Because Of You
Kelly Clarkson Lyrics


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Ooh-ooh, ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

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, every day 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 watched you die, in your sleep)
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known (I was too young for you to lean on me)
Better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else (you never saw me, yeah)
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 (ah, ah)
Because of you, mmm, oh

Overall Meaning

Kelly Clarkson's hit song "Because of You" is a deeply personal and emotional track that explores the aftermath of growing up with an abusive parent. It speaks to the lasting impact that this trauma can have on a person, and the ways in which it can shape their relationships, worldview, and sense of self.


The song's opening verse sets the stage for this theme, as Clarkson sings about her determination to break the cycle of abuse and avoid repeating the same "mistakes" that her parent did. She talks about the pain that they caused her heart, and the hard lessons she's had to learn in order to protect herself.


From there, the chorus highlights the various ways that this trauma has affected her life. She describes how she now finds it hard to trust others and even herself, and how she's learned to always be careful and play it safe in order to avoid getting hurt. A particularly poignant line in the chorus talks about how her heart wasn't even "whole" to start with, underscoring the profound emotional damage caused by her upbringing.


The song's bridge takes an even darker turn, as Clarkson reflects on the fact that her parent never truly saw or understood her. She talks about how she was forced to bear the weight of their pain, without ever receiving the support or comfort that she needed. The final repetition of the chorus ends on a note of shame and fear, as she admits that her life feels "empty" and she doesn't know how to let anyone else in.


Overall, "Because of You" is a powerful and moving song that tackles a difficult and often taboo subject matter. Clarkson's raw honesty and vulnerability make it all the more impactful, and it continues to resonate with listeners to this day.


Line by Line Meaning

I will not make
I won't repeat your past mistakes


The same mistakes that you did
I won't commit the same mistakes that you did


I will not let myself
I won't let myself go through the same misery that you faced


'Cause my heart so much misery
Because your actions caused a lot of pain to me


I will not break
I won't be broken down like you were


The way you did, you fell so hard
I won't let myself fall as hard as you did


I've learned the hard way
I've had to learn by experiencing the pain you put me through


To never let it get that far
To never let things escalate to the point that they did with you


Because of you
Due to your actions


I never stray too far from the sidewalk
I avoid taking risks because I fear the negative consequences that come with it


Because of you
Due to your behavior towards me


I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
I learned to avoid taking any risks to protect myself from getting hurt


Because of you
Due to the damage you caused me


I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
I struggle to trust both myself and others around me because of the trauma you caused


Because of you
Due to the way you treated me


I am afraid
I am scared of being hurt again


I lose my way
Sometimes I get lost and don't know what to do


And it's not too long before you point it out
You always make sure to point out my mistakes as I'm making them


I cannot cry
I can't express my emotions because you see it as a weakness


Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
Because I know that you see crying as a weakness and I don't want you to see me that way


I'm forced to fake
I have to pretend to feel okay even when I'm not


A smile, a laugh, every day of my life
I have to put on a happy face all the time, no matter how I'm feeling


My heart can't possibly break
I can't be broken again because I was never whole to begin with


When it wasn't even whole to start with
When I never had a complete, happy life before you came into it


I watched you die (I watched you die, in your sleep)
I saw you die, even if it was just a part of you that died


I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I heard you crying at night and it made me feel helpless


I was so young
I was too young and inexperienced to help you through your struggles


You should have known (I was too young for you to lean on me)
You shouldn't have put your emotional burdens on me as a child


Better than to lean on me
You should have found someone else to rely on, not me


You never thought of anyone else (you never saw me, yeah)
You were too consumed by your own pain to see how it affected others around you


You just saw your pain
You were only able to see your own suffering


And now I cry in the middle of the night
I also suffer from emotional pain and it affects me deeply


For the same damn thing
For the same emotional pain that you caused me


Because of you
Due to your continued influence on my life


I try my hardest just to forget everything
I try my best to forget the past and move on from the pain you caused me


Because of you
Due to the damage you caused me


I don't know how to let anyone else in
I have difficulty opening up to others and building new relationships because of the trust issues you caused


Because of you
Due to the pain and shame you caused me


I'm ashamed of my life
I feel shame and regret because of the emotional scars you left on me


Because it's empty
Because I feel unfulfilled and incomplete


Because of you
Due to the emotional damage and the lasting impact you had on me


I am afraid
I still carry the fear of being hurt again


Because of you (ah, ah)
Because of the way you treated me


Because of you, mmm, oh
Due to the negative impact you had on me




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Ben Moody, David Hodges, Kelly Briannne Clarkson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@pallomaaquino9237

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
Every day 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 watched you die)
I heard you cry
Every night in your sleep
I was so young (and you're so young)
You should have known better (I was too young for you)
Than to lean on me

You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain (you never saw me)
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 find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

Because of you
Because of you



@leighhoppins9273

And you know I have never experienced abuse and I hope I never do. But I have seen it on YouTube people that I have experienced situations that aren’t good

And you know even if their life isn’t good you know and it’s such a lonely place that you feel nobody cares

There is always somebody that cares and life can be great life can be full positivity and kindness loving compassion. Is just how you choose to live it

You can live life being kind to people and laughing and cracking funny jokes and using funny statements to get you by in life

Or you can live in misery and be miserable and be a nasty person you know. Life is the individual person chooses to live their life

Nobody else made them live that way no matter how bad the situation was in their past. You know nobody’s forcing and telling you how to live in the future it’s all up to you

It’s your choice and only you can choose how you live in the future.



@cristinacavalli97

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 (oh)
Because of you (mm, oh)



All comments from YouTube:

@notVulture

Every children deserves a parent, but not all parents deserves a child...
-Unknown

@terabyte2307

Your words should get repeated......children should not bear the burden....kids....just want "parents" to care........

@ghazalysi6574

my parents don't...wish I wasn't born

@lisamalabonmanoban1481

Precisely

@helenebennie3961

@@ghazalysi6574 that is terribly destructive to your self esteem. Hard to reach out and seek the people who will love you after that - that is the point of the song. Do you mind me asking how old you are?

@ghazalysi6574

​@@helenebennie3961 nobody likes me tbh...even my friends, I'm always the last priority to them which I don't blame them because when my mom can say such terrible stuff to me how can I blame strangers...the point of this song for me is to never have a child and never make someone live through this hell, I mean this world... and I'm 23 btw I just graduated from university

44 More Replies...

@sethabaca8324

“My heart can’t possibly break, if it wasn’t even whole to start with.”

Gets me every time.

@stacilynnbranum6284

same

@wareagle4864

Me too. Me too.

@lanasteel1000

😭

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