Learn to Live With It
Tina Guo Lyrics
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Now he's stuck up there forevermore
Frozen in time, frozen in mind he'll never leave it all behind
He never thought his fear would paralyze
Now 40 years have come and gone, 40 winters all alone
He still wonders why they let him come home
You just learn to live with it
You just learn to live with it
And eventually, you bury it so deep you can't feel it anymore
Every night she lies in silence, just waiting for the door
She feels it slam against her wall again
He comes on like a hurricane
Wrapped in pain with a steady dose of shame
But she's not feeling anything
She tells herself one day she'll tell somebody else
But she knows that day may never come
You just learn to live with it
You just close your eyes and pretend it isn't there
You just learn to live with it
And eventually, you bury it so deep it can't touch you anymore
Standing beneath that sun, time's no friend to you
Once you stumble just try to stand when you've got every other man
Pushing down on you with all their hands
You just learn to live with it
You just close your eyes and pretend it isn't there
You just learn to live with it
And eventually, you bury it so deep you can't feel it anymore
Can't feel it anymore
The song "Learn to Live With It" by Tina Guo is an emotional and introspective track that deals with the theme of trauma and the difficult process of coping with it. The lyrics describe two different situations where individuals are struggling to move forward from past experiences. The first verse talks about a person who is frozen in time due to his fear, and despite 40 years passing, he still can't get past it. The chorus emphasizes the idea that sometimes when we are faced with difficult situations, we have to pretend like it's not there and eventually learn to bury it deep within ourselves until we can't feel it anymore.
The second verse talks about a woman who is dealing with the aftermath of an abusive relationship. She lies in silence every night, just waiting for the door to slam again. She knows that someday she needs to tell someone about what she's gone through, but she's not sure if that day will ever come. The bridge refers to the struggle of standing tall when life brings you down and people around you are pushing you further. The song concludes again with the chorus, emphasizing that burying your problems deep within is a coping method that allows you to function but comes at the cost of numbing your emotions.
Overall, the song is a powerful depiction of how the impact of trauma goes beyond the initial event and the need to find a way to cope with it. The lyrics don't provide a solution to the struggles that the characters are going through, but instead emphasize the need to learn to coexist with trauma and find a way to live with it.
Line by Line Meaning
He just stood there on the wall, watching everybody fall
He stood aloof, unmoved by others' struggles and failures.
Now he's stuck up there forevermore
He's trapped in a mental prison of his own making.
Frozen in time, frozen in mind he'll never leave it all behind
He's unable to progress, haunted by past events that won't let him go.
He never thought his fear would paralyze
His fear overwhelmed him and rendered him incapable of action.
Now 40 years have come and gone, 40 winters all alone
He's spent a lifetime in isolation, unable to connect with others.
He still wonders why they let him come home
He feels an outcast, unworthy of acceptance and belonging.
Every night she lies in silence, just waiting for the door
She lives in constant anxiety, anticipating traumatic events.
She feels it slam against her wall again
She experiences physical and emotional abuse on a recurring basis.
He comes on like a hurricane
His behavior is unpredictable and violent.
Wrapped in pain with a steady dose of shame
His actions stem from his own past traumas and unresolved emotional wounds.
But she's not feeling anything
She's emotionally numb, unable to process or express her feelings.
She tells herself one day she'll tell somebody else
She holds onto hope that she will find a way to escape her situation and seek help.
But she knows that day may never come
She's resigned to the fact that she may never be able to escape her situation.
Standing beneath that sun, time's no friend to you
Time is a burden, a constant reminder of the past traumas that continue to haunt.
Once you stumble just try to stand when you've got every other man
Despite being surrounded by others, one can still feel isolated in their personal struggles.
Pushing down on you with all their hands
Others' expectations and demands can feel suffocating and paralyzing.
You just learn to live with it
One learns to endure and cope with their struggles.
You just close your eyes and pretend it isn't there
One employs escapism and repression to deal with their pain.
And eventually, you bury it so deep you can't feel it anymore
Over time, one becomes desensitized to their pain and learns to internalize and suppress their emotions.
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.