Shawn Peter Raul Mendes is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013… Read Full Bio ↴Shawn Peter Raul Mendes is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013, posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manager Andrew Gertler and Island Records A&R Ziggy Chareton, which led to him signing a deal with the record label. Mendes's self-titled debut EP was released in 2014, followed by his debut studio album Handwritten in 2015. Handwritten debuted atop the US Billboard 200, making Mendes one of five artists ever to debut at number one before the age of 18. The single "Stitches" reached number one in the UK and the top 10 in the US and Canada.

His second studio album Illuminate (2016) also debuted at number one in the US, with its singles "Treat You Better" and "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" reaching the top 10 in several countries. His self-titled third studio album (2018) was supported by the lead single "In My Blood". The album's number one debut in the US made Mendes the third-youngest artist to achieve three number one albums. In 2019, he released the hit singles "If I Can't Have You" and "Señorita", with the latter peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100. His fourth studio album, Wonder (2020), made Mendes the youngest male artist ever to top the Billboard 200 with four studio albums.

Among his accolades, Mendes has won 13 SOCAN awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, eight Juno Awards, eight iHeartRadio MMVAs, two American Music Awards, and received three nominations for a Grammy Award and one nomination for a Brit Award. In 2018, Time named Mendes as one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual list.

Like This
Shawn Mendes Lyrics

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You say it's not supposed to be
Tell me not to waste my time
This was never up to me
But if it was I wouldn't mind
And I'm trying to ignore you
I try to go on with my day, hey
But I still pick up the phone, yeah
And get lost in what she say

I can try to stop it, all I like
Hands down I've lost this fight
Thought I was strong, enough for you
But I just can't hide the truth
So I guess I'm going down
I guess I'm going down, like this

And I love it how she's honest
You don't find that nowadays
She's not even drop dead gorgeous
But she kills me anyway, oh

I can try to stop it, all I like
Hands down I've lost this fight
Thought I was strong, enough for you
But I just can't hide the truth

I guess I'm going down
I guess I'm going down
I guess I'm going down like this

I can try to stop it, all I like
Hands down I've lost this fight
Thought I was strong, enough for you
But I just can't hide the truth
I can try to stop it, all I like
Hands down I've lost this fight
And I thought I was strong, enough for you
But I just can't hide the truth

So I guess I'm going down
Like this

Overall Meaning

In Shawn Mendes's song Like This, the singer is struggling to resist his feelings for a woman who is more honest and genuine than his partner, who he characterizes as somewhat controlling. The singer is aware that he should not be pursuing this woman and tells himself not to waste his time, yet he finds himself drawn to her anyway. He tries to ignore her and the feelings she provokes in him, but he can't help but pick up the phone and listen to what she has to say. Despite his efforts to resist her, he admits that he is going down, "like this."

The song speaks to the struggle between our hearts and our minds. The singer knows he shouldn't be pursuing this woman but can't resist the feelings he has for her. He admires her honesty and values this quality more than the conventional beauty that his partner possesses. The song may also suggest that true love cannot be controlled or predicted, as the singer embraces his feelings for this woman despite his efforts to ignore them.

Line by Line Meaning

You say it's not supposed to be
You tell me that it's not meant to be

Tell me not to waste my time
You suggest that I shouldn't waste my time

This was never up to me
I was never in control of this situation

But if it was I wouldn't mind
If I had the option, I would choose to be in this situation

And I'm trying to ignore you
I'm attempting to avoid thinking about you

I try to go on with my day, hey
I try to continue with my daily routine

But I still pick up the phone, yeah
But I still end up answering your calls

And get lost in what she say
And I become absorbed in our conversations

And I love it how she's honest
I appreciate how straightforward she is

You don't find that nowadays
Honesty is hard to come by these days

She's not even drop dead gorgeous
She's not conventionally attractive