The title of the song comes from her brother, Dario, who was in his teen years at the time. He was telling her about some pain he was experiencing, saying it was “growing pains.” She remembered those two words, and thought they were perfect for the song.
The song began to be teased by Alessia on June 1st when she began posting pictures with no captions on her Instagram and Twitter. In one of these, she revealed that the song would be released on June 15th when she posted a picture of a band-aid with the date “June 15.”
On June 10th, Alessia sent lines of the song to 25 different individuals, challenging her fans to put their “thinking caps on,” and piece it together. After hours of confirming bits to be correct, she eventually revealed the title, artwork, and lyrics to the song when it was successfully put together.
Growing Pains
Alessia Cara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(You are)
Make my way through the motions, I try to ignore it
But home's looking farther the closer I get
Don't know why I can't see the end
Is it over yet?
A short leash and a short fuse don't match
Now don't you overreact
So I just hold my breath, don't know why
I can't see the sun when young should be fun (fun)
And I guess the bad can get better
Gotta be wrong before it's right
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
And I've always been a go-getter
There's truth in every word I write
But still the growing pains, growing pains
They're keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Try to mend what's left of my content incomprehension
As I take on the stress of the mess that I've made
Don't know if I even care for "grown"
If it's just alone
And I guess the bad can get better
Gotta be wrong before it's right
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
I've always been a go-getter
There's truth in every word I write
But still the growing pains, growing pains
They're keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Starting to look like Ms. Know-it-all
Can't take her own advice
Can't find pieces of peace of mind, I cry
More than I want to admit
But I can't lie to myself, to anyone
'Cause phonin' it in isn't any fun
Can't run back to my youth the way I want to
The days my brother was quicker to fool
AM radio, not much to do
Used monsters as an excuse to lie awake
Now the monsters are the ones that I have to face
No band-aids for the growing pains
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah (ah yeah)
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
No, no band-aids for the growing pains
In Alessia Cara's song Growing Pains, the artist expresses her confusion and anxiety as she navigates through the trials of growing up. The lyrics convey a sense of detachment from the comforts of home and a feeling of disillusionment with the concept of adulthood. The line “Make my way through the motions, I try to ignore it” suggests that the singer is going through the motions of life without any clear direction or purpose. The phrase “short leash and a short fuse don't match” alludes to the conflicts that arise when one feels restrained and frustrated at the same time. The line “I can't see the sun when young should be fun” highlights the contrast between the expected happy-go-lucky youth and the singer's underlying sense of melancholy.
The chorus, “I guess the bad can get better, gotta be wrong before it's right,” reflects an optimistic tone despite the struggles experienced by the singer. She acknowledges that growing up can be difficult, but she has always been a “go-getter,” with truth in every word she writes. However, the growing pains keep her up at night.
The second verse suggests that the singer is struggling to cope with the stress that comes with growing up. She is unsure if she even cares to grow up if it means doing it alone. The line “Can't take her own advice” implies that she is having difficulty listening to her own wisdom and is struggling to find peace of mind. She admits to crying more than she would like to and that pretending to be okay is not satisfying. The bridge references her longing for the ease of childhood and the pains of being a responsible adult who has to face her own monsters without an excuse.
Overall, Growing Pains captures the universal experience of growing up and the anxieties that come with it. The song is a reminder that while growing up can be painful and difficult, it's an essential aspect of life that ultimately leads to growth and wisdom.
Interesting facts about Growing Pains by Alessia Cara:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
(You're on your own, kid)
You're alone
Make my way through the motions, I try to ignore it
I go through the motions of life, trying to ignore my problems
But home's looking farther the closer I get
My situation is getting worse the closer I get to what I thought was security (home)
Don't know why I can't see the end
I don't know how my problems will be resolved
Is it over yet?
I hope my struggles will be over soon
A short leash and a short fuse don't match
Expectations and impulses conflict
They tell me it ain't that bad
Others don't understand how difficult it is for me
Now don't you overreact
Don't exaggerate or express emotions too much
So I just hold my breath, don't know why
I don't understand why I feel so overwhelmed, so I suppress my feelings
I can't see the sun when young should be fun
I should be experiencing joy but instead I can't see beyond the difficulties
And I guess the bad can get better
I believe things will improve
Gotta be wrong before it's right
I need to make mistakes first in order to succeed
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
I remember encouragement from others
And I've always been a go-getter
I am used to trying hard and pursuing my dreams
There's truth in every word I write
My songs express my genuine feelings
But still the growing pains, growing pains
I'm still struggling with the difficulties of growing up
They're keeping me up at night
My problems are affecting my sleep
Try to mend what's left of my content incomprehension
I try to fix what's broken and make sense of my confused emotions
As I take on the stress of the mess that I've made
I experience the stress of trying to deal with the problems I created
Don't know if I even care for "grown"
I'm unsure of what I want in life
If it's just alone
If growing up means being lonely
Starting to look like Ms. Know-it-all
I seem to be overly confident and annoying
Can't take her own advice
I don't follow my own advice
Can't find pieces of peace of mind, I cry
I am extremely anxious and cry often
More than I want to admit
I have more intense feelings than I would like to acknowledge
But I can't lie to myself, to anyone
I am honest with myself and others
Cause phonin' it in isn't any fun
I can't pretend like everything is good because it doesn't feel satisfying
Can't run back to my youth the way I want to
I can't go back to my childhood and ignorance
The days my brother was quicker to fool
I miss when childhood was carefree and playful
AM radio, not much to do
I reminisce about simpler times when there wasn't so much stress and entertainment was easy
Used monsters as an excuse to lie awake
I used to have harmless excuses to stay up late
Now the monsters are the ones that I have to face
Now my fears and anxieties are real and overwhelming
No band-aids for the growing pains
There are no quick solutions for the challenges of growing up and facing adult problems
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alessia Caracciolo, Andrew Dexter Wansel, Warren Felder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tracy
Make my way through the motions, I try to ignore it
But home's looking farther the closer I get
Don't know why I can't see the end
Is it over yet?
A short leash and a short fuse don't match
They tell me it ain't that bad
Now don't you overreact
So I just hold my breath, don't know why
I can't see the sun when young should be fun (fun)
And I guess the bad can get better
Gotta be wrong before it's right
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
And I've always been a go-getter
There's truth in every word I write
But still the growing pains, growing pains
They're keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Try to mend what's left of my content incomprehension
As I take on the stress of the mess that I've made
Don't know if I even care for "grown"
If it's just alone
And I guess the bad can get better
Gotta be wrong before it's right
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
I've always been a go-getter
There's truth in every word I write
But still the growing pains, growing pains
They're keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
And I can't hide
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Starting to look like Ms. Know-it-all
Can't take her own advice
Can't find pieces of peace of mind, I cry
More than I want to admit
But I can't lie to myself, to anyone
'Cause phonin' it in isn't any fun
Can't run back to my youth the way I want to
The days my brother was quicker to fool
AM radio, not much to do
Used monsters as an excuse to lie awake
Now the monsters are the ones that I have to face
No band-aids for the growing pains
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah (ah yeah)
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, yeah, yeah
No, no band-aids for the growing pains
WLY8
Você está por sua conta, garoto
You're on your own, kid
Você é
You are
Faça meu caminho através dos movimentos, eu tento ignorá-lo
Make my way through the motions, I try to ignore it
Mas o lar parece mais longe quanto mais perto eu chego
But home's looking farther the closer I get
Não sei porque não consigo ver o fim
Don't know why I can't see the end
Já acabou?
Is it over yet?
Hum
Hmm
Uma coleira curta e um pavio curto não combinam
A short leash and a short fuse don't match
Eles me dizem que não é tão ruim, agora não exagere
They tell me it ain't that bad, now don't you overreact
Então eu prendo a respiração, não sei porque
So I just hold my breath, don't know why
Não consigo ver o sol quando jovem deveria ser divertido (divertido)
I can't see the sun when young should be fun (Fun)
E eu acho que o mal pode melhorar
And I guess the bad can get better
Tem que estar errado antes de estar certo
Gotta be wrong before it's right
Cada frase feliz gravada em minha mente
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
E eu sempre fui um empreendedor
And I've always been a go-getter
Há verdade em cada palavra que escrevo
There's truth in every word I write
Mas ainda as dores de crescimento, dores de crescimento
But still the growing pains, growing pains
Eles estão me mantendo acordado à noite
They're keeping me up at night
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
E eu não posso esconder
And I can't hide
Porque as dores de crescimento estão me mantendo acordado à noite
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
E eu não posso esconder
And I can't hide
Porque as dores de crescimento estão me mantendo acordado à noite
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Tente consertar o que resta da minha incompreensão de conteúdo
Try to mend what's left of my content incomprehension
Enquanto assumo o estresse da bagunça que fiz
As I take on the stress of the mess that I've made
Não sei se eu me importo com o adulto, se estiver sozinho, sim
Don't know if I even care for grown, if it's just alone, yeah
E eu acho que o mal pode melhorar
And I guess the bad can get better
Tem que estar errado antes de estar certo
Gotta be wrong before it's right
Cada frase feliz gravada em minha mente
Every happy phrase engraved in my mind
Eu sempre fui um empreendedor
I've always been a go-getter
Há verdade em cada palavra que escrevo
There's truth in every word I write
Mas ainda as dores de crescimento, dores de crescimento
But still the growing pains, growing pains
Eles estão me mantendo acordado à noite
They're keeping me up at night
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
E eu não posso esconder
And I can't hide
Porque as dores de crescimento estão me mantendo acordado à noite
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim
Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
E eu não posso esconder
And I can't hide
Porque as dores de crescimento estão me mantendo acordado à noite
'Cause growing pains are keeping me up at night
Começando a parecer a Sra. Sabe-Tudo
Starting to look like Ms. Know-It-All
Não pode seguir seu próprio conselho
Can't take her own advice
Não consigo encontrar pedaços de paz de espírito, eu choro
Can't find pieces of peace of mind, I cry
Mais do que eu quero admitir, mas não posso mentir
More than I want to admit but I can't lie
Para mim, para qualquer um
To myself, to anyone
Porque telefonar não é nada divertido
'Cause phoning it in isn't any fun
Não posso correr de volta para a minha juventude do jeito que eu quero
Can't run back to my youth the way I want to
Os dias em que meu irmão era mais rápido para enganar
The days my brother was quicker to fool
Rádio AM, não há muito o que fazer
AM radio, not much to do
Monstros usados como desculpa para ficar acordado
Used monsters as an excuse to lie awake
Agora os monstros são os que eu tenho que enfrentar
Now the monsters are the ones that I have to face
Sem band-aids para as dores de crescimento
No band-aids for the growing pains
Ah, sim, sim, sim
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, sim)
(Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Sim, ei, ei, sim, sim, ei) não, não
(Yeah, hey, hey, yeah, yeah, hey) no, no
Sem band-aids para as dores de crescimento
No band-aids for the growing pains
Alpha
I understand this song so well. It is currently what I am going through.
0:07 When they say "You're on your own kid. You are!" and then you hear a giggle. When I was first allowed to leave the house by myself, They told me I was gonna be on my own, And told me good luck, I chuckled taking it as a joke.
She then sings about how she is ignoring her emotions and home seems more distant. After awhile of me leaving the house daily, the feeling of freedom and excitement started wearing off, and the realisation kicked in of all the things that could happen to me. I ignored the feelings and kept heading out, trying to keep the feeling. And I also saw how my family kinda stopped worrying about me, it felt like the home i was used to when I was considered a "kid" was drifting away.
She sings about how they tell her not to worry, and how young isn't as fun as it was (or should be), and we see tears on her face. My family always expected me to come back having so much fun (i did sometimes), And if I was ever worried they would tell me "You'll Get Used To It, Don't Worry!" or "It's Not That Bad! Stop Worrying So Much!".
She then sings how she might be wrong, and how she remembers every happy and positive thing that she was told as a kid. When you start to worry you kinda just, retreat back to your kid memories and try to find safety. And also denying yourself saying that you're wrong and it is ok, and you're freaking out over nothing.
She then gets pushed around, but doesn't fight back, she also seems confused. I didn't quite understand what was going on or what to do, so i went along with the first thing i heard, or what i was told to do in this situation. Everything was going all over the place and I still just couldn't get a grasp of the situation, so i kept letting myself get pushed around, hoping I was doing the right thing.
Life starts to rush by her and she sings she doesn't want to grow up if it's gonna be lonely. Yeah the next couple of years i just stayed confused, and as I kept following along with whatever, life was rushing by and staying a blur. Although I did not go through the Alone part.
She sings about being Ms. Know-It-All and how she can't take her own advice, she also sings about not being able to lie to herself. This is the point I'm at right now, breaking off of following everybody and still confused. My family thinks I'm Ms. Know-It-All, Because I'm acting like I know what I'm doing, when I'm honestly not and I'm can't lie to myself, I'm still confused, but just starting to grasp it all.
And then the suit kinda just merges onto her. I guess that means she finally understands it all, and that she has to grow up, but doesn't want to (or accepts it).
Leonardo Símuta
This is exactly what being a teenager feels like. It's so sad that only plastic songs are trending right now. This is meaningful, soul-touching music.
Nathania Wilson
actually, there’re so many ‘plastic’ songs that has deep meaning like all of alessia’s song. so if u never listen to them, dont jugde it.
Neha Yadav
@Nathania Wilson exactly
LagswitchEngage
Ah yes, a mainstream pop song is so much less plastic than the rest of them.
Tori
I agree, this should be on the radio
hondy no
These comments are soooo cringe
miya
I love at the end when the suit is forcing itself on her, it’s basically a reference to how she’s not ready to grow up, or how she’s calls it “put her big girl pants on”, but she’s forced to put on this suit (growing up) even when she’s not ready because growing up is basically inevitable and you can’t escape it.
Li La
Love the comprehension
Rafaela Santana
Obrigada, agora entendi
IC4👁Eyez73
Deep....