"Resentment" is a song written by Walter W. Millsap III, Candice Nelson and… Read Full Bio ↴"Resentment" is a song written by Walter W. Millsap III, Candice Nelson and Curtis Mayfield and originally performed by Victoria Beckham. It is an emotive ballad whose lyrics detail a situation where a woman feels hurt and anger that her man lied and cheated on her.
American singer and songwriter Beyoncé recorded "Resentment" for her second studio album, B'Day (2006). Original version was composed by Walter W. Millsap III and Candice Nelson and contained the instrumental of Curtis Mayfield's "Think" from the film Superfly in 1972. Beyonce re-arranged the structure of the song by changing the order of lyrics, adding a chorus and writing new lyrics. The song is four minutes and forty-two seconds in length, a major difference from the original version's length of three minutes and twenty seconds.

Resentment
Beyoncé Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ah ah ahh, ooh ooh ooh

I wish I could believe you, then I'll be all right
But now everything you told me really don't apply
To the way I feel inside
Loving you was easy once upon a time
But now my suspicions of you have multiplied
And it's all because you lied

I only give you a hard time
'Cause I can't go on and pretend like
I haven't tried to forget this
But I'm much too full of resentment

Just can't seem to get over the way you hurt me
Don't know how you gave another who didn't mean a thing, no
The very thing you gave to me
I thought I could forgive you, and I know you've changed
As much as I wanna trust you, I know it ain't the same
And it's all because you lied

I only give you a hard time
'Cause I can't go on and pretend like
I haven't tried to forget this
But I'm much too full of resentment

I may never understand why
I'm doing the best that I can, and I
I tried and I tried to forget this
I'm much too full of resentment

I'll always remember feeling like I was no good
Like I couldn't do it for you like your mistress could
And it's all because you lied

Loved you more than ever
More than my own life
The best part of me I gave you
It was sacrifice
And it's all because you lied

I only give you a hard time
'Cause I can't go on and pretend like
I tried and I tried to forget this
But I'm too damn full of resentment

I know she was attractive, but I was here first
Been ridin' with you for six years
Why did I deserve to be treated this way by you, you?
I know you're probably thinking "what's up with B?"
I been crying for too long, what did you do to me?
I used to be so strong, but now you took my soul
I'm crying, can't stop crying, can't stop crying
You could have told me that you wasn't happy
I know you didn't wanna hurt me
But look what you done to me now
I gotta look at her in her eyes
And see she's had half of me (you lie)
How could you lie? (you lie)

Overall Meaning

Beyoncé's song Resentment tells the story of a woman who is struggling to trust her partner after he has lied to her, leading to the breakdown of their relationship. The lyrics express the singer’s feelings of betrayal, anger, and hurt. The first verse starts off by indicating her difficulties to believe him since what he has told her and how she feels inside don’t match up. The second verse tells us that she is still struggling to overcome the pain of his betrayal, realizing that he gave the same love to someone else who didn't mean anything to him. The chorus highlights the intensity of the singer’s unresolved resentment and the bridge shows the emotional toll of the relationship's breakdown. Finally, the last verse reveals that she feels like she has lost a part of herself to him.

Throughout the song, Beyonce's powerful voice and emotion-packed lyrics give us a raw insight into the complicated nature of a failed relationship. The song is notable for its slow and melancholy tone as well as its frank discussion of the impact of infidelity on a romantic relationship. The song has been praised for its lyrics and Beyonce's vocal performance.

Line by Line Meaning

I wish I could believe you, then I'll be all right
I want to believe what you told me, but it doesn't make me feel better

But now everything you told me really don't apply
Your words are meaningless and irrelevant to me now

To the way I feel inside
I can't ignore or change how hurt and betrayed I feel

Loving you was easy once upon a time
I used to love you with ease and happiness

But now my suspicions of you have multiplied
My doubts and distrust towards you have increased

And it's all because you lied
It's your fault for betraying my trust with your lies

I only give you a hard time
I am not easy on you because of the pain you caused me

'Cause I can't go on and pretend like
I cannot keep lying to myself and ignore the truth

I haven't tried to forget this
I tried to forget the hurt, but I failed

But I'm much too full of resentment
I am overwhelmed by bitterness, anger, and pain

Just can't seem to get over the way you hurt me
I cannot move on from the harm and damage you caused me

Don't know how you gave another who didn't mean a thing, no
I don't understand how you could treat someone else better than me

The very thing you gave to me
You gave your love, trust, and loyalty to someone else

I thought I could forgive you, and I know you've changed
I believed I could pardon you and that you became a better person

As much as I wanna trust you, I know it ain't the same
Despite wanting to trust you again, I know you are not trustworthy anymore

I may never understand why
I might never find an explanation for your betrayal and disloyalty

I'm doing the best that I can, and I
I'm trying my hardest to coexist with the pain and heartbreak

I tried and I tried to forget this
I repeatedly attempted to suppress and move on from this misery

I'll always remember feeling like I was no good
I will never forget how worthless and inadequate your actions made me feel

Like I couldn't do it for you like your mistress could
I felt like I didn't match up to your other lover's standards and abilities

Loved you more than ever
I loved you more than anything and anyone else

More than my own life
You were more critical to me than myself and my existence

The best part of me I gave you
I offered you the most valuable and essential part of me

It was sacrifice
I sacrificed a lot for our relationship

I know she was attractive, but I was here first
I acknowledge the beauty of your new lover, but I have been here for longer

Been ridin' with you for six years
I have been by your side for six years

Why did I deserve to be treated this way by you, you?
Why did you have to act this way and hurt me, when I didn't deserve it?

I know you're probably thinking "what's up with B?"
You might wonder why I am acting differently or why I am upset at you

I been crying for too long, what did you do to me?
I have been grieving and shedding tears for too long, what did you do to hurt me?

I used to be so strong, but now you took my soul
I used to be resilient and powerful, but now you took away my spirit and happiness

I'm crying, can't stop crying, can't stop crying
I am continuously weeping and cannot control my emotions

You could have told me that you wasn't happy
You had the chance to confess your unhappiness, but you didn't

I know you didn't wanna hurt me
I am aware that you didn't intend to hurt me, but you did

But look what you done to me now
Look at the damage and pain you caused me now

I gotta look at her in her eyes
I have to confront your new lover and see her in the face

And see she's had half of me (you lie)
I realize that she has experienced and enjoyed a significant part of my life with you

How could you lie? (you lie)
I cannot understand why you had to mislead me and tell lies

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Beyonce Knowles, Curtis L Mayfield, Walter Worth Milsap III, Candice Nelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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