PILLS
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics


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I hope my smile can distract you
I hope my fists can fight for two
So it never has to show
And you'll never know

I hope my love can blind you
I hope my arms can bind you
So you'll never have to see
What we've grown to be

One may think, we're all right
But we need pills to sleep at night
We need lies to make it through the day
We're not O.K.

One may think, we're all right
But we need pills to sleep at night
We need lies to make it through the day
We're not O.K.

One may think, we're doing fine
But if I had to lay it on the line
We're losing ground, with every passing day
We're not O.K.

That's one thing, I would never
That's one thing, I would never
That's one thing, I would never
Say to you

That's one thing, I would never
That's one thing, I would never




That's one thing, I would never
Say to you

Overall Meaning

The song Pills by Sarah McLachlan tells the story of someone who is struggling to keep up appearances in a relationship that is slowly breaking down. The singer hopes that by putting on a smile and using their fists to fight for the both of them, they can avoid confronting the issues at the heart of their relationship. They hope that by blinding their love and binding their arms, they can keep the other person from seeing what they have become. They then sing about the ways in which they use pills and lies to cope with the reality of their situation, even though on the surface, everything might seem fine. The lyrics suggest that despite the facade of happiness that they put on, things are in fact not okay, and the situation is getting worse with each passing day. The song ends by repeating the phrase “That’s one thing, I would never say to you” several times, highlighting the feelings of isolation and disconnection that the singer is experiencing.


Line by Line Meaning

I hope my smile can distract you
I hope my facade can deceive you


I hope my fists can fight for two
I hope I can bear your burden for you


So it never has to show
So our problems can stay hidden from the world


And you'll never know
And so you won't have to bear the burden I bear


I hope my love can blind you
I hope my affection for you can distort your view


I hope my arms can bind you
I hope I can have a grasp on you


So you'll never have to see
So you won't have to bear witness to the reality


What we've grown to be
Of what we have become of ourselves


One may think, we're all right
People may assume we're doing well


But we need pills to sleep at night
But we rely on medication to rest


We need lies to make it through the day
We rely on falsehoods to get through our days


We're not O.K.
We are not alright


That's one thing, I would never
That's one thing, I would never do or say


Say to you
Tell you about our struggles


One may think, we're doing fine
People may assume we're doing great


But if I had to lay it on the line
But if I had to be honest


We're losing ground, with every passing day
We are slowly worsening with time


We're not O.K.
We are not doing well


That's one thing, I would never
That's one thing, I would never do or say


Say to you
Tell you about our struggles




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ola Lars Kluft, Mans Erik Svennem Lundberg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Jaded Hart


on In The Arms Of The Angels

This will surely make you cry! Everyone can identify with this song! Hear it you won't regret it. And maybe you'll remember!

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