Ruel has previously sung about the fragility of his friendships in his 2018 track “Younger” that details the breakdown of a childhood relationship as two friends drift apart.
In an interview with The Music Australia, Ruel explained:
:Probably the most personal song on it is either Hard Sometimes or [the opener] Don’t Cry. Those are by far the most real songs – and all the stories that I tell in those songs are coming straight from me and all my life experiences."
In an interview with The Brisbane Times, Ruel talked about how the song details the intense pressure he’s been under since finding stardom. He went on to explain
“I had my first experience touring overseas and really missing home,” he explains of the lyric. “I was always the centre of attention onstage or doing meet and greets, but as soon as I got to my hotel room it was just [clicks fingers] nothing, and I’m all by myself with my thoughts. It’s definitely unhealthy, those extreme opposites.”
He says he’s prone to over-thinking, and those moments of sudden solitude can set his mind racing.
“If you’re alone with your thoughts for too long, bad things can happen. I start to think about something and make something out of nothing. And I just focus on one thing and think of all the terrible things that could happen from that.”
He’s been developing coping mechanisms, such as leaning on the company of his team a little more.
“Just asking, ‘Do you want to come over to my room and play some FIFA? You wanna do something?’ I just try to spend as little time completely in dead silence as possible.”
The song also demonstrates Ruel’s knowing self-awareness that his life is no longer that of your average teen. A few months ago he was near Kanye West as the rapper delivered his Sunday Service at Coachella; last November he was invited to play alongside Lauryn Hill and Post Malone at the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival festival, which is curated by one of his idols, US hip-hop star Tyler, The Creator. The lyric “But life just seems to happen right before my eyes” sums up that idea that these abnormal events have become the everyday.
“It’s weird to think that it is normal, even though I know it isn’t,” he offers. “I’m definitely weirdly trying to get used to it.”
In an October 2019 interview with MTV, Ruel said:
"On that song, yeah, I was feeling down. I was feeling like I was in the middle of tour and I was just missing my friends a little bit and I just wanted to capture that one, little, small feeling and make it into one big thing because that’s what I like to do so much. I like to take the very small and try making it into something that could be relatable to large amounts of people."
Hard Sometimes
Ruel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just trying to kill the silence
I'm ripping off the blinds
I'm just trying to let some light in
I've been on the road, I've been missing home
See it on my phone that the world back there
Keeps spinning 'round without me
I'm waking up my mind
Oh I (oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
But life (but life)
Just seems to happen right before my eyes
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
'Cause my head is up somewhere
Far away from all my friends
I just want that back again
Oh I (oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
It's hard sometimes
When I come off cold
I'm not doing it on purpose
You caught me in a hole
That I dig for myself when I'm nervous
I've been on the road, I've been missing home
See it on my phone that my friends back there
Got inside jokes without me
Oh woah
Don't mean to come off cold
I don't want to be alone
Oh I (oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes (hard sometimes)
But life (but life)
Just seems to happen right before my eyes (before my eyes)
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
'Cause my head is up somewhere
Far away from all my friends
I just want that back again
Oh I (oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes (hard sometimes)
I don't feel like myself and
I can't help being selfish
Sometimes, the pressure gets the best of me
Oh I, oh I
Oh I
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
But life
Just seems to happen, it's just passing by, oh
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
'Cause my head is up somewhere
Far away from all my friends
I just want that back again
Oh I (oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes (hard sometimes)
'Cause it's hard sometimes
The song "Hard Sometimes" by Ruel reflects the struggle of trying to maintain happiness in life, despite the challenges that come with it. The lyrics begin with describing the attempts to break the silence and let some light into life - indicating the need to overcome a dull and gloomy phase. The singer also expresses the agony of missing his home while living life on the road. The desire for a sense of belongingness and connection to his friends is evident from the line, "Far away from all my friends, I just want that back again".
