Selah Sue was born Sanne Putseys on 3rd May 1989 in Leuven, Belgium. She is… Read Full Bio ↴Selah Sue was born Sanne Putseys on 3rd May 1989 in Leuven, Belgium. She is a singer-songwriter, who combines multiple musical styles like folk, soul and reggae.

Selah started playing classic guitar when she was 15. When she was 17, she participated in an open mic night in 'Het Depot', a small venue in Leuven. Organiser of the event and successful Belgian singer Milow (born Jonathan Vandenbroeck) saw her perform and asked her to be his support act..

Her playlist consists of some covers (most notably The Zutons' Valerie), but mainly of her own songs. Late 2008 saw the release of the Black Part Love EP with six of them. This EP can be listened to integrally at her official website, www.selahsue.be. Thanks to multiple media and support appearances for the likes of Jamie Lidell, Novastar, Simply Red and Prince, Selah Sue is steadily gaining fame and respect.

On occasions she features as a vocalist for dubstep formation Addicted Kru Sound in local venues.

She's recently been named by the Rolling Stone magazine as one of the New Faces of 2012.

Sadness
Selah Sue Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Should I go alone when the world's turning a blind eye?
Should I stay strong when I'm standing on the front line?
And the feeling is not the same, no
Can't take it back again
Yes I do it all (yes I do it all), for the pain I'm in

Cause now all I have is sadness
What do I do with all this sadness?

I just can't take it no more
Sadness, it's eating me alive

Don't make me pull out the big gun yeah
Tears like bullets and they fall like rain
Lost in the feeling, words can't explain
I'm gone away
I'm gone away

I would give anything to free my mind
It's just a slave
Yes I would even pay my weight in gold
Do you feel me

Now nothing feels the same, no
Can't take it back again
But I still do it all, for the pain I'm in

'Cause now all I have is sadness
What do I do with all this sadness?
I just can't take it no more
Sadness, it's eating me alive

Don't make me pull out the big gun yeah
Tears like bullets and they fall like rain
Lost in the feeling, words can't explain
I'm gone away
I'm gone away

Don't make me pull out the big gun yeah
Tears like bullets and they fall like rain
Lost in the feeling, words can't explain
I'm gone away
I'm gone away

'Cause now all I have is sadness
What do I do with all this sadness?

I just can't take it no more
Sadness, it's eating me alive

Overall Meaning

In Selah Sue's song “Sadness”, she seems to be struggling with dealing with the emotional pain she is experiencing. The lyrics suggest a push and pull between wanting to be strong and persevere, yet feeling weighed down by the intensity of her emotions. The opening lines of the chorus “What do I do with all this sadness? I just can't take it no more” are particularly poignant in capturing the complex feelings of hopelessness and despair. Sue is searching for a way to cope with what feels like an insurmountable amount of pain.

The metaphor of tears falling like bullets and sadness eating her alive suggests that the pain she feels is not just emotional but physical - it is a visceral reaction to whatever event or events have caused her to feel so much pain. The repeated refrain of "Don't make me pull out the big gun" hints at wanting to take action to make things right, but also implies that the situation may be out of her control, leading to a sense of frustration and helplessness.

Overall, the song is a powerful representation of the struggle to deal with emotional pain and the feelings of helplessness that can come with it. Selah Sue's skillful handling of the lyrics and her emotive vocal performance make for a powerful and moving listening experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Should I go alone when the world's turning a blind eye?
Do I face life's challenges alone while society looks the other way?

Should I stay strong when I'm standing on the front line?
Do I persevere in difficult situations despite the odds?

And the feeling is not the same, no
Something has changed, and it doesn't feel right anymore.

Can't take it back again
Once a mistake is made, there's no undoing it.

Yes I do it all (yes I do it all), for the pain I'm in
Despite the agony I feel, I keep pushing forward and doing everything I can.

'Cause now all I have is sadness
Overwhelming despair is all that remains.

What do I do with all this sadness?
I'm lost and don't know how to deal with this sorrow.

I just can't take it no more
The pain is unbearable, and I can't handle it anymore.

Sadness, it's eating me alive
The constant agony is slowly draining the life out of me.

Don't make me pull out the big gun yeah
I'll resort to extreme measures if pushed to my limit.

Tears like bullets and they fall like rain
My tears represent the hurt I feel inside, and they keep on coming.

Lost in the feeling, words can't explain
The depth of my emotions is indescribable.

I'm gone away
I'm not present in the moment, but lost in my own pain.

I would give anything to free my mind
I'll do whatever it takes to escape the torment in my head.

It's just a slave
My mind is trapped, and I can't break free from the mental anguish.

Yes I would even pay my weight in gold
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to escape the agony I feel.

Now nothing feels the same, no
Everything has changed, and nothing feels right anymore.

But I still do it all, for the pain I'm in
Despite the agony I feel, I keep pushing forward and doing everything I can.