Shame
Matchbox 20 Lyrics


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What we learned here is love tastes bitter when it's gone
Past yourself forget the light, things look dirty when it's on
Funny how it comes to pass, that all the good slips away
And there's no one around you can remember being good to you

Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame

What we lost here is something better left alone
Second steps been forgotten, will you tell me how they go
Set yourself, situate, like a fool try again
There's no one around you can remember being good, for you so

Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame

We never thought we'd getter so troubled
We could never think that much
It should never get this bad

So let the wind blow ya across a big floor
But there's no one around who can tell us what we're here for
Funny in a certain light, how we all seem to look the same
And there's no one in life you can remember ever stood
For you, so

Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you
And open up more
Shame, shame, shame
Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you




And open up more
Shame, shame, shame

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Matchbox 20's song "Shame" appear to be a reflection on the bitter taste of love. The lines "What we learned here is love tastes bitter when it's gone" and "there's no one around you can remember being good to you" suggest that the singer is feeling the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics also seem to suggest that the singer has lost something important, something that they perhaps should have left alone in the first place. The lines "What we lost here is something better left alone" and "there's no one around you can remember being good, for you so" suggest a sense of regret and longing for what once was.


The chorus, which repeats the word "shame" several times, seems to be an acknowledgment of that regret. The lines "Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you, and open up more" suggest that the singer feels trapped by their feelings of shame and that they are unable to move on.


As the song progresses, the lyrics take on a more philosophical tone. The lines "Funny in a certain light, how we all seem to look the same" and "there's no one in life you can remember ever stood for you" seem to suggest a sense of isolation and a feeling that we all share a certain sameness in the face of life's struggles.


Overall, the lyrics to "Shame" paint a picture of a person who is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song is a meditation on regret, loss, and the sometimes overwhelming feeling of shame that comes with those emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

What we learned here is love tastes bitter when it's gone
Love is sweet when it's present, but once it's gone, the remnants can be bitter and painful.


Past yourself forget the light, things look dirty when it's on
When you're not in a good mental state, everything around you can seem bleak and negative.


Funny how it comes to pass, that all the good slips away
It's ironic how easily good things and people can slip away from our lives.


And there's no one around you can remember being good to you
When things are bad, it can feel like no one has ever been kind or good to you.


Shame, shouldn't try you, couldn't step by you And open up more Shame, shame, shame
The feeling of shame is overwhelming and it can be difficult to move past it and open up to others.


What we lost here is something better left alone
When we lose something important, it may be better to let it be and move on rather than try to reclaim it.


Second steps been forgotten, will you tell me how they go
Once we've taken a step forward, it can be difficult to remember what comes next, and we may need someone to guide us.


Set yourself, situate, like a fool try again
Even if we feel foolish for trying again, it's important to set ourselves up for success and keep moving forward.


We never thought we'd getter so troubled We could never think that much It should never get this bad
We never imagined things would get so bad, and it can be difficult to wrap our minds around it.


So let the wind blow ya across a big floor But there's no one around who can tell us what we're here for
We may feel directionless and lost, with no one around to guide us or give us purpose.


Funny in a certain light, how we all seem to look the same
When we're going through tough times, it can feel like everyone around us is struggling and we're all the same.


And there's no one in life you can remember ever stood For you, so
In times of need, it can feel like there's no one who has ever been there for us.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROB THOMAS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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