McCarley currently calls Nashville home, but she cut her musical teeth in San Diego, where she’d moved after college to pursue a life that did not feature music at its center. It was during this bout that McCarley met producer/writer/keyboardist Jamie Kenney (the rare partner she felt 100 percent comfortable with), and the two began honing the songs that would make up Love, Save the Empty.
During 2008, she was part of the "Hotel Café Tour" playing across the United States, and also performed at the 2008 SxSW festival. She was also part of the "Ten Out of Tenn" tour in Winter 2008/2009. Erin spent 2009 on the road with various musicians including Brett Dennen, James Morrison, Paolo Nutini and Mat Kearney.
In 2008, McCarley traveled the annual SXSW Music Festival where she was discovered by her label Universal Republic Records. Love, Save the Empty, was released digitally on December 30, 2008 via iTunes debuting #86 on the Billboard Top 200 Album.Chart. A physical album followed on January 6, 2009. The first single from the album, "Pony (It's OK)" was the iTunes Single of the Week for the first week of 2009.
It's Not That Easy
Erin McCarley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You want me to be that apple of your eye
So sweet to think you could make you mine
Well, it's not so easy
You want me to feel revival in your touch
You want me to feel everything you're dreaming of
But darling I'm tired, I'm all used up
My love, this is more than I can give
This is more than I can take
My love, I don't wanna let you in
To be another mess to me
I don't trust me with loving you
I wish I could be that diamond you've waited for
Yeah, I do believe when you say you won't take what isn't yours
But if I were you I'd walk right out that back door
It's not that easy, I'm not so easy
My love, this is more than I can give
This is more than I can take
My love, I don't wanna let you in
To be another mess to me
I don't trust me with loving you
Don't wanna pull the fog over your eyes
Don't wanna string you up and out to dry, no
Don't wanna pull the fog over your eyes
Don't wanna string you up and out to dry
Don't let me lock you up in this circle of my mind
My love, this is more than I can give
This is more than I can take
My love, I don't wanna let you in
To be another mess to me
I don't trust me with loving you
The song "It's Not That Easy" by Erin McCarley is a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and relationships. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who wants to be loved but is weighed down by their own insecurities and fears. The opening line, "You want me to be the God up in your sky," sets the tone for the song's exploration of unrealistic expectations and the pressure that comes with trying to meet them. The singer acknowledges that they are not perfect and cannot be everything their partner wants them to be. They are exhausted from trying and scared of disappointing the other person.
As the song progresses, the singer's internal struggle becomes more apparent. They want to love and be loved, but they are afraid of being hurt or hurting the other person. The line, "I don't trust me with loving you," is especially poignant in this regard. It speaks to the fear of vulnerability and how difficult it can be to let someone else in, even when we want to.
The song's chorus, which repeats several times throughout the song, emphasizes the idea that love is not always easy. It requires effort, compromise, and trust. The singer recognizes that they cannot give or take more than they are capable of, and they do not want to be a "mess" for the other person.
Overall, "It's Not That Easy" is a heartfelt and relatable exploration of the complexities of relationships. It speaks to the fear of vulnerability, the pressure of unrealistic expectations, and the difficulty of finding balance in love.
Line by Line Meaning
You want me to be the God up in your sky
You are expecting me to fulfill all of your hopes and dreams, an impossible task for any mere mortal.
You want me to be that apple of your eye
You desire me to be the center of your attention, your everything, which is too much for me to handle.
So sweet to think you could make you mine
It's flattering that you want to be with me, but it's not as easy as you think to make a lasting relationship work.
Well, it's not so easy
I'm warning you that building a relationship takes more work than a romanticized view may suggest.
You want me to feel revival in your touch
You expect me to be revitalized by your affection, to feel like a new person each time we're together.
You want me to feel everything you're dreaming of
You're hoping that I will be able to empathize with and understand all of your fantasies, which is impossible.
But darling I'm tired, I'm all used up
I'm exhausted from trying to make our relationship work, and I don't have any more energy to give.
Oh, it's not so easy, it's not so easy
I'm emphasizing again that building a relationship takes work and is not something that can be done easily.
My love, this is more than I can give
I'm telling you that I'm not capable of giving you everything you want and need from a partner.
This is more than I can take
I'm stating that I'm overwhelmed and stressed from trying to make this relationship work.
My love, I don't wanna let you in
I'm unsure if I want to let you into my life completely and give you all of my trust and love.
To be another mess to me
I'm afraid that if I let you in, you'll just add to the chaos and stress in my life.
I don't trust me with loving you
I'm admitting that I have issues with trusting myself and my ability to love someone else.
I wish I could be that diamond you've waited for
I know you've been waiting for someone special, and I wish I was the perfect partner for you in every way.
Yeah, I do believe when you say you won't take what isn't yours
I believe you when you say that you won't try to take anything from me that is not rightfully yours.
But if I were you I'd walk right out that back door
If I were you, I would leave this relationship because it's not a healthy or sustainable one.
It's not that easy, I'm not so easy
I'm reiterating that building a relationship takes effort and it's not going to be easy with me.
Don't wanna pull the fog over your eyes
I don't want to deceive you or make you believe something that's not true.
Don't wanna string you up and out to dry, no
I don't want to put you in a vulnerable position and then abandon you or leave you to fend for yourself.
Don't let me lock you up in this circle of my mind
I don't want to trap you in my own insecurities and issues with trust and commitment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIN MCCARLEY, DAVID ROLFE, JAMIE KENNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind