Shut Up And Say Something
Shane Koyczan Lyrics

If I should die today
If I were to die today

Tell the world the things that I could never say
Share with the world the thoughts and feelings that I have kept hidden

As if by saying them now has somehow said them time and time again
As if expressing them now is equivalent to having said them repeatedly in the past

As if yesterday was when I could say something to today
As if the opportunity to speak was only available in the past, but still exists today

That way the world can hear me as loud and as clear as the year the world discovered
So that the world can listen to me with great attention, just like the year that brought a significant discovery

I was so before my time that my time left me behind to remind time that I'm here today to say that I made this timeline
I was ahead of my time and have been left behind, but today I want to remind time that I am present and have made an impact in this timeline

Me and failure We only ever speak sign language
My relationship with failure is characterized by a constant lack of understanding

We have a limited vocabulary which means we disagree constantly
Our inability to fully communicate leads to frequent disagreements

And this is not to say I've never know failure
I have experienced failure before, this is not denying that fact

I've taken her on double dates with embarrassment and humility
I have faced failure alongside embarrassment and humility

During dinner we sit silently watching candles melt into sculptures of all the things we've never said but always felt
During dinner, we sit in silence, observing candles melt and realizing the unspoken emotions that we have always felt

I've got a black belt in the martial arts discipline of emotionally stunted
I have attained expertise in emotionally suppressing myself, comparable to a black belt in martial arts

But I've seen people open the lid on a can of worms that they use to bait a hook and go fishing for sympathy so
Although, I have witnessed people intentionally bringing out their emotional struggles for sympathy

I know I'm not alone in this
I understand that I am not the only one who experiences these challenges

I'm not the only one with problems and my problems are not unique
I am not the sole person facing difficulties, and my struggles are not exceptional

So every time in the moment before I'm about to speak to shut up and say something
So, every time before I speak, I remind myself to silence my doubts and confidently express myself

To bring myself to each conversation armed with mountains carved into pebbles and the true story of how and why I did it
To approach each conversation with a wealth of experiences turned into life lessons and the genuine account of my actions and motivations

Let people know that if my socks smell like s it's because I've been kicking a all day
Inform others that the unpleasant smell of my socks is due to my perseverance and intense efforts throughout the day

I've played two player conversations with total strangers for no other reason than to make them less strange
I engage in conversations with strangers purely to create a connection and reduce the initial unfamiliarity

We exchange stories like trading cards and are fine with the fact that we have always been rookies and have never gone pro
We share our personal stories like trading cards, accepting that we are inexperienced and have never achieved mastery

And I'm fine with the fact that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up
I am content with the reality that I have yet to discover my true calling in life

But today I want to be amazing
However, today I desire to be extraordinary

Tomorrow I want to bring you a piece of paper with the telephone number of a taxi cab company that know the exact address of my arms for the day you need a hug
In the future, I wish to provide you with a piece of paper containing a taxi cab company's contact details that can bring my loving embrace directly to you when you require comfort

I'm going to want to be there for that
I will genuinely desire to be present and supportive in that moment

Hear what you have to say without waiting for my turn to speak
I will actively listen to your words instead of waiting for my opportunity to express myself

Let you fall asleep for no other reason than to remind you that its good to be tired
Allowing you to fall asleep serves as a gentle reminder that being tired is a sign of productivity and accomplishment

It means your practicing for another dream
It signifies that you are preparing yourself for a future dream or aspiration

And we got to practice
We must continue to practice and improve ourselves

This is the reason snooze buttons were invented
The existence of snooze buttons is justified by the need to have practice sessions for waking up

The reason we wake up and say five more minutes
The motivation behind waking up and desiring an additional five minutes of rest

A dream is a rehab center for insomniacs
Dreams serve as a form of rehabilitation for those who struggle to sleep

I take naps because my parents told me you can be anything just follow your dreams
I nap because my parents instilled in me the belief that I can achieve anything if I pursue my dreams

So I practice
Therefore, I continue to practice and hone my skills

Knowing full well this will never make me perfect
Being aware that practicing alone will not result in perfection

On a long enough timeline everyone fails
In the long run, failure is inevitable for everyone

Success is not immortal
Success does not last forever

There are time we bury it like a bone in the backyard digging deep down but along the way find that our fingers feature familiar facets found on the search party sent out seeking someplace suitable for it to rest
Sometimes, we hide our success deep within us, like burying a bone, but in the process, we discover that our own characteristics resemble those of the search party seeking a suitable place for success to settle

The last words of success were and will always be The least we can do Is everything
The final message of success has always been, and will continue to be, that we must do everything we can

