Mistake
Nickelback Lyrics


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As I sift and drift through bullshit,
That plagues from day to day,
Would you ever really notice I've gone away?

I'm over the wall,
Over the hill,
Over at your place,
I'm over the safeties,
Over the phone calls,
Over the rage,
What a mistake.

When you've lost the stones to throw,
The ones I found to make a fire,
And all the lonely souls that say so get fired.

I'm over the wall,
Over the hill,
Over at your place,
I'm over the safeties,
Over the phone calls,
Over the rage,
What a mistake.

What a mistake,
What a mistake,
What a mistake,
What a mistake,

I've never been lost,
I've never been found,
And it makes no difference, if I'm around,
There's never been words,vnever been actions
I've never made promises that I've never kept.

I'm over the wall,
Over the hill,
Over at your place,
I just can't seem to get out of this,
Pulling on the threads,
I'm always pulling on the threads,
I'm always pulling on the threads,
I'm always...
What a mistake, mistake.

So as i sift and drift through bullshit,




That plagues from day to day,
Would you ever really notice I've gone away?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nickelback's "Mistake" express feelings of frustration and exhaustion with a difficult relationship, as the singer sifts through the "bullshit" that plagues their daily life. They wonder if anyone would even notice if they were to go away. The chorus repeats the phrase "What a mistake," implying that staying in the relationship was a mistake, or that the relationship itself was a mistake.


The second verse introduces the idea that the singer has provided emotional support to the other person in the relationship (represented by the stones for starting a fire), and now that they need support, there is no one there for them. They express that they have never made false promises or deceived the other person, but still find themselves trapped in this relationship.


The final lines repeat the chorus while reflecting on the ongoing struggle to extricate oneself from an unhealthy dynamic, represented by the metaphor of pulling on threads. The song ends with the same question as the beginning: would anyone even notice if the singer were to leave?


Line by Line Meaning

As I sift and drift through bullshit,
As I navigate through the chaos and nonsense that surrounds me,


That plagues from day to day,
That infests my life on a daily basis,


Would you ever really notice I've gone away?
If I disappeared, would you even care or realize?


I'm over the wall,
I've crossed over the boundary,


Over the hill,
I've moved past the point of no return,


Over at your place,
I've been to your home,


I'm over the safeties,
I'm no longer relying on the safety nets,


Over the phone calls,
I've stopped answering your calls,


Over the rage,
I've let go of my anger,


What a mistake.
What a terrible choice I made.


When you've lost the stones to throw,
When you're at a loss for how to attack me,


The ones I found to make a fire,
The tools I used to ignite past conflicts,


And all the lonely souls that say so get fired.
And everyone who agrees with me gets dismissed or alienated.


I've never been lost,
I've never really felt lost,


I've never been found,
I've never felt like I belonged,


And it makes no difference, if I'm around,
It doesn't matter if I'm present or not,


There's never been words, never been actions
I've never said or done anything noteworthy,


I've never made promises that I've never kept.
I've always kept the promises that I've made.


I just can't seem to get out of this,
I can't escape from this situation,


Pulling on the threads,
Trying to unravel and understand the tangled mess,


I'm always pulling on the threads,
This is a constant struggle for me,


What a mistake, mistake.
This was such a huge mistake.


So as I sift and drift through bullshit,
As I continue to wade through the garbage,


That plagues from day to day,
That is a constant burden in my life,


Would you ever really notice I've gone away?
Would you even realize if I disappeared?




Contributed by James W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

rockmusicangel

oh my god, cannot believe they played this song. Sounds just as good as the one on the dvd from 15 years ago

AlexJC

This sounds so much like the original live version (in a good way). I love this. I never thought they would ever play this song again.

Duper Super

15 years??
Dude how is 96 to 2016 fifteen years.
He had some plastic surgery that fucked his pitch that's why he's all nasally and has to break his phrasing.

Otherwise if you listen, voice is in remarkably good shape for singing the way he does

ASLB247

Honestly, I kinda wish for chad's old vocals. Singing for over 15 years really fucked up his singing.

janeusa22

I like his hair short...much better.

liselle sloan

I have, and I like both versions. I know a lot of purists prefer the original, but keep in mind how much more exposure Big Wreck and Mr. Thornley got after this Nickelback cover. Chad Kroeger has one of the finest rock voices ever, and still has, evidently. (I wish he'd go back to his longer hair, though.)

poolfuhrer

This enrages me over and over that no one has heard the original.

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TheTannerNation

I wish so much they would record this in the studio. It would be so good

Jéssica Araújo

Não sei porquê essa música não fez o sucesso que mereceu, é tão linda, toca a gente quando escuta, é uma música linda mesmo

Amy

I love hearing him sing this song!

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