Stay or Let It Go
Brian McKnight Lyrics

What's up girl?
The singer is initiating the conversation with his partner.

I need to talk to you for a minute
The singer wants to discuss something important with his partner.

I can't keep playing myself like this
The singer is tired of being in a relationship where he feels unhappy.

There's only one thing I wanna know
The singer wants to make one decisive decision regarding his relationship.

Should I stay or should I go?
The singer is asking his partner whether he should stay in the relationship or leave it behind.

It's not my fault that you make yourself regret the past
The singer is not responsible for his partner's past mistakes.

But all I know is, it makes me look bad
The singer feels embarrassed by how his partner's past is affecting their relationship.

When I'm holding your hand and you see your friends you know
When the singer is physically close to his partner, his partner's friends see them together.

And they walk away laughing, Calling me a fool
His partner's friends laugh at him for being with someone who they think is not trustworthy.

(But baby I can't) change the things you did before we met
The singer cannot change the actions of his partner before they met.

Even though I didn't know you
The singer did not know about his partner's past mistakes before they met.

(It's hard for me to) trust you even more girl, I love you
Although the singer loves his partner, it's hard for him to trust her after knowing her past.

So tell me what am I to do, yeah
The singer is asking his partner for advice on what to do about their relationship.

Don't know if we will last
The singer is unsure whether their relationship is sustainable.

Nothing we do can erase the past
No actions can change what happened in the past.

Now can you tell me, I don't know, Should I stay or let it go?
The singer is still unsure about whether he should stay or leave the relationship.

I think of the night that I made reservations just for two
The singer recalls a time when he planned something special for both him and his partner.

But you gave your attention to someone across the room
During their special night, the singer's partner was focused on someone else in the room.

I should have known right then that things weren't right
The singer realized in retrospect that something was wrong during their special night.

But I couldn't see it cause love had me so blind
The singer was blinded to the issues because he was deeply in love with his partner.

(Tell me how can) I be so secure in loving you
The singer is questioning how he can continue to love his partner when he has doubts about her past.

When everybody's calling me a fool
Others are criticizing the singer for staying with his partner despite her past mistakes.

(I can't keep holding) on to broken promises from you
The singer can no longer hold on to the promises his partner made if she is not honoring them.

And I can't take no more from you, yeah
The singer has reached a breaking point in his relationship with his partner and cannot tolerate any more negativity.

Baby time and time again, I try to overlook the pain
The singer has tried to bypass the negative events in the relationship several times.

And I think of losing all we had together
The singer thinks of losing the memories and positive experiences they shared together.

Girl if it takes me losing you, For happiness in me
The singer is willing to let go of his partner to find happiness for himself.

I think that I might just have to let you go, oh
The singer is considering breaking up with his partner.

Why you playing those games huh?
The singer is asking his partner why she is playing games with him.

I don't see how you'll do it when I walk out the door
The singer is saying that he will not be able to come back to the relationship if he leaves.

Should I stay, or should I go?
The singer asks his partner again whether he should stay or leave the relationship.