Furthermore, the song introduces the idea of being misunderstood by others, and the internal struggles of dealing with anxiety and pressure. The line, "I can't help being selfish" indicates how the singer is unable to explain himself or his actions to others, despite wanting to. The chorus of the song is a powerful rendition of how life seems to happen before the eyes of the singer, but he is unable to be present in the moment. Overall, the song perfectly encapsulates the turmoil that comes with trying to be happy and content in life while dealing with the various forces that seem to pull one down.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm waking up my mind
I'm trying to clear my head and focus
I'm just trying to kill the silence
I'm trying to avoid being alone with my thoughts
I'm ripping off the blinds
I'm opening up to new experiences and perspectives
I'm just trying to let some light in
I'm trying to find positivity and hope
I've been on the road, I've been missing home
I've been traveling a lot and feeling homesick
See it on my phone that the world back there
I keep up with what's happening at home through my phone
Keeps spinning 'round without me
Life goes on without me there
Oh I (oh I)
I'm expressing my emotions
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
I struggle to maintain a positive outlook on life
But life (but life)
Despite my efforts, life is unpredictable
Just seems to happen right before my eyes
It feels like life is passing me by
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
I feel disconnected from the world around me
'Cause my head is up somewhere
I'm lost in my own thoughts and feelings
Far away from all my friends
I'm distant from the people I care about
I just want that back again
I want to feel connected and happy again
When I come off cold
I may seem distant or unfriendly
I'm not doing it on purpose
My behavior is not intentional
You caught me in a hole
You found me at a low point
That I dig for myself when I'm nervous
I tend to isolate myself when I'm anxious
Got inside jokes without me
My friends have shared experiences that I'm not part of
Don't mean to come off cold
I don't intend to seem distant or unfriendly
I don't want to be alone
I want to feel connected with others
I don't feel like myself and
I'm feeling disconnected from my true self
I can't help being selfish
I'm struggling to prioritize others over myself
Sometimes, the pressure gets the best of me
I feel overwhelmed and unable to cope
'Cause it's hard sometimes
Life can be challenging and difficult to navigate
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stephen Wrabel, Mark Landon, Dijk Van
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NoName-gv1fs
Verse 1]
I'm waking up my mind
I'm just trying to kill the silence
I'm ripping off the blinds
I'm just trying to let some light in
I've been on the road, I've been missing home
See it on my phone that the world back there
Keeps spinning 'round without me
I'm waking up my mind
I'm ripping off the blinds
[Chorus]
Oh I (Oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
But life (But life)
Just seems to happen right before my eyes
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
'Cause my head is up somewhere
Far away from all my friends
I just want that back again
Oh I (Oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
It's hard sometimes
[Verse 2]
When I come off cold
I'm not doing it on purpose
You caught me in a hole
That I dig for myself when I'm nervous
I've been on the road, I've been missing home
See it on my phone that my friends back there
Got inside jokes without me
Oh woah
Don't mean to come off cold
I don't want to be alone
[Chorus]
Oh I (Oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes (Hard sometimes)
But life (But life)
Just seems to happen right before my eyes (Before my eyes)
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
'Cause my head is up somewhere
Far away from all my friends
I just want that back again
Oh I (Oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes (Hard sometimes)
[Bridge]
I don't feel like myself and
I can't help being selfish
Sometimes, the pressure gets the best of me
Oh I, oh I
[Chorus]
Oh I
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes
But life
Just seems to happen, it's just passing by, oh
'Cause I feel like I'm not there
'Cause my head is up somewhere
Far away from all my friends
I just want that back again
Oh I (Oh I)
Try to be happy, but it's hard sometimes (Hard sometimes)
'Cause it's hard sometimes
@snehakmar
imagine being this talented at only 16, touring endlessly & being away from friends and family. this is so beautifully heartbreaking 🥺
@frank7182
Sneha Kumar couldn’t have said it better
@anjali9712
♡Truly beautifully heartbreaking♡
@leona7997
yes 🥺
@amitafradiah2531
and also school......
@kriselacipiku6652
HES 16?????
@nobaras1fan227
He's 17, and living the dream millions wish they could. But he misses his old life. You can tell he adores his fans and loves what he does. But sometimes he cant help but wish things were normal, and it's sad he feels like this. Ruel's truly too beautiful for this world. Please protect him no matter what. He deserves to always be surrounded by love and happiness.
@strikerbowls791
he chose this life...
@nobaras1fan227
@@strikerbowls791 He did, and im sure Ruel loves what he does,But maybe it's not all that great. Alot of celebrities we know and idolize have suffered from things like depression, eating disorders, anxiety, mental health issues, bulimia, anorexia, dr*g addictions, lots of them still do. and im not saying that Ruel has any of that. My point is that fame really gets to some people, i mean, imagine always being in the public eye, having a reputation, bad press. Alot of celebrities basically get controlled by their management, they're record labels ect ect. Being famous isn't easy, theres some who have taken their life because of it. It kinda makes you wonder, because who wouldn't wanna be famous? But is it really worth it. I know Ruel wanted this, and he chose the life he has, but being pressured all the time, and being held to so many limitations especially as such a young age. Of course it's gonna be hard.
@madisonsmith1799
@@nobaras1fan227 that is soooo true and happens to a lot of celeberties