On stage, she also mentioned the reason she wrote this song;
“I’ve been struggling a lot recently about stupid beauty standards and you know eating and all that stuff and i know a lot of people go through that.. boys and girls if i’m being honest.”
she added;
‘'It happens to everyone and its hard. And i feel like no one really talks about it enough.’'
dying on the inside
Nessa Barrett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I were you, I would be more confident
You're lucky that you're pretty
Why are you obsessed with your appearance?
I don't wanna hear it, you're fine
It's been my best kept secret for a while now
No one ever sees it but it's all around
Don't know how much longer I can keep this down
Beauty is a knife, I've been holdin' by the blade
Swallowin' my pride, so I won't eat anything
It's all a lie
Honestly, it's eatin' me alive
They're all like, "Did you change your hair?
Did you lose a little weight?
You should keep it up, 'cause it really looks great"
I hate that I
Always look my best
When I'm dyin' on the inside
When I'm dyin' on the inside
I wish I could break the mirror
That makes me feel like I should fuckin' disappear
And drown my demons in a bathtub filled with tears
No matter what I try
They always seem to come back to life
What if I didn't do this to my body?
What if I quit and then you don't want me?
The dinner conversation no one talks about
Don't know how much longer I can keep this down
Beauty is a knife, I've been holdin' by the blade
Swallowin' my pride, so I won't eat anything
It's all a lie
Honestly, it's eatin' me alive
They're all like, "Did you change your hair?
Did you lose a little weight?
You should keep it up, 'cause it really looks great"
I hate that I
Always look my best
When I'm dyin' on the inside
When I'm dyin' on the inside
When I'm dyin' on the inside
You should take it as a compliment
If I were you, I would be more confident
You're lucky that you're pretty
Why are you obsessed with your appearance?
I don't wanna hear it, you're fine
Beauty is a knife, I've been holdin' by the blade
Swallowin' my pride, so I won't eat anything
It's all a lie
Honestly, it's eatin' me alive
They're all like, "Did you change your hair?
Did you lose a little weight?
You should keep it up, 'cause it really looks great"
I hate that I
Always look my best
When I'm dyin' on the inside
In Nessa Barrett's song "dying on the inside," the lyrics delve into the internal struggle with body image, self-esteem, and the pressure to conform to societal beauty standards. The opening lines, "You should take it as a compliment, If I were you, I would be more confident," suggest that the singer is receiving compliments based on her physical appearance, but she questions why being pretty is such a defining factor for validation. The line, "Why are you obsessed with your appearance? I don't wanna hear it, you're fine," showcases her frustration with the constant emphasis on looks.
The song continues to explore the singer's hidden struggles with her self-image. She describes it as a "best kept secret," something no one sees but is always present. The metaphor of beauty being a knife she holds by the blade represents the harmful nature of societal beauty standards. The weight of being praised for her appearance while feeling emotionally and mentally drained is eating away at her. The lines, "Did you change your hair? Did you lose a little weight? You should keep it up, 'cause it really looks great," highlight the external validation she receives while battling with her internal demons.
The chorus emphasizes her internal conflicts even further, with the repeated phrase "When I'm dyin' on the inside." She desires to break free from the mirror that triggers her negative feelings and wishes to escape the dominance of her own insecurities. The lyrics suggest that the singer questions her choices, wondering if she didn't succumb to societal pressures, would she still be accepted. The repeating line, "Beauty is a knife, I've been holdin' by the blade," reinforces the idea that the pursuit of societal beauty standards can be harmful and damaging to one's well-being.
Overall, "dying on the inside" is a raw and honest expression of the internal struggles many individuals face when it comes to the pressure to conform to society's beauty standards. It shines a light on the harmful effects of these standards on one's mental health and self-perception.
Line by Line Meaning
You should take it as a compliment
You should appreciate the praise
If I were you, I would be more confident
If I were in your shoes, I would have more self-assurance
You're lucky that you're pretty
You are fortunate to be attractive
Why are you obsessed with your appearance?
Why are you so fixated on how you look?
I don't wanna hear it, you're fine
I don't want to listen, you're okay
It's been my best kept secret for a while now
For a long time, I've kept this hidden
No one ever sees it but it's all around
No one ever notices, but it's always present
It's the dinner conversation no one talks about
It's the topic nobody discusses during meals
Don't know how much longer I can keep this down
I'm unsure of how much longer I can suppress this
Beauty is a knife, I've been holdin' by the blade
Beauty is like a dangerous weapon I've been gripping
Swallowin' my pride, so I won't eat anything
Suppressing my ego, so I won't consume anything
It's all a lie
Everything is deceitful
Honestly, it's eatin' me alive
Truthfully, it's consuming and destroying me
They're all like, "Did you change your hair?
Did you lose a little weight?
You should keep it up, 'cause it really looks great"
They all say things like, "Did you alter your hairstyle?
Did you shed some pounds?
You should continue, as it genuinely seems wonderful"
I hate that I
I despise that I
Always look my best
Always appear perfect
When I'm dyin' on the inside
While I'm suffering internally
I wish I could break the mirror
I desire to shatter the mirror
That makes me feel like I should fuckin' disappear
That causes me to want to damn well vanish
And drown my demons in a bathtub filled with tears
And submerge my inner demons in a bathtub brimming with tears
No matter what I try
Regardless of my attempts
They always seem to come back to life
They always manage to revive
What if I didn't do this to my body?
What if I didn't subject my body to this?
What if I quit and then you don't want me?
What if I stop and then you don't desire me anymore?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Danny Silberstein, Evan Blair, Mags Duval, Nessa Barrett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariachamoun7
LYRICS
You should take it as a compliment
If I were you, I would be more confident
You're lucky that you're pretty
Why are you obsessed with your appearance?
I don't wanna hear it, you're fine
It's been my best-kept secret for a while now
No one ever sees it, but it's all around
It's the dinner conversation no one talks about
Don't know how much longer I can keep this down
Beauty is a knife I've been holding by the blade
Swallowing my pride so I won't eat anything
It's all a lie, honestly, it's eating me alive
They're all like
"Did you change your hair?"
"Did you lose a little weight?"
"You should keep it up 'cause it really looks great"
I hate that I always look my best
When I'm dying on the inside
(When I'm dying on the inside)
I wish I could break the mirror
That makes me feel like I should fucking disappear
And drown my demons in a bathtub filled with tears
No matter what I try, they always seem to come back to life
What if I didn't do this to my body?
What if I quit and then you don't want me?
The dinner conversation no one talks about
Don't know how much longer I can keep this down
Beauty is a knife I've been holding by the blade
Swallowing my pride so I won't eat anything
It's all a lie, honestly, it's eating me alive
They're all like
"Did you change your hair?"
"Did you lose a little weight?"
"You should keep it up 'cause it really looks great"
I hate that I always look my best
When I'm dying on the inside
(When I'm dying on the inside)
(When I'm dying on the inside)
You should take it as a compliment
If I were you, I would be more confident
You're lucky that you're pretty
Why are you obsessed with your appearance?
I don't wanna hear it, you're fine
Beauty is a knife I've been holding by the blade
Swallowing my pride so I won't eat anything
It's all a lie, honestly, it's eating me alive
They're all like
"Did you change your hair?"
"Did you lose a little weight?"
"You should keep it up 'cause it really looks great"
I hate that I always look my best
When I'm dying on the inside.
@NessaBarrett
I can’t believe my debut album, young forever, is finally going to be yours 10/14!!! 🕊 you can pre-save it now: https://nessa.lnk.to/youngforever
@sairaarif1681
omg i’m the first comment love this song and ur other songs nessa❤️
@mariamaz979
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
@madinaapsova4496
Ouahusu
@pantoff80
Nessa, wow!!!
@pantoff80
Спасибо за песню!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ты супер!!!!
@NessaBarrett
Thank u for letting me be vulnerable with u. I hope “dying on the inside” can help anyone who needs it. Love u sm 🤍🤍
@jisellebrown1412
Thank you Nessa, you were able to word what I couldn't.
@jascminbutthecissilent1755
Girl your music is everything and I’m absolutely obsessed
@jascminbutthecissilent1755
Patiently waiting for a bomb ass lyric video