can't break
When it wasn't even whole to start with
Because it wasn't even complete in the first place
I watched you die
I saw you die emotionally
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I heard you cry yourself to sleep every night
I was so young
I was very young
You should have known
You should have realized
Better than to lean on me
Not to rely on me
You never thought of anyone else
You only thought of yourself
You just saw your pain
You only saw your own pain
And now I cry in the middle of the night
I now cry in the middle of the night
For the same damn thing
For the same reason
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I try my hardest just to forget everything
I do my best to forget everything
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I don't know how to let anyone else in
I don't know how to open up to others
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I'm ashamed of my life
I feel embarrassed about my life
Because it's empty
Because it lacks meaning
Because of you
As a result of your actions
I am afraid
I am scared
Because of you
As a result of your actions
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Kelly Brianne Clarkson, Ben Moody, David Hall Hodges
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind