Emma
Ben Reneer feat. Katie Lee Cragun Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You stand at the water's edge and somewhere in last night
There's a child, she laughs
There's a girl, she cries
And they are both inside your eyes
Yeah, they are both there in your eyes

I left town a couple years, when I came home
I was so amazed at how you had grown
But you had cages of your own
Yeah, you had cages of your own

I wish that I could find a way to keep you safe
I wish that I could heal you today
Emma

Only cracked and broken can I see you full of light
When the winter ends but you're still not right
Well we're all wounded from the fight
Yeah we're all victims of this life

I wish that I could find a way to keep you safe
I wish that I could heal you today
Emma
Emma

Please don't swallow the darkness
Please don't swallow the world
Girl, don't swallow the shadow
Don't let it swallow my girl

I wish that I could find a way to keep you safe
I wish that I could heal you today
Emma

I wish that I could find a way to keep you safe
I wish that I could heal you today
Emma




Emma
Emma

Overall Meaning

The song "Emma" by Ben Reneer featuring Katie Lee Cragun is a poignant and heartfelt ode to a loved one who is going through a tough time. The song starts with the image of the singer standing at the water's edge, lost in reminiscence. The haunting memory of a child who laughs and a girl who cries, both residing in the singer's eyes, sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer left town for a few years and returns only to find that the person they love has grown, but has also erected their own cages that keep them from fully healing. The singer wishes they could keep their beloved safe and heal them, but acknowledges that we're all victims of life's struggles.


The chorus repeats the singer's wish to keep their beloved safe and heal them, pleading with them not to swallow the darkness or the world or let the shadows consume them. The repetition of the name "Emma" suggests that it is a plea to a specific person, but also serves as a universal cry out to anyone experiencing pain and struggles. The lyric "only cracked and broken can I see you full of light" is a beautiful metaphor that suggests that despite the difficulties, there is hope for healing and that brokenness can eventually give way to brightness.


Overall, "Emma" is a touching and emotional ballad that conveys the universal feeling of love and concern for someone who is struggling, and the desire to protect and heal them.


Line by Line Meaning

You stand at the water's edge and somewhere in last night
You are at the edge of the water, looking out towards the horizon, and in your mind, there are memories of a past night.


There's a child, she laughs
There is a child somewhere in your mind, and she is happy and laughing.


There's a girl, she cries
There is another girl in your mind, and she is crying.


And they are both inside your eyes
The memories of these children are so vivid in your mind that you can see them both in your eyes.


Yeah, they are both there in your eyes
The children are not just in your mind, but their memories are so strong that you can physically see them in your eyes.


I left town a couple years, when I came home
I left the town a few years ago, but when I returned, I noticed a significant change.


I was so amazed at how you had grown
I was impressed by how much you had developed and matured in my absence.


But you had cages of your own
I realized that even though you had grown, you were still held back by your own issues and problems.


Yeah, you had cages of your own
Your own struggles and limitations were holding you back, just like the cages.


I wish that I could find a way to keep you safe
I hope that I could find a way to keep you secure and out of harm's way.


I wish that I could heal you today
I would like to fix your issues and help you feel better as soon as possible.


Emma
This line is just the name of the person they are referring to throughout the song - Emma.


Only cracked and broken can I see you full of light
I can only see the positives in you when you are at your lowest.


When the winter ends but you're still not right
When the hardship ends but you still can't get better.


Well we're all wounded from the fight
We all get hurt from life's challenges.


Yeah we're all victims of this life
We all struggle and suffer in life, no matter who we are.


Please don't swallow the darkness
Please do not let your negative emotions consume you.


Please don't swallow the world
Do not let the problems of the world burden you.


Girl, don't swallow the shadow
Don't let your own personal demons consume you.


Don't let it swallow my girl
I don't want your problems to consume you and hurt you further.


I wish that I could find a way to keep you safe
I hope that I could find a way to help you feel secure.


I wish that I could heal you today
I want to fix your problems and help you feel better soon.


Emma
This line is just the name of the person they are referring to throughout the song - Emma.


Emma
This line is just the name of the person they are referring to throughout the song - Emma.


Emma
This line is just the name of the person they are referring to throughout the song - Emma.




Contributed by Levi R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found