Why
Craig Cardiff Lyrics

How many times do I have to try to tell you
Expressing frustration at repeated failed attempts to apologize

That I'm sorry for the things I've done
Admitting guilt and apologizing for past actions

But when I start to try to tell you
Feeling hesitant to open up and express true feelings

That's when you have to tell me
Feeling dismissed or shut down when trying to communicate

Hey, this kind of trouble's only just begun
Warning that the problems go deeper and may not be easy to resolve

I tell myself too many times
Admitting to repeating the same mistakes and not learning from them

Why don't I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut
Wishing to have more control over one's words and actions

That's why it hurts so bad to hear the words
Feeling hurt and exposed when hearing harsh criticism

That keep on falling from your mouth
Experiencing a constant barrage of negative feedback

Tell me
Expressing a desire for understanding and clarity

Why
Questioning the reasons behind the conflict and pain

I may be mad
Acknowledging one's emotional instability and volatility

I may be blind
Admitting to a lack of awareness and insight

I may be viciously unkind
Acknowledging one's own cruelty and callousness

But I can still read what you're thinking
Claiming to have insight into the other person's attitudes and feelings

And I've heard it said too many times
Feeling frustrated by hearing the same criticism repeatedly

That you'd be better off
Believing that the other person would be happier without oneself

Besides
In addition to the other issues at hand

Why can't you see this boat is sinking
Expressing alarm and urgency regarding the deteriorating situation

Let's go down to the water's edge
Proposing a physical and metaphorical location to confront the problems

And we can cast away those doubts
Hoping to eliminate the uncertainty and mistrust between them

Some things are better left unsaid
Recognizing that some issues may be too sensitive or painful to discuss

But they still turn me inside out
Feeling overwhelmed and tortured by unsaid thoughts and feelings

Turning inside out turning inside out
Emphasizing the intensity and torment of these internal struggles

This is the book I never read
Reflecting on missed opportunities and lost chances for intimacy and understanding

These are the words I never said
Wishing to have expressed oneself more fully and honestly

This is the path I'll never tread
Regretting missed opportunities and choices that can never be undone

These are the dreams I'll dream instead
Imagining alternative fantasies and scenarios that offer some escape

This is the joy that's seldom spread
Recognizing the rarity and preciousness of true happiness

These are the tears the tears we shed
Acknowledging and honoring the emotional pain and sorrow experienced

This is the fear this is the dread
Facing and acknowledging the intense anxiety and foreboding present

These are the contents of my head
Describing the complicated and conflicted inner landscape of one's mind

And these are the years that we have spent
Reflecting on the time invested in the relationship, noting that it cannot be regained

And this is what they represent
Recognizing that these years have contributed to shaping who they are now

And this is how I feel
Trying to express the depth of one's emotions honestly

Do you know how I feel?
Expressing doubt and uncertainty about the other person's capacity to empathize

'Cause I don't think you know how I feel
Expressing alienation and a sense of being misunderstood or ignored

I don't think you know what I feel
Feeling like one's emotions are not being validated or acknowledged by the other person

You don't know what I feel
Reiterating the emotional distance and disconnection in the relationship