Four Letter Word
Ingram Hill Lyrics

Mary came back in the middle of December
The singer is introducing a character named Mary who returned in the middle of December.

With a scar she never could remember
Mary has a scar that she cannot recall how she got.

She was always so high in school
Mary was a high-achiever in school.

And no one ever knew the difference
Despite her success, no one knew about the scar or any other hidden issues Mary may have had.

Then we'd cut class and we'd dream about the ocean
The artist and Mary would skip school and fantasize about the ocean.

Was it you or a chemical emotion?
The singer questions whether their feelings for Mary were genuine or just a result of a chemical reaction.

Everything was crystal clear
During their time together, the singer had a clear and vivid experience.

And you could sing the words to that song
It was easy for Mary to remember the lyrics to a particular song that the artist could not.

I could never find
The artist was never able to grasp the lyrics of the song Mary knew.

Hurry up now its the middle of the story
The song encourages the listener to pay attention as the story develops.

Where the king goes out in the blaze of glory
This line refers metaphorically to the climax of the story.

And everything is a mystery
The story to be told is shrouded in mystery.

And We will never die
The characters may pass away in the story, but the feelings connected to them will live on.

You're a four letter word that I used to know
Mary is a symbol representing something significant to the singer.

Like hope, and pain, and Mary.
Mary is an emotional trigger for the singer, much like hope and pain.

Lyin' in the sand while the moon was risin'
The artist and Mary were together on the beach at night.

Full of thoughts and the feelins I was hidin
The artist had buried emotions and thoughts that they did not share with Mary.

All the words that I tried to say
Despite attempting to express themselves, the singer was never able to be fully honest with Mary.

I never did reveal
The singer never shared their true feelings with Mary.

The summer flew by and I headed off to school
After their summer together, the artist left for school.

Met a girl, I lost touch with you.
The artist met someone else and eventually lost contact with Mary.

But still I find that somehow you keep runnin through my mind
Despite the distances and time that have separated them, the artist still thinks about Mary.

Hope comes in circles
Hope is cyclical, perhaps returning even after being lost.

Pain fades away
Pain has a tendency to disappear over time.

Lyin on the beach with the world out of reach
The singer and Mary shared a moment of escape from the world.

Me and Mary
The singer identifies themselves with Mary as a significant part of their past.

Hurry up now its the end of the story
The song is coming to a close, so the listener should pay attention.

Where the king goes out in the blaze of glory
As with the previous line, this is another reference to the climax of the story.

Shit seems to happen for a reason
The artist recognizes that events in their life may have been fated to happen the way they did.

Was it me or the end of the season?
The singer is unsure whether their relationship with Mary ended because of external factors, or because of their own doing.

Did you fall off your saddle while you were comin down
This line may be metaphorical, referring to either Mary's challenges or the singer's perceptions of their relationship.

You're a four letter word that I used to know
The song comes full circle with this repeated line, emphasizing that Mary still holds a powerful meaning for the artist.

Like hope, and pain, and Mary.
The same meaning from earlier in the song is repeated, that Mary is a symbol of hope and pain for the artist.