1.
A five-piece indie rock band … Read Full Bio ↴There are 2 artists for Germans.
1.
A five-piece indie rock band from Toronto, Canada on the Arena Rock label. Influences include: Pavement, Devo and Dinosaur Jr.
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Germans is Julia Kwamya's musical project produced by Kurt Feldman of Winter Station Productions.
Dream Pop for the win!
http://germansband.com
Cruel
Germans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never knew anyone could have been so cruel
What did I do?
What did I do?
What did I do?
I never hurt anyone if they weren't that fun
I never heard anyone try to steal my song (?)
What did I do?
What did I do?
You can never say you loved me
If you can stand to see me cry
What did I do?
You said lots of things to hurt me
I will try to ignore the pain
What did I do?
I never knew anyone...
In German's song "Cruel", the singer expresses a feeling of betrayal and hurt as they reflect on how someone they loved and trusted could turn out to be so cruel. The repetition of the phrase "I never knew anyone could have been so cruel" emphasizes the singer's shock and disbelief. They express confusion over what they may have done to deserve this treatment. The line "I never hurt anyone if they weren't that fun" could suggest that the singer believed they only attracted people who appreciated them, making it even more painful to be treated badly by someone they trusted.
The chorus of the song addresses the person directly. The phrase "You can never say you loved me" suggests that the singer believes the person's actions are not consistent with love, particularly because they are causing the singer pain. The line "If you can stand to see me cry, what did I do?" is particularly poignant, as it highlights the pain of being hurt by someone who is supposed to care for you.
Overall, "Cruel" seems to be a song about the betrayal of trust and the pain of being hurt by someone you love. The lyrics convey a sense of disbelief and confusion over how things could have gone so wrong. The chorus, with its direct address to the person causing the pain, suggests a desire to confront them about their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
I never knew anyone could have been so cruel
The singer has never experienced such harsh and cruel treatment from anyone before.
I never knew anyone could have been so cruel
The singer reiterates how shocked they are about the level of cruelty they've experienced.
What did I do?
The singer questions whether their behavior towards the person who treated them cruelly was warranted.
What did I do?
The singer may be questioning if they contributed to the situation in any way.
What did I do?
The singer is confused and hurt, wondering what they did to deserve such treatment.
I never hurt anyone if they weren't that fun
The singer doesn't hurt people unless they ask for it and enjoy it.
I never heard anyone try to steal my song (?)
It's unclear what this line specifically means, as it could refer to someone trying to copy the singer's work or take credit for their art.
What did I do?
The singer reiterates their confusion and upset about the situation.
What did I do?
The singer may be grappling with guilt or shame about the events that transpired.
What did I do?
The singer may be trying to understand how they provoked the person to treat them so cruelly.
You can never say you loved me
The person who treated the singer cruelly can never claim to have truly loved them.
If you can stand to see me cry
The person who treated the singer cruelly must not care about their emotions or well-being.
What did I do?
The singer may be unable to stop thinking about what they could have done to deserve such a cruel fate.
You said lots of things to hurt me
The person who treated the singer cruelly used their words as a weapon, inflicting emotional harm.
I will try to ignore the pain
The singer will work to overcome the hurt they feel and move on from the situation.
What did I do?
The singer is still grappling with the events that transpired, unable to understand how things went so wrong.
Contributed by Colton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.