Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American rock singer-songwr… Read Full Bio ↴Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1988 and become an underground hit. The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard 200, and its lead single, Bring Me Some Water, garnered Etheridge her first Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In 1993, Etheridge won her first Grammy award for her single, Ain't It Heavy, from her 3rd album Never Enough. Later that year, she released what would become her breakthrough album, Yes I Am. The album featured the mainstream rock hits I'm the Only One (#8) and Come to My Window (#25), the latter which scored Etheridge her second Grammy award. Yes I Am peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200, and spent 138 weeks on the chart, earning a RIAA certification of 6x Platinum, her largest to date.
In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with the song "Piece of My Heart". Etheridge's performance was widely lauded, with India.Arie writing "I Am Not My Hair" about Etheridge. Later that year, Etheridge released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. The album was a huge success, peaking at #14 on the Billboard 200, and going Gold immediately. Her latest release is 4th Street Feeling.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals." She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.

Ruins
Melissa Etheridge Lyrics

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Don't try to call
There are some bridges that burn
Beyond recognition beyond repair
Don't say you've changed
There are some forces that turn
Beyond recollection beyond my stare
When I feel the cold in the dark
I know you're there

Long ago I was a woman in pain
A woman in need
I ran to you
Long ago I did not understand
You were making me bleed
I ran to you
When I feel the cold in the dark
I know what you do

I will crawl through my past
Over stones blood and glass
In the ruins
Reaching under the fence
As I try to make sense
In the ruins

I know your heart has held its own fear
It's perfectly clear
What they did to you
In my heart it's the screaming I hear
I won't let them come near
Since my love knew you
When I feel the cold in the dark
I remember you

I will crawl through my past
Over stones blood and glass
In the ruins
Reaching under the fence
As I try to make sense
In the ruins

Night after night
I am carving it out
I will carry it down to the waterside
Night after night
I am hearing the sound
Of wings that come beating
I will not hide
When I feel the cold in the dark
I will know why

I will crawl through my past
Over stones blood and glass
In the ruins
Reaching under the fence
As I try to make sense
In the ruins

But if I am to heal
I must first learn to feel

In the ruins
I will crawl

Overall Meaning

The song "Ruins" by Melissa Etheridge deals with the aftermath of a toxic relationship. The lyrics suggest that the relationship has left emotional scars that cannot be easily healed. The singer tells the other person not to try to reconnect because the bridge has been burned beyond repair. The forces that tore the relationship apart are beyond recollection and can only reside in the memory of the singer. The lyrics suggest that the person in question has caused immense pain in the past and the singer is still feeling the aftershocks of that pain.

The singer is portrayed as a woman who is trying to make sense of her past. She is crawling through her past over stones, blood, and glass, which are all metaphors for the hardships she has faced. The ruins represent her past, which she is determined to make sense of. Night after night, she carves out the pain and carries it down to the waterside. She hears the sound of wings beating and is determined not to hide. The ending of the song suggests that the singer has to learn to feel in the ruins if she is to heal.

Overall, "Ruins" is a powerful song about the aftermath of a toxic relationship. It portrays the emotional scars that can be left behind and the struggle to make sense of the past and move on.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't try to call
I don't want to talk to you

There are some bridges that burn
Our relationship is irreparable

Beyond recognition beyond repair
Our relationship is damaged beyond repair

Don't say you've changed
I don't believe you've changed

There are some forces that turn
There are some things that can't be undone or fixed

Beyond recollection beyond my stare
I can't even remember what it was like before

When I feel the cold in the dark
When I feel alone and vulnerable

I know you're there
I know you're in my memories

Long ago I was a woman in pain
I was hurting and needed support

A woman in need
I needed someone to lean on

I ran to you
I turned to you for comfort