Try Hard
Chief State Lyrics

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I find it hard to be here when you're around
It's like you never learned to live in the withered skin you're in
You barely tried, wish you would open up your eyes
You've been jaded and negated, didn't even realize

That I've been doing better Since I've been sailing calmer seas
I jumped ship now I'm at ease

It's too late to tell me you're ok
I spent night after night waiting for you to call me
It's too bad you got mad and found out
It's a shame you're to blame but we can't change yesterday
So tomorrow's yours to make

I hit rock bottom and I found you there
You were waiting all this time for me to fall so you could bare it
Another night, an alibi is all I am throughout this strife
Take me candid not for granted, I'm sick of you wasting my time
Now I've been doing better
I think you know
You're not getting better

It's too late to tell me you're ok
I spent night after night waiting for you to call me
It's too bad you got mad and found out
It's a shame you're to blame but we can't change yesterday
So tomorrow's yours to make

It's too late, it's too late

Overall Meaning

The song "Try Hard" by Chief State is about a person who is trying to move on from a toxic relationship. The singer finds it hard to be around the person they used to be in a relationship with. The person never learned to live in the present and the skin they are in, therefore they never really tried to make things work. The singer wishes that person would open their eyes and realize that they have been jaded and negated. The singer, on the other hand, has been doing much better and has sailed calmer seas since ending the relationship.

The singer reflects on the past and how they spent many nights waiting for the person to call them. However, it's now too late for that person to tell them they are okay. The singer has hit rock bottom and found that the person they used to be in a relationship with was just waiting for them to fall. The singer is tired of being taken for granted and having their time wasted. Now that they have moved on, they are doing much better, but unfortunately, the other person is not getting better. The song ends with the singer stating that it's too late for the other person to tell them that they are okay, and tomorrow is their chance to make things better.

An interesting fact about this song is that it was produced, mixed, and mastered by the band's drummer, Joel Samaroden. Additionally, the song was written during the time when the lead vocalist of the band, Fraser Simpson, was going through a difficult time with his mental health. This influenced the lyrics, as the song reflects a personal struggle with anxiety and depression. Another interesting fact is that the band was originally called "The Departed" but changed their name to Chief State in 2017. Lastly, the band released an acoustic version of this song in February 2021.

Chords:

Intro: Em - C - G - D

Verse:
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
C - D

Chorus:
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
C - D

Bridge:
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
C - D

Outro:
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
Em - C - G - D
C - D

Line by Line Meaning

I find it hard to be here when you're around
Being in your presence often makes me uncomfortable.

It's like you never learned to live in the withered skin you're in
You seem stuck and unable to grow or improve.

You barely tried, wish you would open up your eyes
You didn't put enough effort into improving and I wish you would see things more clearly.

You've been jaded and negated, didn't even realize
You've been feeling negative and hopeless and you didn't even realize it.

That I've been doing better Since I've been sailing calmer seas
I've been doing better since I've found a more peaceful and stable place in my life.

I jumped ship now I'm at ease
I decided to leave certain things behind and now I feel more at ease.

It's too late to tell me you're ok
It's too late for you to convince me that everything is alright.

I spent night after night waiting for you to call me
I spent a lot of sleepless nights hoping for you to reach out to me.

It's too bad you got mad and found out
It's unfortunate that you got angry and discovered something you didn't like.

It's a shame you're to blame but we can't change yesterday
It's regrettable that you're responsible for this situation, but we can't change what has already happened.

So tomorrow's yours to make
You have the power to make a better tomorrow for yourself.

I hit rock bottom and I found you there
When everything went wrong, I found you by my side.

You were waiting all this time for me to fall so you could bare it
You were waiting for me to fail so you could handle it better than me.

Another night, an alibi is all I am throughout this strife
I'm just an excuse for you to use when things get tough.

Take me candid not for granted, I'm sick of you wasting my time
I want you to be honest with me and not take me for granted, because I'm tired of you wasting my time.

Now I've been doing better
I've been doing better lately.

I think you know
I believe that you are aware of this.

You're not getting better
You are not improving.

It's too late
It's too late to fix things.

Writer(s): Christopher Kavanagh, Fraser Simpson, Joseph Soderholm, Justin Pham, Nicholas Pang

Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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