Gravel to Tempo
Hayley Kiyoko Lyrics

Catch my name for kicks
I feel insignificant and unimportant and I'm clinging to any attention or validation I can get

Thinking I would be right by your side
I had expectations of being accepted and included in your life, but those expectations were not met

I don't feel adequate
I have a deep-seated feeling of not being good enough or worthy of love and acceptance

Thinking I'm a monster in disguise
I feel like there's something inherently wrong or off about me, that I'm not who I'm supposed to be

We've gone down every list
We've tried everything we can think of to make things better

Stuck but I have got to begin to resist
I'm in a rut and feeling trapped, but I know I need to start pushing back and making changes

Caught up with the fact that life will be dark
I've accepted that life isn't always going to be easy or happy, that it can be hard and painful

But can we handle being kids?
Despite the challenges, can we find a way to hold onto our innocence and joy?

Try to stand the test
I'm attempting to navigate difficult experiences and overcome obstacles

But the night is crawling through my eyes
The darkness and pain of my experiences are overwhelming and hard to escape

I thought I was depressed
I thought my feelings were purely based in mental illness and a chemical imbalance

But I think I just needed to cry
But I now realize that there are emotional and personal reasons for my pain that I need to confront and express

I'll do this my way
I'm going to approach my life and my struggles on my own terms, in a way that feels right to me

Don't matter if I break
Even if I fail or suffer setbacks, I'll continue to persevere and find my way forward

I gotta be on my own
Ultimately, I need to rely on myself and my own strength and resources to face the challenges of life

Lost in this feeling
I'm overwhelmed by my emotions and struggling to find my way through them

Don't ever need a reason
I don't always have a clear explanation or justification for how I feel or what I'm doing, and that's okay

I gotta be on my own
Ultimately, I need to assert my independence and find my own way forward, even if it's difficult or lonely at times

I gotta be on my own
The repeated emphasis on the need to be independent and self-reliant underscores the core message of the song