Tell Me
The Green Children Lyrics
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And she won’t stop
Until she’s sinking
Until all has been forgot
It’s getting heavier
Holding you up
We’re both going under
Mamma I need you to swim to shore
Show me you’re fighting that inner war
Isn’t it in you to want to be living like before
So tell me, tell me now
Tell me you’re gonna try
And tell me you don’t wanna break my heart
The water’s getting colder
It’s nearly frozen over
I’m finding it hard to move
And soon we’re going to lose
Mamma’s falling
She’s falling fast
And I can’t reach her
Cause she’s stumbling on the past
Mamma I need you to wake up
Leave what you’ve lost, see what you’ve got
I am what you forgot
Tell me, tell me why
Tell me you’re gonna try
Tell me, cause you’ve been breaking my heart
The water’s growing colder
It’s nearly frozen over
I’m finding it hard to move
And soon we’re going to lose
The water’s growing colder
It’s nearly frozen over
I’m finding it hard to move
And soon we’re going to lose
I just don’t read you, why you calling or help?
You’re letting me go every time I let out my rope
Are you calling, are you calling?
Make me understand
I just don’t read you, why you calling or help>
You’re letting me go every time I let out my rope
Are you calling, are you calling?
Make me understand
So tell me, tell me now
Tell me you’re gonna try
Tell me you don’t wanna break my heart
Tell me, tell me why
Tell me you’ve gotta try
Tell me you don’t wanna break my heart
The water’s getting colder
It’s nearly frozen over
I’m finding it hard to move
And soon we’re going to lose
We’re both growing older
Feelings flowing over
And soon it will be to late
To realize our mistake
The song "Tell Me" by The Green Children is a powerful and emotional plea from a daughter to her mother who is drowning in her own inner struggles. The use of water and drowning as metaphors throughout the song represents the mother's inability to keep her head above water and overcome her past traumas. The daughter is desperately trying to save her mother, not only from physical drowning but also from drowning in her own emotions and memories. The song portrays the daughter's frustration and helplessness at her mother's inability to leave the past behind and move forward.
The chorus "Tell me, tell me now, Tell me you're gonna try" emphasizes the daughter's plea for her mother to make an effort to save herself and to show her daughter that she is fighting her inner demons. The line "I am what you forgot" is a poignant reminder of the mother's neglect of her daughter due to her own personal struggles.
Overall, "Tell Me" is a moving song that showcases how mental health struggles can affect not only the individual but also those around them, and the importance of seeking help and opening up to loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
My mamma’s drowning
My mother is struggling and in a difficult situation
And she won’t stop
She is determined to keep going despite the difficulties
Until she’s sinking
Until she is completely overwhelmed by the situation
Until all has been forgot
Until she forgets about everything else except for her struggle
It’s getting heavier
The situation is becoming more difficult and challenging
Holding you up
Trying to support you and keep you from sinking
We’re both going under
Both of us are struggling and at risk of failing
If you decide you’re giving up
If you give up, it will be impossible to succeed
Mamma I need you to swim to shore
I need you to overcome your struggles and succeed
Show me you’re fighting that inner war
Show me that you are determined to overcome your personal challenges
Isn’t it in you to want to be living like before
Wouldn't you like to go back to the way things were before the struggle?
So tell me, tell me now
Please communicate and let me know what's going on right now
Tell me you’re gonna try
Let me know that you are going to make an effort to overcome the situation
And tell me you don’t wanna break my heart
Please assure me that you won't disappoint me or fail me
The water’s getting colder
The situation is becoming more difficult and urgent
It’s nearly frozen over
The situation is almost at a critical point of no return
I’m finding it hard to move
I am struggling and having difficulty dealing with the situation
And soon we’re going to lose
If we don't act quickly, we will fail and be overwhelmed
Mamma’s falling
My mother is struggling and losing control
She’s falling fast
The situation is deteriorating quickly
And I can’t reach her
I am unable to help her overcome her struggle
Cause she’s stumbling on the past
Because she is still haunted by her past struggles
Mamma I need you to wake up
I need you to overcome your personal challenges and succeed
Leave what you’ve lost, see what you’ve got
Let go of the past and focus on what you have in the present
I am what you forgot
I am being neglected and overlooked as a result of the struggles
Tell me, tell me why
I need to know why the situation is so difficult and what can be done about it
Tell me you’ve gotta try
Let me know that you're going to make an effort to overcome the situation
Tell me you don’t wanna break my heart
Assure me that you won't disappoint or fail me
We’re both growing older
Time is running out fast
Feelings flowing over
Emotions and feelings are becoming overwhelming and uncontrollable
And soon it will be too late
If we don't act soon, we will miss our chance to overcome the situation
To realize our mistake
To recognize that we should have taken action earlier to prevent the situation from becoming this bad
Contributed by Jayden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.