The singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer, born Sampha Sisay, started making music in his early teenage years. In 2009, the South London native broke through with a remix of the xx's "Basic Space," which led to a busy schedule across 2010 and 2011. This period entailed collaborations with SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, and Lil Silva, as well as a solo debut with Sundanza, an EP issued on the Young Turks label. After a less eventful 2012, the following year Sampha was featured on Drake's "Too Much" and Beyoncé's "Mine," and issued Dual, his second Young Turks EP, an abstract and skeletal showcase for his fragile-sounding yet expressive voice. As he continued to work with fellow U.K. natives SBTRKT, Bullion, and FKA twigs, Sampha was also sought by more high-profile North American artists, and in 2016 alone appeared on Kanye West's The Life of Pablo, Frank Ocean's Endless, and Solange's A Seat at the Table. His own "Timmy's Prayer" (co-written by West) and "Blood on Me" were out by the end of the year as previews of his first full-length. Process, recorded while Sampha was grieving the death of his mother, and released in February 2017, hit number seven in the U.K. and narrowly missed the Top 50 in the U.S. Later in the year, Sampha made appearances on Drake's More Life and releases from Richard Russell's Everything Is Recorded project. Process went on to win the 2017 Mercury Prize, as well as Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards Album of the Year. Over the next few years, Sampha contributed in various capacities to recordings by Loyle Carner, Alicia Keys, Headie One and Fred again.., Actress, and many other artists across genres. An expanded "bonus edition" of Process, released in 2022, added two tracks previously available only in Japan.
Reverse Faults
Sampha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's always you and never me
I threw the blame and it shattered
And now there's broken glass praying to be healed
You struck a chord and I listened
You damn near broke all the strings
When you get close, I get distant
Instead I'll drive away to a place surreal
Took the break pads out the car
And I flew
I smashed this window in my heart
And I blamed you
This anger's taking me apart
Explosive truths
Except this time I went too far
And I hurt you
I wish I could take it back right now
Where's that smile when it matters?
Where was I when you called?
I shot the blame and it scattered
Now there's bullet holes spread across the walls
I took the shape of a letter
Slipped myself underneath your door
In this red room we develop
An understanding of all our wrongs
Now can we move along?
Took the break pads out the car
And I flew
I smashed this window in my heart
And I blamed you
This anger's it's taking me apart
Explosive truths
Except this time I went too far
And I hurt you
I wish I could take it back right
"Reverse Faults" is a song by Sampha that deals with themes of accountability, blame, and regret in a tumultuous relationship. The song's opening line, "There's a fault in my structure," sets the tone for what follows. The singer acknowledges that there is something fundamentally flawed about himself that causes him to constantly shift the blame onto his partner. However, in doing so, he only ends up hurting himself and damaging the relationship even more.
Throughout the song, there is a push-and-pull dynamic between the two parties involved. The singer is constantly trying to distance himself from his emotions, using the metaphor of driving away to a "surreal" place to escape the pain. Meanwhile, his partner is left to deal with the aftermath of his explosive outbursts. The line, "This anger's taking me apart," suggests that the singer is aware of the destructive nature of his behavior, but he is unable to control it.
As the song progresses, there is a sense of resolution and accountability that emerges. The singer admits that he went too far and hurt his partner, expressing a wish to take back what he did. However, he also acknowledges that there is potential for growth and understanding in the relationship. The closing lines, "Now can we move along?" leave the listener with a sense of hope that the couple can work through their issues and come out stronger on the other side.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a fault in my structure
I have a flaw in my character that causes problems in my relationships.
It's always you and never me
I tend to blame the other person rather than taking responsibility for my part in the situation.
I threw the blame and it shattered
I unfairly blamed the other person and caused pain.
And now there's broken glass praying to be healed
The damage caused by my words/actions is profound and needs repair.
You struck a chord and I listened
You said something that resonated with me.
You damn near broke all the strings
Your words/actions were so powerful that they affected me deeply.
