Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was nineteen, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for Sesame Street. He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.
Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums The Gift (1997) and Peace (2003); and his 2005 album Grace concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.
Reflection
Jim Brickman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who I really am but you'll never know me
Every day it's as if I play a part
Now I see if I wear a mask
I can fool the world but I cannot fool my heart
Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
I am now in a world where I
Have to hide my heart and what I believe in
But somehow I will show the world
What's inside my heart and be loved for who I am
Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
There's a heart that must be free to fly
That burns with a need to know the reason why
Why must we all conceal what we think and how we feel?
Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
The song "Reflection" by Jim Brickman is about the struggle to be authentic and true to oneself in a world where it seems easier to hide behind a facade. The lyrics reflect the internal battles of a person who feels they must wear a mask to fit in with society's expectations. The line "Every day it's as if I play a part" captures this feeling of performing for others, while the following line "I can fool the world but I cannot fool my heart" portrays the deep sense of dishonesty that comes with pretending to be someone you are not.
The repeated question throughout the song "Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?" shows the search for one's true identity and the frustration of not feeling seen or understood. The line "Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time?" is a plea to be accepted for who they are, not who they are expected to be. In the final verses, the song becomes more assertive, with the singer declaring that they refuse to hide their true self any longer and will show the world who they are inside.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me you may think you see
People may see me, but they do not really know me
Who I really am but you'll never know me
People cannot truly know who I am
Every day it's as if I play a part
I feel like I have to pretend to be someone I am not every day
Now I see if I wear a mask
I have realized that I am hiding my true self
I can fool the world but I cannot fool my heart
I may be able to deceive others, but I cannot deceive myself
Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?
I am questioning my own identity
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
I want people to see my true self
I am now in a world where I
I am existing in a world that requires me to
Have to hide my heart and what I believe in
keep my true emotions and beliefs hidden
But somehow I will show the world
I have hope that I will eventually be able to reveal to others
What's inside my heart and be loved for who I am
my true self and be accepted for it
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
I am still unsure of my own identity
Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time?
Do I have to continue to hide my true self forever?
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
I am still searching for a way to reveal my authentic self
There's a heart that must be free to fly
I have a free-spirited heart that wants to soar and be free
That burns with a need to know the reason why
I have a desire to understand my purpose and reason for being
Why must we all conceal what we think and how we feel?
Why do we feel the need to hide our true thoughts and emotions?
Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide?
Do I need to continue to keep a part of myself hidden?
I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time
I have made a decision to stop pretending to be someone I am not forever
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
I still hope to find a way to reveal my true self to the world
When will my reflection show who I am inside?
I continue to search for a way to reveal my authentic self
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES MERRILL BRICKMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind