Me Without You
Jennifer Nettles Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

A little kiss of freedom,
I've forgotten how that tasted.
A little room for breathing,
Then you're on your way.
There's a million little reasons
For this smile on my face.
Without those tears in my eyes
I bet you'd hardly recognize me.

Without you, well you left the cage door open
And your pretty bird just flew.
And I never knew, that I could fly so high
And the sky could be this blue.
I can't believe it's real,
So this is how it feels,
Me without you.

Now I wake up early,
Whole world feels new.
Seems so strange to ask myself
What do I want to do.
Now I don't know this road I'm on
Or where it's leading to,
But I know I'm gonna be alright.
The more I see, the more I like me.

Without you, well you left the cage door open
And your pretty bird just flew.
And I never knew that I could fly so high
Or the sky could be this blue.
I can't believe it's real,
So this is how it feels,
Me without you.

Oh you had me believing
I didn't have the strength for leaving.
But any fool can see I'm better off, just look at me.

Without you, well you left the cage door open
And your pretty bird just flew.
And I never knew that I could fly so high
And the sky could be this blue.
I can't believe it's real,
So this is how it feels.
I can't believe it's real, oh,




So this is how it feels,
Me without you, me without you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jennifer Nettles’s song “Me Without You” talk about a woman who has just gotten out of a bad relationship and is discovering freedom and happiness for the first time in a long time. The lines, “A little kiss of freedom, I’ve forgotten how that tasted / A little room for breathing, then you’re on your way” speak to the feeling of liberation, like the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders. She’s able to smile, and her tears have dried up. She acknowledges that she has no idea where her newfound journey might take her, but she’s willing to embrace it.


The chorus “Without you, well you left the cage door open and your pretty bird just flew / And I never knew that I could fly so high, or the sky could be this blue” speaks to the idea that the singer is now free to explore her own desires and chase her dreams. She had previously been trapped in an emotional “cage” created by her ex-lover, and now she has the chance to be truly herself. This new sense of self-realization and independence gives her the courage to say goodbye to the toxic relationship, which has held her back for so long.


Overall, the message conveyed by Jennifer Nettles in “Me Without You” is one of hope and restoration. The song encourages listeners to liberate themselves from restrictive relationships and celebrate the newfound freedom and happiness that comes with leaving them behind.


Line by Line Meaning

A little kiss of freedom, I've forgotten how that tasted.
Having a taste of independence has made me forget the feeling of being trapped in a relationship


A little room for breathing, Then you're on your way.
After being confined in a relationship, having the space to breathe and think freely has made the singer realize that it's time to move on


There's a million little reasons For this smile on my face.
The singer is happy and content living without her partner and there are countless factors that have contributed to this feeling


Without those tears in my eyes I bet you'd hardly recognize me.
The singer has been so consumed by sadness and tears during her relationship that being free of them has changed her entire demeanor and personality


Now I wake up early, Whole world feels new.
The singer is experiencing a renewed sense of energy and excitement for life without being held back by her former lover


Seems so strange to ask myself What do I want to do.
Having been in a relationship for so long, the singer is now rediscovering herself and figuring out what she truly wants in life


Now I don't know this road I'm on Or where it's leading to, But I know I'm gonna be alright.
Although the singer is unsure of what the future holds, she is confident in her ability to handle whatever comes her way


The more I see, the more I like me.
Being single has allowed the singer to appreciate herself more and realize her own worth and value


Oh you had me believing I didn't have the strength for leaving.
The singer's former partner convinced her that she was too weak to leave their relationship, but she has proven him wrong


But any fool can see I'm better off, just look at me.
The singer is aware that anyone can see how much happier and better off she is without her former partner in her life


Without you, well you left the cage door open And your pretty bird just flew. And I never knew that I could fly so high Or the sky could be this blue. I can't believe it's real, So this is how it feels, Me without you.
The singer uses the metaphor of a bird being let out of its cage to describe how she feels now that she is no longer in a relationship. She also expresses amazement at how much better her life has become without her partner in it


I can't believe it's real, oh, So this is how it feels, Me without you, me without you.
The singer is still in disbelief at how much her life has improved since leaving her former partner behind




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., ENDURANCE MUSIC GROUP, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEREK GEORGE, JENNIFER NETTLES, TIMOTHY PAUL OWENS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@MagdalenaCancel

Love love it!!


Oh you had me believing I didn't have the strength for leaving. 
But any fool can see I'm better off, just look at me.
Without you, well you left the cage door open 
and your pretty bird just flew. 
And I never knew that I could fly so high 
and the sky could be this blue. 
I can't believe it's real, 
so this is how it feels. 
I can't believe it's real, oh, 
so this is how it feels, 
me without you, me without you.



All comments from YouTube:

@cynthiavanvoorhis9512

Found this song right when my marriage was breaking up, he was cheating on me and I found the freedom to fly. This song helped me fly to a new life of my own. I love this song.

@dawnwaldridge9975

This song helped me through the same

@angelw5859

Going through the same now. Looking forward to smiling again and living my life. Thank you Jennifer Nettles for this amazing song!

@danavance1887

same here--25 years of marriage--he cheated four times and then left with the fourth one. that was two years ago and some days it still takes my breath away that that life is just gone.

@user-be9ym4yl9n

I am amazed at the domestic violence, ptsd,mental and ect....colors throughout. This song was my anthem in 2008. Prayers to all

@wlkf.727

Why isn't this a bigger song on country radio???  It's such a breath of fresh air among the mediocre country songs these days..

@mizzy19

Because it's not country. She wanted to step away from her normal genre this album was the result.

@jerryrussell8506

That song is for Penny it suits her right to the T one day she'll find the wings to fly and be with a man that loves her

@trishhorvath5709

My beautiful daughter made it possible me to see JN in concert. This song was great live too. Jennifer is so down to earth

@brandialps

Wow!!! This video was posted 13 yrs ago & at that time I was in a marriage just like this but I had not seen this video I wish I had because my own daughter had lived thru this turmoil of her dad & myself falling apart. It took another 3 yrs for me to get away from the toxic marriage. If you are in a situation like this please do everything you can to get out of it especially if you have kids because it is “Because of You” your children take paths in their lives that aren’t always the best and it’s a crippling pattern, my daughter went down a similar path but she was able to get out of it and is now happily married with 2 handsome boys, however she still fights demons of the past and my heart breaks everyday for the example inset for her. I will never allow anyone to treat me that way ever again my daughter and grandsons need to see what a healthy relationship & lifestyle really is.

More Comments

More Versions