When you get close, I get distant
I have a tendency to push people away when they get too close to me emotionally.
Instead I'll drive away to a place surreal
I will try to escape from my problems by going to a place that is unreal or fantastical.
Took the break pads out the car
I took away my ability to stop or slow down my actions.
And I flew
I acted impulsively and without restraint.
I smashed this window in my heart
I intentionally hurt myself emotionally.
And I blamed you
I convinced myself that you were the cause of my pain.
This anger's taking me apart
My anger is causing me to self-destruct.
Explosive truths
The things that I am saying/hiding are explosive or damaging.
Except this time I went too far
I crossed a line that caused serious damage or harm.
And I hurt you
I caused you pain or harm.
I wish I could take it back right now
I regret my actions and wish I could undo them.
Where's that smile when it matters?
Why aren't you smiling or happy when it is important to me?
Where was I when you called?
I wasn't available or present when you needed me.
I shot the blame and it scattered
I unfairly placed the blame on the other person and caused damage.
Now there's bullet holes spread across the walls
My words/actions have caused serious damage.
I took the shape of a letter
I expressed myself through a written message.
Slipped myself underneath your door
I tried to communicate with you in a secretive or sneaky way.
In this red room we develop
We are in a situation where our emotions and feelings are intensified.
An understanding of all our wrongs
We are coming to an understanding of where we have both gone wrong in the situation.
Now can we move along?
Can we continue forward in our relationship now that we have addressed our issues?
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Sampha Sisay
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Wanderer-bc4ee
There's a fault in my structure
It's always you and never me
I threw the blame and it shattered
And now there's broken glass praying to be healed
You struck a chord and I listened
You damn near broke all the strings
When you get close, I get distant
Instead I'll drive away to a place surreal
And tell me how that feels
Took the break pads out the car
And I flew
I smashed this window in my heart
And I blamed you
This anger's taking me apart
Explosive truths
Except this time I went too far
And I hurt you
I wish I could take it back right now
Where's that smile when it matters?
Where was I when you called?
I shot the blame and it scattered
Now there's bullet holes spread across the walls
I took the shape of a letter
Slipped myself underneath your door
In this red room we develop
An understanding of all our wrongs
Now can we move along?
Took the break pads out the car
And I flew
I smashed this window in my heart
And I blamed you
This anger's it's taking me apart
Explosive truths
Except this time I went too far
And I hurt you
I wish I could take it back right
@kentjovengonzales2419
Still my favorite out of the album released 5 years ago, we miss you Sampha.
@P-10.00
biiiiig facts🔥🔥🔥🔥💥
@blackguy9947
bro had me thinking he was dead
@Wanderer-bc4ee
There's a fault in my structure
It's always you and never me
I threw the blame and it shattered
And now there's broken glass praying to be healed
You struck a chord and I listened
You damn near broke all the strings
When you get close, I get distant
Instead I'll drive away to a place surreal
And tell me how that feels
Took the break pads out the car
And I flew
I smashed this window in my heart
And I blamed you
This anger's taking me apart
Explosive truths
Except this time I went too far
And I hurt you
I wish I could take it back right now
Where's that smile when it matters?
Where was I when you called?
I shot the blame and it scattered
Now there's bullet holes spread across the walls
I took the shape of a letter
Slipped myself underneath your door
In this red room we develop
An understanding of all our wrongs
Now can we move along?
Took the break pads out the car
And I flew
I smashed this window in my heart
And I blamed you
This anger's it's taking me apart
Explosive truths
Except this time I went too far
And I hurt you
I wish I could take it back right
@sirswayzee1220
Felt the song even more
@Jjjaelyn
Yesss lyrics fire toooo
@xmzjonesx
You’re so great
@Rainbowgunsh
Dang mika i guess you were right this is pretty 🔥🔥🔥🔥
@EvanCartier
I had to test his opinion 😂
@Mygg_Jeager
Same lol