-10- Voice Inside My Head
Dixie Chicks Lyrics


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I was only a kid
When I said goodbye to you
Ten summers ago
But it feels like yesterday
Lost, scared and alone
Nothing I could give to you
I tried, I really did
But I couldn't find another way

And I want, and I need
Somehow to believe
In the choice I made
Am I better off this way?

I can hear the voice inside my head
Saying you should be with me instead
Every time I'm feeling down, I wonder
What would it be like with you around?

So I, I made my way
Cold and roaming in the wild
I'm forever changed
By someone I never knew
Now I've, I've got a place
I've got a husband and a child
But I'll never forget
What I've given up in you

And I want, I need
Somehow to believe
In the choice I made
Am I better off this way?

I can hear the voice inside my head
Saying you should be with me instead
Every time I'm feeling down, I wonder
What would it be like with you around?

And I want, I need
Somehow to believe




In the choice I made
Am I better off this way?

Overall Meaning

The Dixie Chicks' "Voice Inside My Head" is a poignant reflection on the choices we make in life and the lingering thoughts and regrets that can haunt us. Lead singer Natalie Maines sings of a past love that she left behind as a young girl, and wonders if she made the right decision in doing so. The song explores the tension between the paths we choose and the ones we leave behind, and the ways in which those choices shape our lives.


The first verse sets the stage for the song's central conflict. Maines sings of saying goodbye to a lover ten years ago, when she was just a child. Despite the passage of time, the memory of that choice still weighs heavily on her. The lyrics "Lost, scared, and alone / Nothing I could give to you / I tried, I really did / But I couldn't find another way" suggest that Maines' decision to leave was motivated by a sense of helplessness or a lack of resources, rather than a lack of love or commitment.


The chorus of the song is where Maines really grapples with the choices she's made, and the "voice inside her head" that questions whether or not she should have stayed with her former lover. The repetition of the central line "Saying you should be with me instead / Every time I'm feeling down, I wonder / What would it be like with you around?" underscores the persistent, nagging quality of regret, and the way it can continue to haunt us even when we've moved on.


Overall, "Voice Inside My Head" is a powerful reflection on the ways in which our choices and experiences shape our lives, and the ongoing struggle many of us face in coming to terms with those decisions.



Line by Line Meaning

I was only a kid
I was very young


When I said goodbye to you
When I last said farewell to you


Ten summers ago
It has been ten summers since


But it feels like yesterday
It seems like it just happened


Lost, scared and alone
Confused, frightened, and lonely


Nothing I could give to you
I had nothing to offer you


I tried, I really did
I made an effort, genuinely


But I couldn't find another way
But there was no other option


And I want, and I need
I desire and crave


Somehow to believe
A way to have faith


In the choice I made
In the decision I took


Am I better off this way?
Is this path I chose better for me?


I can hear the voice inside my head
The inner dialogue I have


Saying you should be with me instead
Telling me you should be my partner


Every time I'm feeling down, I wonder
Whenever I'm feeling low, I question


What would it be like with you around?
How different would it be if you were here?


So I, I made my way
I thus proceeded


Cold and roaming in the wild
Travelling aimlessly and exposed to the weather


I'm forever changed
I'll remain altered forevermore


By someone I never knew
By an unknown person


Now I've, I've got a place
Presently, I have a home


I've got a husband and a child
I'm married and have a child


But I'll never forget
Nonetheless, I'll not fail to remember


What I've given up in you
What I relinquished by losing you




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAN WILSON, EMILY ROBISON, LINDA PERRY, MARTHA MAGUIRE, NATALIE MAINES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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