BECAUSE OF YOU
Kelly Clarkson; Reba McEntire Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I will not make
The same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery
I will not break
The way you did, you fell so hard
I've learned the hard way
To never let it get that far

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I watched you die
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known
Better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry in the middle of the night
For the same damn thing

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Because of you
I try my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I'm ashamed of my life
Because it's empty
Because of you
I am afraid





Because of you
Because of you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" are about the impact of a difficult childhood, with the singer vowing to break the cycle of pain and hurt that she witnessed growing up. She sings that she will not make the same mistakes as her parents did, nor would she let herself cause her heart to suffer as they had. She is determined to be stronger than they were, to not break the way they did after falling so hard. The haunting chorus "Because of you" repeats throughout the song, signifying the lasting impact of her troubled upbringing. She never strays too far from the sidewalk, playing it safe so she doesn't get hurt. She finds it hard to trust anyone around her, even herself. Her heart was never whole to start with, so she can't possibly break it. The fear that grips her is palpable, she's unable to cry as tears would signify weakness in her parents' eyes. So she's forced to fake a smile and a laugh, every single day of her life. She watches her parents suffer, her father dying and her mother crying every night in her sleep. She was too young, but they leaned on her anyway, never thinking of anyone else. All they saw was their own pain, which she now carries with her.


Line by Line Meaning

I will not make
I will not repeat the same mistakes that you did


The same mistakes that you did
I won't follow in your footsteps and hurt my heart as you did


I will not let myself
I'll make sure to protect myself from emotional pain


Cause my heart so much misery
I will ensure that my heart won't suffer as you have


I will not break
I won't be shattered the way that you were


The way you did, you fell so hard
You suffered greatly and experienced deep heartbreak


I've learned the hard way
I gained knowledge from my own emotional pain


To never let it get that far
I won't let myself feel so much pain again


Because of you
As a result of your actions


I never stray too far from the sidewalk
My caution and fear hold me back from fully experiencing life


Because of you
Due to your influence on me


I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
I've learned to avoid dangerous or risky situations to prevent any possibility of getting hurt


Because of you
As a result of what you've done to me


I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
I struggle with trusting others due to the pain and mistrust you've caused


Because of you
Due to your impact on my life


I am afraid
I suffer from fear and anxiety in relationships and daily life


I lose my way
I often feel lost and unsure of my path


And it's not too long before you point it out
You are quick to criticize and judge my choices and actions


I cannot cry
I suppress my emotions and try not to reveal my vulnerabilities


Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
You belittled me for showing any signs of emotion


I'm forced to fake
I wear a mask of happiness and confidence to deceive others


A smile, a laugh everyday of my life
I pretend to be happy even when I'm hurting inside


My heart can't possibly break
My heart is already damaged from the pain you've caused


When it wasn't even whole to start with
It was never fully repaired from the first time you hurt me


I watched you die
I witnessed your suffering and pain


I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was aware of your tears and sadness even when you tried to hide it


I was so young
I was too inexperienced and immature to handle your pain and suffering


You should have known
You were responsible for knowing that I couldn't handle your emotional burden


Better than to lean on me
You should have sought help from someone else


You never thought of anyone else
You were self-centered and only thought of your own emotional pain


You just saw your pain
You were consumed by your own emotional pain and didn't consider its impact on others


And now I cry in the middle of the night
I suffer the same pain and cry just as you did


For the same damn thing
I'm suffering from the same emotional pain that you did


Because of you
Due to your influence on me


I never stray too far from the sidewalk
I live a safe and cautious life due to my fear of getting hurt


Because of you
As a result of what you've done to me


I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
I've learned to be cautious and avoid getting hurt


Because of you
Due to your impact on my life


I try my hardest just to forget everything
I try to forget the pain and hurt that you've caused


Because of you
Due to the influence you have on me


I don't know how to let anyone else in
I don't know how to trust others or let them get close to me


Because of you
I suffer from shame and regret


I'm ashamed of my life
I feel guilty for living a life that is empty and devoid of deeper emotional connections


Because it's empty
My life feels meaningless due to the emotional pain you've caused


Because of you
As a direct result of your actions and influence


I am afraid
I constantly suffer from fear and anxiety in relationships and daily life




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Kelly Brianne Clarkson, Ben Moody, David Hall Hodges

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 comments from YouTube:

@melissaderosa4253

Hi justin,

Thank God you've got a new goid man in your life.
I hold this song close to my soul, as my longtime boyfriend is experiencing karma from God, oh well !!!!!! We've got 2 wonderful 👱‍♂️s too!!!!! Our 1st son is a micropremie survivor!!
I'd had 2 small uterine fibroids, at the time of delivery 3 softball + 20 golf ball size fibroids had our baby very crowded, a miracle he was 👍, made it!!!! A extensive amnosenthesis came back all negative, normal. If we'd been told no, the opposite would've not aborted our son 👹 no!!!!!
Hence at 23.5 weeks, 14 ounces, 19+@1/2"s long with a 8+@1/2 month NICU stay!!!!!!
High functioning autistic, ADHD medium, global delaument, partcial up close vision in just 1 eye, overcoming other ore diagnoses!!!!
I know God has a soulmate for me!!!!! Been to 👹 n back it seems like alot in my 52++/2years here on 🌎!!!! We're had the police called on us alot, I've had to make 911 calls too, cos or child protective services at our house alot too!!!! Thank God, we get to keep our 2 👱‍♂️s!!
Life ain't easy akwsys!!! 👹 yeah God our Creator God + 🌅 Father gives us more than we can take!!!!!!!!

