I'm A Ruin
Marina the Diamonds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But without you I am afraid I’ll fall
I know I’m playing with your heart
And I could treat you better but I’m not that smart
When it comes to love, you’re an easy fight
A flower in a gun, a bird in flight
It isn’t fair and it isn’t right
I played with your heart
And I could treat you better but I’m not that smart
You still mean everything to me
To me
But I wanna be free
I’ll ruin, yeah, I’ll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do (Things I shouldn’t do)
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
It’s difficult to move on
When nothing was right and nothing’s wrong
You still can’t look me in the eye
'Cause you’ve been bitten once and now you’re twice as shy
I’ve had my share of beautiful men
But I’m still young and I wanna love again
It’s difficult to say goodbye
And easier to live a lover’s lie
And I’ve tried to say
Babe, I’m gonna ruin you if you let me stay
You still mean everything to me,
To me
But I wanna be free
I’ll ruin, yeah, I’ll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do (Things I shouldn’t do)
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
It doesn’t feel right and it doesn’t feel fair
When I’m planning to move on and you’re still standing there
Don’t wanna keep a secret but I don’t know how to keep it fair, yeah
I’ll ruin, yeah, I’ll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do (Things I shouldn’t do)
But I don’t wanna say goodbye
But, baby, I don’t wanna lie
To lie, to lie to you
I’m a ruin
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Marina and the Diamonds’ “I’m A Ruin” is a song about the internal conflict that one experiences when they know they are not good for someone but are unable to let go of a relationship because of the fear of being alone. The opening lyrics, "I know that I can't have it all, but without you I am afraid I'll fall," reveal a sense of vulnerability that the singer feels without their partner. However, they do acknowledge that they are not treating their partner as they should, "And I could treat you better, but I’m not that smart."
The chorus of the song, "I’ll ruin you, yeah, I’ll ruin you, I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do" is a brutal admission of the damage that the singer is inflicting on their partner. The singer recognizes the importance of their partner in their life, "you still mean everything to me," but their desire to be free is more important to them. The lyrics also illustrate how the singer is torn between wanting to stay and the desire to move on, "It doesn't feel right, and it doesn't feel fair when I'm planning to move on and you're still standing there."
The song uses the image of a flower in a gun and a bird in flight to symbolize how love can be a contradiction of contrasts, with the singer love for their partner juxtaposed with their fear of being tied down. The song expresses a universal feeling that many people experience in relationships, and the internal struggle that takes place when someone knows that they are not capable of providing the love and commitment their partner deserves.
Line by Line Meaning
I know that I can’t have it all
I understand that I can't have everything in life
But without you I am afraid I’ll fall
I am scared that I will fail without you
I know I’m playing with your heart
I am aware that I am manipulating your emotions
And I could treat you better but I’m not that smart
I am capable of treating you better, but I lack the intelligence to do so
When it comes to love, you’re an easy fight
You are an uncomplicated person to love
A flower in a gun, a bird in flight
You're vulnerable, like a fragile flower facing a gun, but also free, like a bird flying in the sky
It isn’t fair and it isn’t right
It's not ethical or reasonable
To lead you on like it’s all alright
To give you false hope and make you believe that everything is okay
You still mean everything to me
You are still incredibly important to me
But I wanna be free
But I desire freedom
I’ll ruin, yeah, I’ll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I will cause harm to you, emotionally or otherwise
I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do (Things I shouldn’t do)
I am engaging in actions that are immoral or unethical
It’s difficult to move on
It's challenging to let go of the past
When nothing was right and nothing’s wrong
When everything felt uncertain and ambiguous
You still can’t look me in the eye
You are incapable of making direct eye contact with me
Cause you’ve been bitten once and now you’re twice as shy
Because you have been hurt before and are now more cautious and hesitant
I’ve had my share of beautiful men
I've had experiences with attractive men
But I’m still young and I wanna love again
Even though I've had past experiences, I'm still young and want to experience love once more
It doesn’t feel right and it doesn’t feel fair
It feels wrong and unjust
When I’m planning to move on and you’re still standing there
When I'm ready to move forward, but you're still in the same place
I’ll ruin, yeah, I’ll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I will cause damage and destruction to you, emotionally or otherwise
I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do (Things I shouldn’t do)
I am engaging in actions that are immoral or unethical
But I don’t wanna say goodbye
I am hesitant to say farewell
But, baby, I don’t wanna lie
But, my love, I don't want to deceive you
To lie, to lie to you
To deceive or mislead you
I’m a ruin
I am a person who causes damage and destruction
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARINA LAMBRINI DIAMANDIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mairivalvi3439
L Y R I C S :
I know that I can't have it all
But without you I am afraid I'll fall
I know I'm playing with your heart
And I could treat you better but I'm not that smart
When it comes to love, you're an easy fight
A flower in a gun, a bird in flight
It isn't fair and it isn't right
To lead you on like it's all alright
I played with your heart
And I could treat you better but I'm not that smart
You still mean everything to me
To me
But I wanna be FREE
I'll ruin, yeah, I'll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I've been doing things I shouldn't do (Things I shouldn't do)
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
It's difficult to move on
When nothing was right and nothing's wrong
You still can't look me in the eye
'Cause you've been bitten once and now you're twice as shy
I've had my share of beautiful men
But I'm still young and I wanna love again
It's difficult to say goodbye
And easier to LIVE a lover's lie
And I've tried to say
Babe, I'm gonna ruin you if you let me stay
You still mean everything to me,
To me
But I wanna be FREE
I'll ruin, yeah, I'll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I've been doing things I shouldn't do (Things I shouldn't do)
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
It doesn't feel right and it doesn't feel fair
When I'm planning to move on and you're still standing there
Don't wanna keep a secret but I don't know how to keep it fair, yeah
I'll ruin, yeah, I'll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I've been doing things I shouldn't do (Things I shouldn't do)