So do it all
Therefore, give your all and do everything

As if life's too short and your too tall
Act as if life is fleeting and time is limited

Fall in love as many times as it takes so when the rest of the world wakes up you can say I got it right this time
Allow yourself to experience love repeatedly until you can confidently declare that you have finally found the right person, despite others doubting it

Today I'm living proof that one guy who has never been into heavy lifting can still raise the roof
Today, I am living evidence that even someone who has never been physically strong can still make a significant impact and achieve great success

I have loved This life
I have deeply cherished and appreciated my life

I smile because there are tiny dreams that play hopscotch at the corners of my mouth
I smile because within me, there are small dreams that bring joy and excitement to my existence

And every time I breath they float
And with every breath, these dreams manifest and soar

And every time I laugh they'll fly kites
And each time I laugh, these dreams will soar high like flying kites

I've spent late night at hospitals watching E.K.G. monitors realizing my heart has a skyline
During late nights at hospitals, observing E.K.G. monitors, I have come to understand that my heart has its own vast skyline, representing the emotions and experiences it holds

And I've known too many people who assign window washers to their eyes so they can watch their lives clearly pass them by
I have encountered numerous individuals who appoint window washers to their eyes, enabling them to watch their lives pass by with great clarity

Which is you I try to make the most mundane memories into monuments
That includes you, as I strive to transform ordinary memories into significant monuments

I mark my time as something more than simple moments
I designate my time as something beyond mere moments

Like November 21 1999 I walked into a coffee shop Asked a girl out She said I'm busy Till the next lunar eclipse
For instance, on November 21, 1999, I entered a coffee shop and asked a girl out, but she declined, stating that she was busy until the next lunar eclipse

So I left Laughing
So I departed from the situation, laughing

Knowing that only moments before I had just read an article stating that the next lunar eclipse would be on January 21 of 2000
Realizing that only moments earlier, I had come across an article indicating that the subsequent lunar eclipse would occur on January 21, 2000

Two months away to the day
Two exact months in the future

Coincidence No
Not a mere coincidence

Its spooky
It is quite eerie or uncanny

But we did end up going out and had a great time and I told her that story and she said thats crazy
However, we eventually went on a date and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Later, when I recounted that story to her, she expressed amazement

That's the kind of story You tell your kids
That is the type of story you share with your children

I accept
I acknowledge and embrace that fact

But maybe I'll never have kids
However, it is quite possible that I will never become a parent

So from time to time I've got to be one
Therefore, occasionally, I have to act as if I were a child

Come to this life armed with curiosity and amazement
Approach life with a sense of curiosity and wonder

Edit the unsent letters of my life into one word statement
Condense the unsent letters I have written in my life into a concise statement

Yes
The statement is simply 'Yes'

Yes to romantic flashlight lit dinners when you run out of candles
Embrace the idea of having romantic, candlelit dinners using flashlights when you no longer have candles

To handles on pillows so you can hold on to your dreams
Include handles on pillows, allowing you to grasp onto your dreams

To the underdog dog sledding team that uses angry cats instead of K9s
Support the underdog dog sledding team that opts for angry cats instead of traditional K9s

To land mines filled with confetti
Celebrate land mines filled with confetti

To the steady hands of friends who live like surgeons operating on our broken hearts building pacemakers from the spare parts of mercy
Appreciate the steady hands of friends who approach our broken hearts like skilled surgeons, constructing pacemakers using mercy as spare parts

We spend most of our lives figuring out what we don't want
A significant portion of our lives is dedicated to discovering what we dislike or do not desire

We haunt ourselves with regret because we almost always bet the odds
We torment ourselves with regrets since we tend to gamble against the most probable outcome

We play it safe
We choose to be cautious and avoid risks

We waist time wondering what if we fail what if we lose what then
We waste time speculating about the potential consequences of failure and loss

Then you're a loser
In that case, you are considered a loser

But you're not alone
However, you are not alone in this situation

There is a legion of us
There exists a vast number of people like us

Who have been shot down
Who have faced rejection or defeat

On a long enough timeline everyone fails
Given enough time, everyone will experience failure

There is an entire universe made up of the unsent secret crush emails
There is a vast realm consisting of unsent secret emails expressing romantic feelings

A hollow sky filled with the lost details of what its like to never know because we go about our lives never having tried feeling justified in out what if excuses what if he she they that it what if i didn't what if i did
An empty sky houses the forgotten specifics of never knowing the outcome since we fail to take action, justifying our 'what if' excuses and doubts about what could have been

The kid in me says yes to everything
The childlike part of me possesses a limitless willingness to say 'yes' to everything

The love in me Says shut up And say something
The love within me advises me to silence my fears and insecurities and speak up