Just before Easter due to the cornavirus we'd lost a deputy police officer friend !!!! Ge was also gay, so what...it didn't matter to us!!!! Advocated for gay and = rights within the police force, for gay people, for special needs children and animals too!!!!! This was a Godly, good souled man!!!!
Our 👱‍♂️a and he would run to each other!!! He'd swoop them up individually, a solid hug+a quick kiss on the top of their head !!!!! We'd getcha solid good hug, quick cheek kiss!!
He'd wanted to leave a legacy, well our family 👹 yeah is still mourning him and by God,will assist his family, our 1 son's school, his fiance', etc carry on his stellar legacy!!!!! R.I.P. OUR BELOVED DEPUTY 😇🌞🌜🌅🌎🙏😘👍,YOU'RE MISSED, THOUGHT OF DAILY!!!! WE 4 WON'T LET YA ,WHAT YOU'D WANTED TO BE 4GOTTEN TOLL WE JOIN YA IN🌅 HOPEFULLY WHEN WE'RE 100 LIVED A LONG LIFE ON 🌎!!!!!!

ARE YOU DRY 👀ED, OR 😭ING YET????!!!!!!

HUGS AND LOVE:
Melissa



@melissaderosa4253

Hey justin,

Ditto because of you song is us survivors, my babies!!!!!!
God bless you and your new man who I'm sure your kin and friends are so damn glad ya got after the 👹!!!!!!

Not to get into politics, we want President Trump re elected another 4 years, God bless our service personnel, those we've lost from the cornavirus as we lost a gsy deputy friend who we all ❤ed 1 another, our early 😇in 🌅, OUR HERO AND WE'LL CARRY LUR HIS WISHWS OF CARRYING ON HIS LEGACY HE'D PAVED THE WAY FOR GAY PEOPLE, SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, PROTECT RHOSE YA R3VERE HOLD UP HIGH, ANIMALS, HONOR OUR CREATOR, THE ALPHA PLUS OMEGA OUR GOD AMEN HELL 👹YEAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE'RE GOING TO MY STEP BROTHER IN LAW AND HIS FAMILY IN PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA WE MEED A MINI VACATION 👹YEAH A YEAR SINCE WE'D BEEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'M ALMOST PACKED, DOING MY LAST LOAD OF LAUNDRY NOW AND WILL.DRY, PUT AWAY PACK A LIL' GET US READY BY 2PM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I 🙏 ALL GOES WELL WE.COME BACK ON MONDAY MID DAY!!!!!
I'M MAKING THE 👱‍♂️S EUN AROUND AFTER THEM, BRWAK UP LOL WE ALL K OW DID AS YOUNGINS SIBLING RIVALRY, OVER EXCITED 👱‍♂️S, FISH, DRINK A FEW WINE SPEITZERS MIS AFTERNOON RO 9PM NOT JUST 1 9F RED OR PINK WINE, FRESH FRUIT IN THE CUP, JUICE SO I'M TALKING 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😭YEAH AND OH SONS GO GET YOUR DADDY MAMA ❤S YA!!!!!!!!!!
HE WORKS FEOM 730 OR.8AM TO 53O OR 7PM MONDAY TO FRIDAY, A HALF A SATURDAY, SOMERIMES A HOUR OR.ALL SUNDAY AM AS A AUTO MECHANIC. HE'LL TAKE RHE LIL'SON ON SUNDAY MAYBE BOTH OR.US 3 TO WOEK, THEN WE GO TO THE ICW IN OIR SWIMSUITS GET 🌞, CHILL, FISH, FAMILY TIME DURING THIS DAMN MAJOR LETHAL, SERIOUS CORNAVIRUS!!!!!!!!!!

HIGA AND LOVE,
MELISSA



@DrkMynd

I grew up the oldest child. I wasn't given the same love and devotion that my younger sister was.

This song hits hard because I wasn't allowed to cry. I wasn't alllowed to feel. I just had to accept life as it was.

It sucked ass.

And in the end.....the one they gave up on, saved their asses from the worst of life. Gave them a home...gave them everything they could want. 1 of the 3 died never knowing it....the other 2....still think that I OWE it to them.

Aint life a bitch?



All comments from YouTube:

@jaden8084

This song hits harder after Kelly's Divorce. To hear two Queens sing together really pulls on the heartstrings all over again. ❤

@TH-cw6wb

2 queens. Well said

@TrudyPatootie

Sobbing.
I left an abusive relationship of 30 years because of Kelly's original " Because of You."
I just discovered this. Brought back so many memories. Thank you.
I am madly in love with my husband of 17 years now at the age of 74.

@TrudyPatootie

@James Hama Well, hello! Oh James...how sweet of you to check up on me.
I am doing so good. Got Covid and it was like the flu for me...so that's good.
Still madly in love with my husband. Abusive past is now a distant memory that I lived through.
Your comment made my day. Thank you. And You Friend?

@jordanlash2268

Good for you glad you able to end up really happy

@TrudyPatootie

@Jordan Lash Thank you Jordan
He still makes my heartbeat faster
when I hear his truck coming up the
driveway after 19 years!

@liveandletdie7187

I am in the process of divorce after 35 years of torment and abuse❤

@TrudyPatootie

@Alice in Chains Oh Alice I am so
proud of you having the courage to
leave. 💫
You go on and live your most
fabulous life honey! You deserve it!

16 More Replies...

@thabielee2551

"My heart can't possibly break when it wasn't whole to start with" This line kills me. I 💯% get what she means

@ethelhoose7624

This song is so me

More Comments

More Versions