If I were you
Pearl And The Puppets Lyrics


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I bottled it up and now I'm letting go.
Our picture is hanging by the telephone.
I think I'm ready to take it down.

You're still down on paper as my next of kin,
But there's no way on earth you'll ever let me in,
I guess we're paying for it now.
You've held my breath for so long,
I think you've damaged my heart,
There's always a chance it could change
Sometimes it's too late to start.

I would try a little harder,
Maybe smile once in a while if I were you.
But I'm not you.
You are who you are.

And I would shout a little louder
Out the window of my car if I were you,
But then again well I'm not you
You are what you are.
I've got a feeling your not changing any time soon.

I'm moving out I've paid the final rent,
Don't worry about me cause I'm the one content,
I hope you find what your looking for

It doesn't matter to me,
Deep down I know what I want.
You'll never put up a fight you couldn't even respond.

I would try a little harder,
Maybe smile once in a while if I were you.
But I'm not you.
You are who you are.

And I would shout a little louder
Out the window of my car if I were you,
But then again well I'm not you
You are what you are.
I've got a feeling your not changing I've always measured,
Me by you. It doesn't matter if you like me now.

I would try a little harder,
Maybe smile once in a while if I were you.
But I'm not you.
You are who you are.

And I would shout a little louder
Out the window of my car if I were you,
But then again well I'm not you
You are what you are.
I've got a feeling your not changing no




I've got a feeling you're not changing no
I've got a feeling you're not changing any time soon.

Overall Meaning

The song "If I Were You" by Pearl And The Puppets is a story of letting go of someone who is unable to change, even though they are aware of the hurt they are causing. The opening lyrics express the singer's decision to release the emotions they've been bottling up and to remove the picture of the two of them hanging by the telephone. They admit that they are ready to move on and accept the consequences of their decision.


The lyrics describe the singer's frustration with their partner's inability to change or respond to them. They are aware that on paper, their partner is their next of kin, but in reality, there is no way that person will ever let them in. The phrase "we're paying for it now" suggests that these issues have built up and are causing problems in the relationship.


The chorus of the song suggests that the singer has ideas about how their partner could improve their behavior - smiling more often, shouting a little louder - but they acknowledge that they are not their partner and cannot force them to change. Ultimately, the singer decides to move out and let go, acknowledging that they know what they want deep down and that they have always measured themselves by their partner.


Line by Line Meaning

I bottled it up and now I'm letting go.
I kept my feelings inside for a long time, but now I'm finally releasing them.


Our picture is hanging by the telephone.
We used to be close, but now our relationship is represented by a mere photograph hanging by the phone.


I think I'm ready to take it down.
I'm prepared to move on and remove this symbol of our past together.


You're still down on paper as my next of kin,
Legally, you're listed as my closest living relative, but emotionally we've grown apart.


But there's no way on earth you'll ever let me in,
You'll never allow me to be close to you again.


I guess we're paying for it now.
We're both suffering the consequences of the distance we've created between us.


You've held my breath for so long,
You've made it difficult for me to fully express myself.


I think you've damaged my heart,
Your actions have caused me pain and negatively impacted my emotional well-being.


There's always a chance it could change
There's still a possibility that things could improve between us.


Sometimes it's too late to start.
However, it's also possible that it's too late to repair our relationship.


I would try a little harder,
If I were in your position, I would put in more effort to improve things.


Maybe smile once in a while if I were you.
Perhaps you could show some happiness and positivity.


But I'm not you.
I recognize that I can't change who you are as a person.


You are who you are.
You have your own personality and tendencies that are unlikely to change.


And I would shout a little louder
If I were in your position, I would be more outspoken and assertive.


Out the window of my car if I were you,
I would make my presence known and express myself more freely.


But then again well I'm not you
However, I have my own personality and tendencies that differ from yours.


You are what you are.
You can't change who you are as a person, just as I can't change who I am.


I've got a feeling your not changing any time soon.
I believe that you're unlikely to change your ways in the near future.


I'm moving out I've paid the final rent,
I'm leaving this place behind and moving on to something new.


Don't worry about me cause I'm the one content,
I'm happy with the way things are now, and I'm not hung up on our past.


I hope you find what your looking for
I wish you well in your own search for happiness and fulfillment.


It doesn't matter to me,
I'm unfazed by your opinion or reaction to me.


Deep down I know what I want.
I have a strong internal compass guiding my choices and direction in life.


You'll never put up a fight you couldn't even respond.
You react passively to any conflict or disagreement, and you don't actively engage in solving problems.


I've got a feeling your not changing no
Again, I believe that you're unlikely to evolve or develop as a person anytime soon.


I've got a feeling you're not changing no
Once more, I'm convinced that you're not going to change your behavior or mindset anytime soon.


I've got a feeling you're not changing any time soon.
For the final time, I believe that you're not going to grow or change in the foreseeable future.




Contributed by Alyssa V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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