Beautiful Disaster
Kelly Clarkson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning

He drowns in his dreams
An exquisite extreme I know
He's as damned as he seems
And more heaven than a heart could hold

And if I try to save him
My whole world could cave in
It just ain't right


It just ain't right

Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's magic and myth
As strong as what I believe
A tragedy with
More damage than a soul should see
And do I try to change him
So hard not to blame him
Hold on tight
Hold on tight

Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful
Or just a beautiful disaster

I'm longing for love and the logical
But he's only happy hysterical
I'm waiting for some kind of miracle
Waited so long
So long

He's soft to the touch
But frayed at the ends he breaks
He's never enough
And still he's more than I can take

Oh 'cause I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster

Beautiful (Beautiful disaster)
Beautiful disaster

Overall Meaning

The song Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson is about a man whom the narrator loves very much but recognizes that he is not good for her. The man is described as being extreme and strong, yet damaged and damned. The narrator acknowledges that she cannot save him without risking her own life falling apart. Despite this, she finds him beautiful, both in his strengths and flaws, likening him to magic and myth. She contemplates whether holding onto him through the good and bad times would be beautiful or just a disaster.


Throughout the song, the narrator grapples with the dichotomy of an alluring and toxic relationship. She is torn between the longing for logic and love and the hopeless romantic aspect of being deeply in love with someone who is not the best for them. The lyrics paint a picture of the struggle and heartache of loving someone who can be both beautiful and disastrous for your own well-being.


The song was reportedly inspired by Kelly Clarkson's own past relationships and the turmoil that ensued. It was released as the fifth and final single from her debut album, Thankful, in 2003. The song became one of Clarkson's most beloved tracks and has been covered by a variety of artists.


Line by Line Meaning

He drowns in his dreams
He's constantly lost in his thoughts and imagination


An exquisite extreme I know
His behavior is so unusual that it's amazing, but also worrying


He's as damned as he seems
He's afflicted with problems that are painfully clear to everyone


And more heaven than a heart could hold
There is an admirable quality to him that is almost too much to handle


And if I try to save him
If I attempt to help him, it could cause everything to fall apart


My whole world could cave in
This could be monumentally disastrous for me


It just ain't right
Something about this situation feels fundamentally off


Oh and I don't know
I'm completely unsure


I don't know what he's after
I can't figure out what motivates him


But he's so beautiful
Despite the complications, he has something enchanting about him


Such a beautiful disaster
He is simultaneously captivating and deeply troubling


And if I could hold on
If I could maintain my grip on this situation


Through the tears and the laughter
No matter what joys or sorrows we experience together


Would it be beautiful
Is there a chance that this could turn out to be wonderful


Or just a beautiful disaster
Or will the allure of this relationship ultimately lead to chaos


He's magic and myth
This person seems almost otherworldly, like a fantastical creature


As strong as what I believe
He has the power to influence my beliefs and convictions


A tragedy with
He carries with him a real sense of sadness and misfortune


More damage than a soul should see
His problems are much more intense than anyone should have to bear witness to


And do I try to change him
Should I try to transform him into someone that's more acceptable to me


So hard not to blame him
It's difficult not to hold him responsible for the difficulties we're facing


Hold on tight
I need to maintain my grip on this, no matter how difficult it gets


I'm longing for love and the logical
I want a relationship that's both emotionally fulfilling and rational


But he's only happy hysterical
He seems to be content only when things are chaotic and unstable


I'm waiting for some kind of miracle
I'm hoping for some unforeseeable change that will make this situation better


Waited so long
I've been hoping and waiting for this to get better for quite some time


He's soft to the touch
He might be gentle and kind, at times


But frayed at the ends he breaks
He has a tendency to become emotionally overwhelmed and fall apart


He's never enough
No matter what he does, he can't seem to satisfy everyone


And still he's more than I can take
Despite the difficulties he brings, I can't help but be drawn to him


Oh 'cause I don't know
Because I remain so uncertain about him


He's beautiful
There's simply no denying that this person has a certain aesthetic appeal


Such a beautiful disaster
But that beauty comes with so much turmoil and devastation


Beautiful (Beautiful disaster)
There's a complexity to this relationship that makes it simultaneously attractive and dangerous




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: REBECCA JOHNSON, MATTHEW WILDER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

tifaa03

i prefer this version waaaaaay more than the upbeat one this version is absolutely stunning great job kelly!

Miesha Lowery

What brought me here is a dream I had of Kelly Clarkson singing this song to me. I haven't heard this song in years and that's when realization hit me.
I see everyone's comments are talking about other people who reminds them of this song.
For me, this song reminds me of me. I was so busy trying to save everyone around me and not realizing I am a disaster as well. Trying not drown in my own dreams. Its hard to admit that you are a beautiful disaster that sometimes you just need to save yourself from yourself. Sometimes...💙

Kelly

I would totally have to agree with you....

James Lucas

kelly clarkson is one of the most beautiful and gifted artist of our time! She leaves us breathless with every lyric and all she has to say! It's a priceless union of her absolute voice and her message! All I know is she has touched a generation that was longingly for that special someone to come along! Every generation enjoys what she brings, I should know. I am 59 years old and I am blessed to be able to relate to every song, especially Piece by Piece. Her story is very relatable because I lived it! I've often said, A father is not a father just because someone once called him dad!! You keep sharing the gift that God gave you Kelly cause you always know just how to reach that person that needs it most!

Rachel Starr

My beautiful man who suffers from depression. Such an amazing spirit but overcome sometimes with this awful disorder. I wanted to leave when it overwhelmed me, but he's so beautiful, I could not stay away!!

fuckyourself

Best live performance, literally no mistakes.

roxyng22

wish id seen it

levanter supremacist

THIS IS A LIVE PERFORMANCE? DAMN. PERFECTION.

Ana'sazi Arc

Love this and you,your grace, panache and poise!!!

Alex Rosemary

My story involving a very broken and complicated boy, ended up being incredibly beautiful. This song really gets to me every time I hear it. 13 years we have been together, and he will always be beautiful to me.

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