But I don't wanna say goodbye
But, baby, I don't wanna lie
To lie, to lie to you
I'm a ruin
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Yeah, uh huh, ooh, yeah
Read more: Marina And The Diamonds - I'm A Ruin Lyrics
@redfieldson
***** Its not about her clothes...Did I wrote that above?
She sings pop...of course
we will see traces of this genre all the time in her videos
and music. In my view, her music plays with the
alternative. The difference is that she protrudes in a
significant way, even in Electra Heart...that was
her more commercial album and she had not much autonomy
as in Froot. The contrast with mostly of the pop singers
that we see in charts is huge in question of
significant content. I like Lorde for the same reasons, good
lyrics, good music...simple. My comment was about people who
are used to the same videos with stories or group choreography...an addictive beat with a
poor lyric, coming here to complain. And I listen top charts music sometimes...Mainstream is not synonymous of sameness and failure, I understand that, thanks...its just not my favorites artists. But of course all of this is a personal opinion ... and well, everyone should listen what is pleasant for their ears right?
I will not try to convince you that I'm not this hipster poser that you said, since u have
this power to read people through the Internet...and we are in youtube comments for God's sake...I'm aware of the raging people around the internet, wich makes me rarely post something...but sometimes is good to have some healthy discussions about things we like. have a good
life.
@rightwerk
People who say "why isn't Marina famous" annoy me. She is famous. She has her own little fan base. She's not COMMERCIALLY famous (in the US at least), I'll give you that. But I think you'd be surprised. The other day, I'm A Ruin was #2 on iTunes. That's all of her fans buying the song.
@sandraidk8474
AMEN🙏
@auroraande13
..
@audreyxatomic
Well, I think she was kind of "big" briefly when Electra Heart came out, she attracted a lot of teenage fangirls with that album.. But I don't think she will care that some of them have been weeded out by now. Obviously Marina IS famous, but I like that she's not a mega star. If she wanted to be a huge star, I'm sure she would be.
@CitizenofChromatica
I am just happy that she's underrated. That makes her special and only people who understand the meaning of her songs love her songs.
@audreyxatomic
SupremeHeaux lol plus makes it easier if you want to buy concert tickets XD
@tootleturtle1511
People complaining about her 'cheap' 'crappy' videos are totally wrong; instead of creating high budget videos which just look fake, Marina is embracing the visual side of music - the beauty of moving with the beat, lighting that matches the song and silks flowing in time with the song. If you need a scripted video with a story for every song, you can't be appreciating the music fully. All her videos have something to do with their songs - even if they don't 'explain' them in full detail. In the end, its the song that counts, not the video.
@lonniegabbie
People who hate it because they don't get it aren't that smart. +Tootle Turtle
@jahalie9
The reality is that they don't have (or they don't wanna put) money in music videos anymore... You gotta be creative instead!
I agree with people who find old Marina's videos better than the Froot ones, but we haven't seen all of them yet, and I'm glad she's doing videos for almost all of her songs so...
@Sampsonay
I hate those artificial looking, scripted music videos that seem to be every where now a days. Marina does a very good job staying away from falling in that category, but that doesnt mean she is perfect either. I love how she doesnt have to strip down of her clothes or shake her bump to attract people's attention. I love how she can entertain us by just being herself on screen, using her own artistic vision and not the one set by the today's low standard society. But im going to be honest, most of her FROOT music videos have felt like the same thing over and over again. I see her either posing or waving her arms around while singing to the camera. It's pretty to watch and all but i feel like the visuals just are not as rich and unique to the eyes as the sound is to the ears. The music videos for Oh No and Primadonna were just absolutely stunning to watch, they both grabbed my attention within the first few seconds and it stayed that way till the very end. I know making a music video isnt exactly a piece of cake, but i just hope we get another Primadonna or Oh No for this album :D