A ramshackle collective of four musicians who all hated playing in bands, t… Read Full Bio ↴A ramshackle collective of four musicians who all hated playing in bands, the Grays comprised ex-Jellyfish member Jason Falkner, Jon Brion, Buddy Judge, and Dan McCarroll. After coming together in 1993, the group released just one album, Ro Sham Bo, before amicably packing it in. Falkner later began a solo career, while Brion worked with Aimee Mann, Eels, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

No One Can Hurt Me
The Grays Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hope you can take these words in stride
Without dredging up your wall of pride
For I know that you are true
Your intentions golden too

No one can hurt me like you do

People can put our trust aside

By spinning the words that I confide
But I compare their meanness to
Unconscious things you put me through

No one can hurt me like you do

And it's not like you want to
It's not like you tried
But I'm keeping some secrets
That's just how much I'd

So hope you can take these words in stride
Without dredging up your wall of pride
For I know that you are true
You intentions golden too
No one can hurt me like you do

No one can hurt me like you do
No one can hurt me like you do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Grays' song No One Can Hurt Me are a heartfelt and emotionally charged reflection on the pain and complexity of interpersonal relationships. The singer begins by expressing the hope that the listener can receive their words with grace and humility, eschewing the temptation to build up walls of pride that might prevent them from hearing the message. The singer acknowledges that the listener is a good and genuine person, with intentions that are golden - yet despite this, they still have the ability to cause harm.

The second verse delves further into the nature of hurt and betrayal, highlighting the way that other people can let us down by spinning our words and being unkind. However, the singer draws a sharp contrast between this sort of hurt and the unconscious pain caused by the listener's actions. The implication seems to be that the hurt caused by the listener is not intentional, but is rather an unintended and perhaps unavoidable byproduct of their behavior. The chorus reiterates the central theme of the song - that no one can hurt the singer like the listener does.

As a whole, the lyrics to No One Can Hurt Me are a powerful and poignant exploration of the fraught dynamics that can permeate our relationships with others. The singer's vulnerability and rawness of emotion are palpable, and the listener is invited to enter into a space of acknowledgement and understanding, rather than defensiveness.

Line by Line Meaning

I hope you can take these words in stride
I request you to calmly consider my words

Without dredging up your wall of pride
Please do not let your ego get in the way of understanding

For I know that you are true
I believe that you are trustworthy and sincere

Your intentions golden too
Your motives are pure and well-meaning

No one can hurt me like you do
I am most vulnerable and affected by your actions

People can put our trust aside
Others may betray our trust

By spinning the words that I confide
By twisting my words, they can manipulate the truth

But I compare their meanness to
However, their cruelty does not compare to

Unconscious things you put me through
The unintentional harm that your actions cause me

And it's not like you want to
I do not believe that you intentionally mean to hurt me

It's not like you tried
Nor do I think you actively tried to do so