It was through making Revel that Missal examined her motivations for making music. She asked herself who she was without the expectations and accolades that came along with label support, and found that she was still driven to create. With external markers of success and joy taken away, she let go, turned inward, reframed her sense of self, and came to a sense of peace. Emerging with strength from a cocoon, Revel showcases Missal’s metamorphosis into a purposeful independent artist with a strong creative vision.
Hurt By You
Donna Missal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you say you'll never be my friend
Always on the train, never on the track
So I'm jumping before the crash
And I know you're just trying to scare me
But you lost all of your effect
You can bark like a dog, baring your teeth
But I'm never going back again
Babe, it's true
I'm in love with what we were
But not with you
What's left to prove?
Tried so many damn times to cut you loose
Now I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
You call to say you're better, I know better than that
You're just looking for some sympathy
It's not about you or somebody new
This time it's about me
And I know you're gonna say I'm selfish
And I know you're gonna think it's mean
But you show up at my house in the middle of the night
Saying I'm the one that's crazy
Stop trying to debase me
Well babe, it's true
I'm in love with what we were
But not with you
What's left to prove?
Tried so many damn times to cut you loose
I know you don't mean what you're saying
And it doesn't even matter if you do
'Cause I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
Now I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
Sorry if I gave the impression
That I'm trying to fix what we broke
Maybe we lay down our weapons
And make peace with letting go
'Cause babe it's true
I'm in love with what we were
But not with you
Babe, it's true
I'm in love with what we were
But not with you
What's left to prove?
Tried so many damn times to cut you loose
I know you don't mean what you're saying
And it doesn't even matter if you do
'Cause I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
Yes, I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
In "Hurt by You" by Donna Missal, the singer expresses her feelings towards a past love. She talks about the back and forth nature of their relationship where they would only show love when it was being reciprocated. The other person claims they will never be friends, which seems to hurt the singer, but she decides to jump ship before any more damage can be done. She recognizes that the other person may be trying to scare her, but it doesn't work anymore. The singer is at peace with the fact that she will never go back to that kind of relationship.
She admits that she still loves what they had but not the person they became. She's tried to let go of them multiple times, but they keep crawling their way back into her life. The person tries to make her feel guilty for not being in their life anymore, but the singer recognizes that it's not personal, it's about her mental and emotional well-being. She knows that the other person is just looking for sympathy, and this time it's not about them or someone new. It's time to focus on herself and not let the other person bring her down anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
Only give me love when I'm giving it back
I need a mutual love and affection that has a give-and-take dynamic
But you say you'll never be my friend
You refuse to be my friend or have any kind of connection with me
Always on the train, never on the track
You're going through life without a clear direction or purpose
So I'm jumping before the crash
I'm taking a proactive step to avoid the inevitable pain of staying in this relationship
And I know you're just trying to scare me
You're using fear tactics to try and control me
But you lost all of your effect
Your tactics no longer have power over me
You can bark like a dog, baring your teeth
You can act aggressive and dominant, but it won't change anything
But I'm never going back again
I'm past the point of no return, and won't go back to the way things were
Babe, it's true
What I'm about to say is a fact
I'm in love with what we were
I miss the good times we had together
But not with you
But I don't want to be with you anymore
What's left to prove?
There's nothing more to prove or achieve in this relationship
Tried so many damn times to cut you loose
I've attempted to end things with you multiple times
Now I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
I've physically and emotionally distanced myself from you to avoid being hurt again
You call to say you're better, I know better than that
You're trying to convince me that you're doing better without me, but I don't believe it
You're just looking for some sympathy
You're seeking attention and emotional support from me
It's not about you or somebody new
This isn't about you moving on to someone else
This time it's about me
This is about my own needs and desires
And I know you're gonna say I'm selfish
You'll most likely criticize me for being self-centered
And I know you're gonna think it's mean
You'll accuse me of being mean or insensitive in my actions towards you
But you show up at my house in the middle of the night
You're invading my personal space and boundaries
Saying I'm the one that's crazy
You're gaslighting me and trying to make me question my own sanity
Stop trying to debase me
Stop trying to belittle or humiliate me
I know you don't mean what you're saying
I don't believe what you're telling me
And it doesn't even matter if you do
Even if you did mean it, it wouldn't change the fact that I'm moving on
Sorry if I gave the impression
I apologize if I made it seem like something else
That I'm trying to fix what we broke
I'm not attempting to repair our relationship
Maybe we lay down our weapons
Perhaps we can stop fighting and arguing with each other
And make peace with letting go
We can come to terms with the end of our relationship and move on
Yes, I'm way too far away to be hurt by you
I'm too removed from our past to feel any pain caused by you
Writer(s): Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wells, Donna Missal
Contributed by Mila T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tanna B.
When she said "It's not about you or somebody new. This time it's about me. "
I felt that
Gamemaster Crunch
Also same.
Maria Dimitriou
Same here.
Catcher Ray
I hope she gets the recognition she deserves...people are sleeping on her
Brenton Chattin
I've been following her for a couple of years and it's astonishing that she hasn't blown up
Eva Solorio
when I heard this song, I got chills. This song is written so beautifully and I can hear how pristine your emotions are. This music video definitely does it justice. So excited for this new era! love u
i need a chacha beat boy
“I’m in love with what we were but not with you”
Oh boy, i felt that.
Gamemaster Crunch
Same here.
Danya Lucero
This video makes me want to get in a car with my friends at 2 am and blast this song while screaming the lyrics out the windows to all get over people who has hurt us. Thank you for this Donna 🖤
Marley Monroe
The focus and assuredness, not to mention the joy and power exuded in every perfectly costumed step in this video? The storytelling, the cinematography, the buttery smooth editing? Here for it. The new era is blessing us already and I am ready to embark on the journey of the album and this new era.