Briston Maroney largely grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. In August 2013, at age 15, Maroney tried out for the 13th season of American Idol at one of its audition bus stops in Knoxville. He was then selected to audition in front of the American Idol judges in Salt Lake City. There, he sang a version of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on an episode that aired in January 2014. The judges voted to advance him to Hollywood, where he became one of 30 semi-finalists. Maroney did not advance beyond that point.
Why
Briston Maroney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything I'd come to love was comin' back to get me
Blue light in the rearview left me with a clear view unloaded
Got a lot of love, but I don't really know how to show it
And I grew on my own, I told you so
I did not need someone to hold
Back my heart the way you've done
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
I'd give anything to make this right
And you don't know what you've been missin', babe
So won't you turn off the lights and come back inside
And then you'd find you'd rather not
Back into the black, I was ready for somebody different
Rememberin' these days as much as I'm forgettin'
If you're losin' tracks, steppin' back and you know it
Count up all your friends, is there anybody left to ignore this?
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
And I'd give anything to make this right
And you don't know what you've been missin', babe
So won't you turn off the lights and come back inside
And then you'd find you'd rather not
And I will hold my breath until I cannot anymore
And why do I pray to a God that I know I can't afford?
Am I wrong to be confused if I am still in love with you?
Am I wrong to feel anything at all?
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
Oh, I'd give anything to make this right
Oh, I'd give anything to make this right
I'd give anything to make this right
In Briston Maroney's song "Why," the lyrics explore the feeling of being torn between wanting to move on from a past love and the struggle of letting go. The singer reflects on how much he has loved and lost, as he reminisces about the past love that left him heartbroken. He drinks half a bottle of something and hits the road, but the memories eventually catch up with him. The blue light in the rearview mirror signifies a cop car or a reminder of the past, and it prompts him to realize he has a lot of love, but he doesn’t know how to show it. The singer acknowledges the fact that he has grown on his own, and he doesn't need anyone to hold back his heart the way the lover in question has done.
Later in the song, the singer conveys his desire to move on and be with someone else, but he’s still in love with his past lover. He is confused about his feelings, struggles to let go, and prays to a God that he knows he can't afford. The singer asks himself if he is wrong to feel anything at all towards his past lover, and he longs to make things right.
Overall, the lyrics in "Why" showcase a sense of vulnerability, confusion, and the complexity of emotions that one can experience while trying to move on from a past relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Half a bottle down, a mile out of town and it hits me
After drinking half a bottle and driving a mile, I realized that everything I loved was coming back to haunt me.
Everything I'd come to love was comin' back to get me
Everything I loved was hurting me now.
Blue light in the rearview left me with a clear view unloaded
The police car behind me allowed me to reflect on myself.
Got a lot of love, but I don't really know how to show it
I have a lot of love, but I don't know how to express it.
And I grew on my own, I told you so
I grew by myself and warned you about it.
I did not need someone to hold
I didn't need someone to hold me.
Back my heart the way you've done
To block my heart like you've done.
And you were doin'
And you were doing it.
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
Why can't I be someone else tonight?
I'd give anything to make this right
I would give anything to fix this.
And you don't know what you've been missin', babe
You don't know what you've been missing, baby.
So won't you turn off the lights and come back inside
So turn off the lights and come back inside.
And then you'd find you'd rather not
But then you wouldn't want to.
Back into the black, I was ready for somebody different
I was ready for someone new.
Rememberin' these days as much as I'm forgettin'
I'm both remembering and forgetting these days.
If you're losin' tracks, steppin' back and you know it
If you're losing track and you know it, take a step back.
Count up all your friends, is there anybody left to ignore this?
Count all your friends, is there anyone left to ignore this?
And I will hold my breath until I cannot anymore
I will keep holding my breath until I can't anymore.
And why do I pray to a God that I know I can't afford?
Why am I praying to a God that I can't afford?
Am I wrong to be confused if I am still in love with you?
Is it wrong to be confused if I still love you?
Am I wrong to feel anything at all?
Is it wrong to feel anything at all?
Oh, I'd give anything to make this right
Oh, I would do anything to fix this.
I'd give anything to make this right
I would give anything to fix this.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Briston Maroney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Katme0w
🖤LYRICS:
[Verse 1]
Half a bottle down, a mile out of town and it hits me
Everything I'd come to love was comin' back to get me
Blue light in the rearview left me with a clear view unloaded
Got a lot of love, but I don't really know how to show it
[Pre-Chorus]
And I grew on my own, I told you so
I did not need someone to hold
Back my heart the way you've done
And you were doin'
[Chorus]
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
I'd give anything to make this right
And you don't know what you've been missin', babe
So won't you turn off the lights and come back inside
And then you'd find you'd rather not
[Verse 2]
Back into the black, I was ready for somebody different
Rememberin' these days as much as I'm forgettin'
If you're losin' tracks, steppin' back and you know it
Count up all your friends, is there anybody left to ignore this?
[Chorus]
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
And I'd give anything to make this right
And you don't know what you've been missin', babe
So won't you turn off the lights and come back inside
And then you'd find you'd rather not
[Bridge]
And I will hold my breath until I cannot anymore
And why do I pray to a God that I know I can't afford?
Am I wrong to be confused if I am still in love with you?
Am I wrong to feel anything at all?
[Chorus]
But why can't I be someone else tonight?
Oh, I'd give anything to make this right
Oh, I'd give anything to make this right
I'd give anything to make this right
🎶
@jakebertram3841
This dude is sooo underrated
@vinterbukser2261
i suggest this song - time by the impures
listen to it ;z)
@blues713317
The visual album is hands down the best thing in music today. Briston and company are on fire and creating some of the best art I've ever had the pleasure of digesting.
Now buy this music and contribute to hopefully many more years of this!!
@nasihulwan1223
I won't mind being quarantined forever in this man's mind. The sights and sounds he creates are beautiful.
@youremotionalsupportwaterb3496
The fact that this came out today, on my birthday makes it 10000 times better
@LogdogMolehill
Happy birthday! Thanks to your mom
@harmonyparker6725
3:04 till the end is my favorite part lyrically/musically. I just hear so much emotion in his voice, the words, and the music. Absolutely beautiful
@fionaostermann13
i dont think you realize how much this new album saved me so thank you
@vinterbukser2261
i suggest this song - time by the impures
listen to it ;z)
@smileinc.2596
Already a legend in my book