Written over soft keys with a guitar in the back ground, the song follows a smooth pattern, reminiscent of R&B music. Shawn uses a vocoder towards the end of the song, which splits his voice into vocal chords to convey a beautiful but yet sad and vulnerable sound, which fits into the context of the song.
The song is widely speculated to be about Camila Cabello with whom Shawn Mendes has had a burgeoning friendship with since 2015. The two have collaborated on music in the past, with Camila featured on “I Know What You Did Last Summer”. Rumours of the two dating are almost as old as their friendship itself. They both met opening for Austin Mahone at his concert in 2014 and became friends during Taylor Swift’s 1989 Tour in 2015. Both of them have repeatedly denied they were involved.
Why
Shawn Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We want each other, no one will break first
So many nights, tryna find someone new
They don't mean nothing compared to her, and I know
When people ask about us, now, we just brush it off
I don't know why we act like it means nothing at all
I wish that I could tell you that you're all that I want, yeah
I pretend that I'm not ready
Why do we put each other through hell?
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
And you say "Hi" like you just met me
Why do we put each other through hell?
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
When I hear you sing, it gets hard to breathe
Can't help but think every song's about me
And every line, every word that I write
You are the muse in the back of my mind, oh
Don't wanna ask about it 'cause you might brush it off
I'm afraid you think that it means nothing at all
I don't know why I won't admit that you're all I want
I pretend that I'm not ready
Why do we put each other through hell?
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
And you say "Hi" like you just met me
Why do we put each other through hell?
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
I pretend that (pretending like I'm not) I'm not ready (I'm pretending like I mean)
Why do we put each other through hell? (yeah, yeah)
Why can't we just get over ourselves? (why, why, why)
And you say "Hi" like you just met me
Why do we put each other through hell? (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
I know a girl, she's like a curse
We want each other, no one will break first
So many nights, tryna find someone new
They don't mean nothing compared to you
The lyrics of Shawn Mendes's song Why are exploring the complexity of a relationship with someone that you cannot resist but who is also causing you pain. The song talks about a girl who is like a curse, someone who you cannot escape from even though you know being together causes you both to suffer. The singer is aware that constantly looking for someone new does not compare to the intensity of the connection with this person. However, both are pretending that their relationship means nothing at all, and they are just causing each other pain.
Shawn Mendes talks about the struggle of admitting that the other person is all that he wants. The fear of confessing feelings and being rejected is what keeps them trapped in this cycle of pain. The other person is the inspiration behind every song he writes, and every line he sings, which makes it hard to breathe. However, he is afraid to ask if she feels the same because he is scared she will brush it off as nothing. The cycle of pretending and hiding their true feelings is a form of self-torture that causes them to put each other through hell. The song ends with the singer admitting that nights trying to find someone new do not mean anything compared to the person he is singing about because they are the curse he cannot escape from.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a girl, she's like a curse
There's this girl, she's like a never-ending problem
We want each other, no one will break first
We both want each other, but neither of us is willing to be the first to back down
So many nights, trying to find someone new
I've spent countless nights trying to find someone else, but no one compares to her
They don't mean nothing compared to her, and I know
Despite my efforts to move on, I know that no one else measures up to her
When people ask about us, now, we just brush it off
When others inquire about our relationship, we pretend it's not a big deal and avoid the topic
I don't know why we act like it means nothing at all
Although we pretend our relationship doesn't matter, we both know deep down that it does
I wish that I could tell you that you're all that I want, yeah
I want to tell you that you're the only person I want, but I'm too scared to admit it
I pretend that I'm not ready
I act like I'm not ready for a serious relationship
Why do we put each other through hell?
Why do we make our relationship so difficult and painful?
Why can't we just get over ourselves?
Why can't we let go of our pride and admit how we truly feel?
And you say hi like you just met me
You act like we're just acquaintances when I see you
When I hear you sing, it gets hard to breathe
When I hear you sing, it takes my breath away
Can't help but think every song's about me
I can't help but feel like every song you sing is about our relationship
You are the muse in the back of my mind, oh
You inspire me to write music and lyrics, even if you don't know it
Don't want to ask about it 'cause you might brush it off
I don't want to ask you about our relationship because I'm afraid you'll dismiss it
I'm afraid you think that it means nothing at all
I'm scared that you don't value our relationship like I do
I don't know why I won't admit that you're all I want
I don't understand why I can't confess that you're the only person I want to be with
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Scott Harris Friedman, Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jogosoutros4723
Are you being serious? 😅
Cuz it's like very the oposite
"I stepped off the stage with nothing left
All the lights were fuckin’ with my head
But here I am, singing songs again
Why why why"
Like "why am i doing this when a not ok?"
Probably because the label gave a sentence
@alexkunce
Shawn looks like he got married, had kids, and has lived in the woods for years until the main characters track him down so he can go on one last mission with them. Also, at one point he fights a bunch of people easily to show he still has game.
@LightningMqueensMother
Real
@alexandratauhid7458
😆😆
@coj9183
Couldn't say that any better
@naatggeo
literally Nick Jonas in Jumanji
@HarshanaIlango
This is so freakin accurate 😂
@aditinavale2904
The Shawn era is back
@WAKE4DO
YES THE SHAWN ERA IS BACK ❤🎉
&
MY HEART ERA IS ALSO BACK😂😂
@306chaudhary
Allways there for u dear beautiful lady ❤
@newsongoutnow
Yesss finally! I’m not his biggest fan but I know about the hits!!! Discovering more of him so this will be my first era as a fan! i am a 14 boy from Hong Kong, I'd appreciate it if you'd listen to some of the tracks I've done tysm xoxo. Still a new fan of Shawn and getting to know the his discography more