Sarah Jessica Cothran was born on June 11, 2002, in Seminary, Mississippi. She began writing and playing music in junior high school at the age of thirteen. Cothran began posting music on YouTube in 2017, and launched a TikTok account after graduating high school in 2020, having moved to Nashville, Tennessee. She gained popularity on TikTok with her series of videos singing covers of songs in a minor key. She considered social media an effective opportunity to share music and connect with her supporters. In January 2018, Cothran released a cover of Avenged Sevenfold's "So Far Away" featuring her sister Michaila, which received more than one million views.
Cothran gained recognition for her cover of Matt Maltese's song "As the World Caves In", originally released with three short videos on TikTok before receiving a full release on streaming platforms on May 12, 2021. It ranked tenth among the most viral songs worldwide on July 14, according to Spotify. The single earned 400 million global streams, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on September 16, 2022. It was featured in the first episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty in June 2022. Maltese's original song saw a resurgence after Cothran's cover. Cothran considered it important to co-produce her own music to maintain her creativity and to "level out the huge gap" regarding the lack of female producers.
Following the song's success, Cothran signed with Republic Records in August 2021, represented by Sara Bollwinkel of Wasserman Music, and legally by Doug Mark. Cothran's first single with Republic, "Baby Why", was released on July 29, 2022. The song is about constant fighting in a toxic relationship. Cothran was inspired by vintage sounds but wanted to add a "modern twist". The single gained over one million global streams in ten days. The music video was released on August 11, with visuals inspired by the 1950s. Her next single, "Funeral", was released on August 26; co-written with Maltese over several days in a studio in Nashville, the song is about attending one's own funeral. The music video was released on December 2.
Cothran's debut EP, i hope you're happy, was released on September 30. She wrote and produced most of the songs late at night in her bedroom. Consequence's Mary Siroky named one of the EP's songs, "I'm Here", a runner-up for Song of the Week, writing that it "unspools like a diary entry ... the knowledge that life could have been different can be haunting, and Cothran tries to close the chapter on her own terms with this poignant brush of her pen". The music video for "I'm Here" was released on December 17, filmed by the Nashville Drone Company at Harpeth Valley Farm in Kingston Springs, Tennessee. Cothran was one of Alec Benjamin's supporting acts on his tour in September 2022. She released a single, "Stronger Than Me", on September 8, 2023, set to be followed by "Me Myself & I" on October 6.
Why Do I
Sarah Cothran Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for relief
But that just seems the parts are pulled
Completely out of reach
The person that I let you see
The one you think you know
But babe I sought to amuse you
When a little light then shone
Ooh, it′s just brushing in on me
Now I find it hard to breathe
Please just sleep
Ooh, lying on the bathroom floor
Don't know what I′m crying for
I guess it's me
Why do I wake up every morning
When I know the same routine
Of feeling lost and so caught up
In the fears of living
You said you thought that I was good
I guess I'm good with lies
′Cause you don′t know the things I saw
And how death truly inspires
The way I think, the way I dream
You think that I don't care
You think that I′m just cold
But really I'm so scared
Of things I can′t control
Please don't point out my flaws
I′m already aware
I know the way I act
You just don't understand
Ooh, it's just brushing in on me
Now I find it hard to breathe
Please just sleep
Ooh, lying on the bathroom floor
Don′t know what I′m crying for
I guess it's me
Why do I wake up every morning
When I know the same routine
Of feeling lost and so caught up
In the fears of living
You said you thought that I was good
I guess I′m good with lies
'Cause you don′t know the things I saw
And how death truly inspires
The way I think, the way I dream
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Na, na-na-na, na, no, no
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Na, na-na-na, na, no, no
The song "Why Do I" by Sarah Cothran is a beautiful depiction of the artist's struggle to find inner peace in the midst of chaos. The lyrics reflect her desperation for relief, which seems unattainable. She talks about how the person she portrays to others is not who she truly is, and how she has to put up a facade to amuse others. However, this results in feeling lost and disconnected from her true self. She talks about the fear and anxiety she feels towards things she cannot control, and how she struggles to cope with it. She ends the song with the question of why she keeps waking up every morning, when the routine of feeling lost and confused seems never-ending.
The song's lyrics show a deep struggle with anxiety, depression and fear, and how it affects one's everyday life. It highlights the need for compassion and understanding towards individuals going through mental health issues, and the importance of being honest with oneself and others.
Line by Line Meaning
I just want some peace inside
I am searching for a way to relieve my internal turmoil
But that just seems the parts are pulled
Finding peace seems impossible
Completely out of reach
I feel like peace is completely unattainable
The person that I let you see
The version of myself I present to others
The one you think you know
The facade that others believe about me
But babe I sought to amuse you
I try to entertain others to distract myself from my own troubles
When a little light then shone
When anything positive happens in my life
Ooh, it's just brushing in on me
The overwhelming feeling of sadness is creeping in again
Now I find it hard to breathe
The sadness is making it difficult for me to function normally
Please just sleep
I wish I could just escape from these feelings by sleeping
Ooh, lying on the bathroom floor
I've hit rock bottom and can't even stand up
Don't know what I'm crying for
I don't understand why I'm feeling so overwhelmed
I guess it's me
I am the root of my own problems
Why do I wake up every morning
I question why I bother to get out of bed each day
When I know the same routine
My life feels monotonous and unpleasant
Of feeling lost and so caught up
I frequently feel directionless and bogged down with my problems
In the fears of living
I am constantly afraid of the future and my own shortcomings
You said you thought that I was good
Others have positive opinions of me
I guess I'm good with lies
I deceive people into thinking I am fine
'Cause you don't know the things I saw
No one else knows the internal trauma I have experienced
And how death truly inspires
Experiencing death has impacted the way I think and feel
The way I think, the way I dream
My thoughts and dreams are shaped by my experiences
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Nonsensical sounds
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Nonsensical sounds
Na, na-na-na, na, no, no
Nonsensical sounds
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Nonsensical sounds
Na, na-na-na, na-na
Nonsensical sounds
Na, na-na-na, na, no, no
Nonsensical sounds
Contributed by Liam I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@irisdry3130
The way she sings “why” gives me goosebumps
@dramalibra
ITS SO GOOOOD
@user-yq2zk1hy4r
Sameeeeeee
@RandomPerson-el6sv
I KNOW OMG
@melancooki6485
Same
@HawkinaBox
It's so satisfying
@Gangstagonzo3
I still can’t believe that almost two years ago we’re listening to As The World Caves In, now this girl is putting out music better than some top artists can even dream of honestly. She’s unstoppable, watch out world
@bilqisratutsabitah
I'm a proud mom
@SK-gz5bc
That part with top artists is capp but ight
@nyx476
@@SK-gz5bc nah her music is better than some top artists