Just Say
Fastbacks Lyrics
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How can you say where are you going?
How can you say the phone rang
Only once for a wrong number?
How can you say you're always sad?
How can you say you feel so bad?
How can you say you don′t think
Anyone cares you're around here?
Just say where am I going?
Just say the phone rang
Once today for a wrong number
Just say I′m always sad
Just say it′s all so bad
Just say I don't think
Anyone knows I′m around here
Why can't I be strong?
Why′s my number wrong?
O.K. it's not the only time I felt like this before
Why is nothing new?
Why know what to do?
O.K. you look so hopeless I don′t know how I'll get by
The first verse of Fastbacks’ song “Just Say” expresses frustration with someone who seems to be constantly unhappy, but isn’t communicating their needs properly. The singer asks how this person can say they’re alone, when they haven’t even tried to reach out to others. How can they say they’re sad or that nobody cares about them, when they haven’t voiced these concerns? The singer is urging the person to be more direct and honest about their feelings, asking them to just say what’s really going on.
In the chorus, the singer continues to ask this person to be more honest and upfront. Just say you’re alone, just say where you’re going, just say the phone rang – even if it was just a wrong number. The singer is tired of the passive-aggressive behavior and wants the other person to take charge of their emotions and their interactions with others. But despite this insistence, the singer confesses their own vulnerability at the end of the chorus. They ask why they can’t be strong, why their “number” is wrong – perhaps a metaphor for feeling disconnected or misunderstood. The chorus ends on a note of ambiguity, with the singer unsure of how they’ll manage to get by.
Line by Line Meaning
How can you say you're all alone?
How can you confidently state that you have no one in your life?
How can you say where are you going?
How can you claim to know where your future is leading you?
How can you say the phone rang
Only once for a wrong number?
How can you be certain that the phone call you received was only a misdial?
How can you say you're always sad?
How can you declare that you are consistently experiencing a feeling of sorrow?
How can you say you feel so bad?
How can you articulate that your emotional state is so low and negative?
How can you say you don't think
Anyone cares you're around here?
How can you presume that no one is concerned about your presence or well-being?
Just say I'm all alone
Simply express the sentiment that I am feeling isolated and without support.
Just say where am I going?
Just tell me honestly that I am uncertain and lost about my future trajectory.
Just say the phone rang
Once today for a wrong number
Merely indicate that I received one unwanted call today, mistakenly meant for another person.
Just say I'm always sad
Just acknowledge the fact that I experience consistent and heavy feelings of sadness.
Just say it's all so bad
Just admit that everything in my life feels negative, unpleasant, and difficult to endure.
Just say I don't think
Anyone knows I'm around here
Just communicate the thought that I feel invisible and unrecognized in my surroundings.
Why can't I be strong?
What is preventing me from feeling emotionally and mentally resilient?
Why's my number wrong?
Why am I not connecting with the people and opportunities that could benefit me?
O.K. it's not the only time I felt like this before
Acknowledging that this isn't a new experience for me.
Why is nothing new?
Why do I feel like I'm always experiencing the same struggles and setbacks?
Why know what to do?
Why can't I figure out how to move forward and improve my life situation?
O.K. you look so hopeless I don't know how I'll get by
Acknowledging that your own sense of desolation compounds your pain and anxiety by feeling the hopelessness that I cannot help you get out of.
Writer(s): Kurt Bloch
Contributed by Jason O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.