Half A Man
Merle Haggard - Willie Nelson Lyrics
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Better yet if I had none at all
Then I wouldn't have two arms that ache for you
And there'd be one less mem'ry to recall
If I'd only had one ear to listen
To the lies that you told me
Then I more closely resemble
The half a man that you've made of meIf I'd only had one leg to stand on
Then a much, a much truer picture you'd see
For then I more closely resemble
The half a man that you've made of me
The lyrics of Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson's song "Half A Man" are reflective of someone who is hurt and pained after being betrayed by a lover. The artist laments the fact that he had two arms, two ears and two legs to love and care for his lover, but now after the betrayal, they all seem to be a burden. If the artist had only one arm or none at all, he wouldn't have to deal with the pain of constantly longing for his lover. If he had one ear, he would have been deaf to her lies and deceit. He blames the lover for making him a "half a man" because of her actions. The lyrics are a poignant reminder of how love and loss can affect a person's sense of self-worth.
Line by Line Meaning
If I'd only had one arm to hold you
If I had limited capacity to hold you, then I could have saved myself from the pain of missing you.
Better yet if I had none at all
If I didn't have the ability to hold you at all, then I wouldn't have such a strong desire to do so.
Then I wouldn't have two arms that ache for you
Because I have two arms, I am constantly reminded of how badly I want to hold you and how much I miss you.
And there'd be one less mem'ry to recall
If I didn't have the experience of holding you in the past, I wouldn't have to deal with the memory of how great it felt and how much I miss it now.
If I'd only had one ear to listen
If I were more skeptical and less trusting of you, I could have saved myself from your lies and deceit.
To the lies that you told me
You didn't tell me the truth, and I'm frustrated with myself for believing you and falling for your dishonesty.
Then I more closely resemble
I would resemble someone who has been wounded and is struggling to heal from the harm that you've caused me.
The half a man that you've made of me
You've taken away so much from me that I feel like a fraction of the person I was before, with less confidence and self-worth.
If I'd only had one leg to stand on
If I had less stability and ability to support myself, then you would see how weak you've made me with your deceit and manipulation.
Then a much, a much truer picture you'd see
You would see a more accurate depiction of the vulnerable state you've put me in and the damage you've caused by taking advantage of my trust in you.
For then I more closely resemble
Because of the harm you've caused me, I resemble someone struggling to find my balance and my footing again - trying to regain what I've lost.
The half a man that you've made of me
I am less whole and less myself because of the damage you've done, and I blame you for taking away so much from me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WILLIE NELSON
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