I'm a Ruin
Marina and the Diamonds Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Overall Meaning

"I'm a Ruin" by Marina and the Diamonds is a song about a person who knows they can't have everything they want, yet they're afraid to lose their significant other. They acknowledge that they're not treating their partner as well as they could, but they're not intelligent enough to fix the situation. The singer admits that the person they love is easy to fight for, just like a flower in a gun or a bird in flight. They know that leading their partner on is not right, but they do it anyway, and that's not fair.


The chorus of the song is where the singer confesses that they'll ruin their partner, even if they'll regret it later. They've been doing things they shouldn't do, saying things they shouldn't say, and they know that they're going to ruin everything. The lyrics are about the struggle of loving someone but also feeling trapped and wanting to move on. The singer knows that their actions are not right, but they don't want to say goodbye because they don't want to lose their partner. At the same time, they don't want to lie to them either.


Overall, "I'm a Ruin" is a poignant and honest song about the complexities of relationships, love, and honesty.


Line by Line Meaning

I know that I can’t have it all
I am aware that I cannot have everything I desire


But without you I am afraid I’ll fall
I fear that I will fail without you


I know I’m playing with your heart
I am aware that I am toying with your emotions


And I could treat you better but I’m not that smart
I have the ability to care for you more, but I lack the intelligence to do so


When it comes to love, you’re an easy fight
Our relationship has been effortless


A flower in a gun, a bird in flight
Our relationship, though beautiful and fragile, is mixed with danger and uncertainty


It isn’t fair and it isn’t right
It is unjust and unethical


To lead you on like it’s all alright
To deceive you into thinking everything is okay


I played with your heart
I toyed with your emotions


You still mean everything to me
You are still very important to me


But I wanna be free
However, I want to be free


I’ll ruin, yeah, I’ll ruin you (I'll ruin you)
I will bring harm and destruction to our relationship


I’ve been doing things I shouldn’t do (Things I shouldn’t do)
I have been engaging in actions that are detrimental to our relationship


It’s difficult to move on
It is challenging to let go


When nothing was right and nothing’s wrong
When our relationship was a mix of good and bad


You still can’t look me in the eye
You are still hurt and cannot face me directly


'Cause you’ve been bitten once and now you’re twice as shy
Because you have been hurt in the past, you are now more cautious


I’ve had my share of beautiful men
I have had my fair share of attractive partners


But I’m still young and I wanna love again
But I am still youthful and desire to love again


It’s difficult to say goodbye
Parting ways is challenging


And easier to live a lover’s lie
It is simpler to pretend everything is okay and deceive each other


And I’ve tried to say
I have attempted to communicate


Babe, I’m gonna ruin you if you let me stay
My presence will bring harm to our relationship if I stay


It doesn’t feel right and it doesn’t feel fair
It does not feel right or just


When I’m planning to move on and you’re still standing there
When I am moving forward but you are still attached to our relationship


Don’t wanna keep a secret but I don’t know how to keep it fair, yeah
I do not wish to keep anything from you, but I am unsure of how to proceed fairly


But I don’t wanna say goodbye
I do not want to part ways


But, baby, I don’t wanna lie
However, I also do not want to deceive you


To lie, to lie to you
To be untruthful to you


I’m a ruin
I am bringing destruction to our relationship




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARINA LAMBRINI DIAMANDIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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