I Know What I'm Not
Life Lessons Lyrics


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I've been trapped
Under who I said I'd be for so long
I got lost in always trying to be what I'm not
I'm afraid
That you want all that I'm not
And you thought I'd change like I did before
But I'm not the type to change anymore
But I'm not the type to change anymore

Only I could pick the flower then damn it if it doesn't die
Uproot the thing that I forgot to appreciate alive
'Cause I can't hold it together
When your tears start to melt
Their way through cracks in your makeup
I know I'm not what you wanted

And if I am then you don't act like you know that
And I know that
So we break down
You don't deserve to have to worry about
If I'll be there when you need me
But you'll still hear me out
But you'll still hear me out

Only I could pick the flower then damn it if it doesn't die
Uproot the thing that I forgot to appreciate alive
'Cause I can't hold it together
When your tears start to melt
Their way through cracks in your makeup
I know I'm not what you wanted

And don't you dare think I don't know how bad this hurts
And don't you dare think I don't know who hurt who worse
Don't trade your guard up for me ever getting through to your head
Don't trade for problems and someone you'll wish you hated instead





You'd be better off
You'd be better off

Overall Meaning

In the song "I Know What I'm Not" by Life Lessons, the singer expresses the feeling of being trapped in a persona that he created for himself. He had lost himself in trying to become someone he is not, and as a result, he was afraid that the person he really is would not be accepted by others, specifically the person he is speaking with.


The singer understands that he cannot change anymore to become someone he is not. He realizes that he had picked a flower and was not able to appreciate its beauty, and now it has withered away. He compares this to his relationship with the person he is speaking with, saying that he knows he is not what they wanted, and they do not act like they appreciate him for who he is.


The singer acknowledges the pain he is causing the other person by not being able to be who they want him to be. He does not want to be the cause of their worry or stress. He pleads with the person to not trade their guard up for something that will not be worth it in the end.


Line by Line Meaning

I've been trapped
I have been restrained and confined by my own self-image.


Under who I said I'd be for so long
I have been living a lie and portraying a false image of myself for a long time.


I got lost in always trying to be what I'm not
I have lost my true self by trying to be someone I'm not.


I'm afraid
I'm scared.


That you want all that I'm not
I'm afraid that you want everything that I'm not.


And you thought I'd change like I did before
You expected me to change again, like I did in the past.


But I'm not the type to change anymore
I have stopped changing myself for others and now I'm true to myself.


Only I could pick the flower then damn it if it doesn't die
I have a habit of picking things up and liking them, but it doesn't last long.


Uproot the thing that I forgot to appreciate alive
I remove things from my life that I took for granted and didn't appreciate when they were present.


'Cause I can't hold it together
I'm unable to keep myself composed.


When your tears start to melt
When you start crying and your tears are streaming down your face.


Their way through cracks in your makeup
Your tears are flowing down your face, breaking through the makeup you are wearing.


I know I'm not what you wanted
I'm aware that I'm not what you expected or hoped for.


And if I am then you don't act like you know that
Even if I meet your expectations, you don't seem to acknowledge it.


And I know that
I understand that.


So we break down
Thus, we are falling apart.


You don't deserve to have to worry about
I don't want you to worry about


If I'll be there when you need me
Concerned if I'll be present when you need me.


But you'll still hear me out
But you'll still listen to what I have to say.


And don't you dare think I don't know how bad this hurts
Don't assume that I'm unaware of how much it hurts.


And don't you dare think I don't know who hurt who worse
And don't assume that I'm unaware of who caused more pain in the relationship.


Don't trade your guard up for me ever getting through to your head
Don't put up a barrier just for me, so I can't connect with you.


Don't trade for problems and someone you'll wish you hated instead
Don't choose me just for the sake of having someone, because later you'll wish you had someone else.


You'd be better off
You would be in a better position.


You'd be better off
You would be in a better position.




Contributed by Ella J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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