Say (feat. Jake Meadows) - Acoustic Version
Ruel
The laid-back, soulful ease with which Ruel sings his catchy pop tunes coul… Read Full Bio ↴The laid-back, soulful ease with which Ruel sings his catchy pop tunes could only be delivered by a true natural. But the British-Australian songwriter—born Ruel Vincent van Dijk in 2002—has also been working at it for a sizable chunk of his life. Ruel was on the precipice of his teenage years when his dad sent a demo of him doing a James Bay tune to producer M-Phazes (Demi Lovato, Eminem) in 2015, kickstarting his run as one of 21st-century pop’s foremost purveyors of feels. His debut EP, 2018’s Ready, proved that he was exactly that—before even becoming a legal adult, Ruel built a record packed with well-crafted, R&B-inflected, chart-ready songs. The breezy rhythm of “Dazed & Confused” is juxtaposed with the heartbreak that staccato strings set front and centre for the throbbing chorus; and “Younger”, with its sugary vocal hooks, bouncy piano and gospel singers, softens the blow of a story about friends growing apart over time. In 2020, his music continued to mature with Bright Lights, Red Eyes. Using a stream-of-consciousness writing style, Ruel’s bedroom-pop vulnerability shines through on songs like the rousing “courage”, creating a tenderness and intimacy that’s impressive for an artist of any age.

Say
Ruel Lyrics


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Say it over
If you can't come back tomorrow
I lost my words over you, and I'm sorry
Am I supposed to act worried?
I didn't mean to be cold, guess it's just a sore throat

We stopped talkin'
The conversation was fadin'
The tv's off, got no coffee
I called you up to tell you I'm changin'

You can be hard to pin down
I can pull up and turn around
I always leave my phone on
Fallin' asleep, we don't talk
Everything's crashin' you stay
I couldn't keep my head away
You say my jeans don't fit right
You say you're leavin', so I might say it over

If you can't come back tomorrow (if you can't come back, if you can't come back)
I lost my words over you, and I'm sorry
Am I supposed to act worried?
I didn't mean to be cold, guess it's just a sore throat

We're lookin' for the same things at different times
The same pace, same minds
To get a grip on what we find together
But I know it's not easy, to let go of the chapter we started (oh, hey, yeah)

You can be hard to pin down
I can pull up and turn around
I always leave my phone on
Fallin' asleep, we don't talk
When everything's crashin' you stay
I couldn't keep my head away
You say my jeans don't fit right
You say you're leavin', so am I

Say it over (over, over)
Yeah, if you can't come back tomorrow (if you can't come back, if you can't come back)
I lost my words over you, and I'm sorry
Am I supposed to act worried?
I didn't mean to be cold, guess it's just a sore throat





To be honest, I lost myself, I feel awful
Know we all got our problems, I'm sorry if I said you were gorgeous

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ruel's song "Say" tell a story of a relationship that is struggling to stay together. It appears that the couple is experiencing communication barriers, which have resulted in a disconnect between them. The lyrics reveal that the singer of the song is struggling to find the right words to express how they truly feel, hence the opening line: "Say it over if you can't come back tomorrow." The singer explains that they have lost their words over the other person and apologizes for being distant, saying that it's just a sore throat.


The song also suggests that the couple is at different stages in their lives, with the singer wanting a new beginning and the other person wanting to stay in the same chapter they are currently in. The chorus repeats the idea of saying what needs to be said, with the fear of losing the other person looming over their heads. The singer is apologetic, acknowledging that they have lost themselves in the relationship and feel awful.


Overall, "Say" is a song about the struggle that couples often face when trying to communicate their feelings to each other. It highlights the importance of communication in a relationship and the consequences of not being able to express oneself effectively. The song also explores the fear of losing someone when the relationship is on shaky ground.


Line by Line Meaning

Say it over
Please repeat what you just said


If you can't come back tomorrow (if you can't come back, if you can't come back)
If you're not able to come back tomorrow


I lost my words over you, and I'm sorry
I became speechless because of you and I apologize for it


Am I supposed to act worried?
Should I pretend to be concerned?


I didn't mean to be cold, guess it's just a sore throat
I didn't intend to be distant, it's just that my throat hurts


We stopped talkin'
We stopped communicating


The conversation was fadin'
The discussion was losing its intensity


The tv's off, got no coffee
The television is turned off and there's no coffee


I called you up to tell you I'm changin'
I phoned you to inform you that I'm undergoing a transformation


You can be hard to pin down
You can be difficult to catch or understand


I can pull up and turn around
I can come close and then go in the opposite direction


I always leave my phone on
I never turn my phone off


Fallin' asleep, we don't talk
We don't communicate when we're falling asleep


Everything's crashin' you stay
Everything is falling apart but you stay


I couldn't keep my head away
I couldn't stop thinking about you


You say my jeans don't fit right
You claim that my jeans are ill-fitting


You say you're leavin', so I might say it over
You indicate that you're leaving, so I might ask you to repeat yourself


We're lookin' for the same things at different times
We're searching for identical things but at distinct periods


The same pace, same minds
At the same rate, with the same mindset


To get a grip on what we find together
To comprehend what we locate together


But I know it's not easy, to let go of the chapter we started (oh, hey, yeah)
But I realize it's tough to move on from the part we began together


To be honest, I lost myself, I feel awful
Honestly, I am lost and I feel terrible


Know we all got our problems, I'm sorry if I said you were gorgeous
I understand that we all have difficulties, I apologize if I complimented your beauty




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joshua Karpeh, Mark Landon, Ruel Vincent Van Dijk, Sarah Aarons

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Beck


on JAPANESE WHISKEY


We spent our time drinking whiskey from Japan


The whiskey was brought by your dad from Tokyo


You told me to drink all the whiskey before leaving


I'm thirsty despite drinking the whiskey


I don't enjoy the flavor, but I appreciate the name


I spent more time there doing nothing productive


I pretended to be mature but felt immature


The more I try to keep you close, the more distant you feel


We tend to love things that don't exist or aren't true


I desired to be the person you hoped I could be


Realistically, I'm unable to be that person


You don't keep track of your successes or failures


I remember every single kiss and mark them permanently


I have kept my past hidden, but you don't want to hear about it


The closer I get to you the further you push away


We tend to love things that don't exist or aren't true/real


I desired to be the person you hoped I could be


Realistically, I'm unable to be that person for you


I shut my eyes


I take in all your harsh words without reacting


I'm indecisive


I'm not sure if I enjoy it or if I can't move on from it

Singer


on Real Thing

he writes super good songs or he helps write them

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