Weakness
Todd Rundgren Lyrics


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Weakness

I don't keep a lot of secrets
But the ones I do will die with me
It's not because I'm hiding something
A trusted friend I try to be
But when every adversary lies in wait to test me
My world they would undo
And they'd break me down to nothing if they only knew
That you are my weakness, my weakness
You're my Achilles' Heel
The flame that melts the steel in my heart
I don't pretend to be objective
I will always come down on your side
But every time I see or hear or smell you
My bias grows more hard to hide
And when the truth must be protected
I find myself distracted
My duty I abuse
And in the battle's clamor
The flaw within my armor
Might shake the secret loose
There's no ties
As far as anybody knows, no surprise
As far as anybody knows, you and I
As far as anybody knows, have no ties
And as far as they know, my will is bulletproof
And I'd be no good to no one
If they knew the truth
That you are my weakness, my weakness




You are my Kryptonite
The sun that shines a light on my soul

Overall Meaning

The song "Weakness" by Todd Rundgren is a track that highlights the singer's vulnerabilities and inner turmoil. The first verse talks about how the singer doesn't keep many secrets, but the ones he does keep are essential to him. He's not hiding anything from anyone but is always striving to be a trusted friend. Unfortunately, there are adversaries who are always waiting to test him, trying to break him down at every opportunity. That's when the singer realizes that he has a weakness, a weak spot in his life.


The chorus reveals the singer's Achilles' heel, the one person who has the power to bring down his defenses, which is a metaphor for the Greek legendary warrior's heel, regarded as his only physical weak spot. The person who has this power over the singer is his lover. The lover holds his heart, and the flame of his love can melt even the steel. Though the singer tries to put up a strong facade and pretends to be bulletproof, the one person to whom he's weak is his lover.


In the second verse, the singer unveils that he can't remain objective when it comes to his lover. He always takes her side, and his biases grow stronger every time he hears, smells, or sees her. He's well aware that he needs to be protective of the truth, but when his lover's in the mix, he finds himself distracted. The singer is even willing to abuse his duty to ensure that the truth about his love remains hidden. In the end, the singer reluctantly admits that he is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of preserving his love, even if it could mean that he might be no good to anyone.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't keep a lot of secrets
I am fairly open with information about my life


But the ones I do will die with me
The secrets I do have are very important and I will never share them


It's not because I'm hiding something
My secrecy is not because I have anything to hide


A trusted friend I try to be
I aspire to be a loyal and trustworthy friend


But when every adversary lies in wait to test me
When everyone is waiting to see if I will falter


My world they would undo
They would destroy everything I am


And they'd break me down to nothing if they only knew
If they knew my secret, they would use it to destroy me


That you are my weakness, my weakness
You are my greatest vulnerability


You're my Achilles' Heel
You are the one weakness that could bring me down


The flame that melts the steel in my heart
Your love has the power to break through my defenses


I don't pretend to be objective
I cannot be unbiased when it comes to you


I will always come down on your side
I will always take your side, no matter what


But every time I see or hear or smell you
Every time I experience something that reminds me of you


My bias grows more hard to hide
It becomes more difficult for me to hide my favoritism


And when the truth must be protected
When it is important to keep a secret


I find myself distracted
I struggle to focus on anything else


My duty I abuse
I neglect my responsibilities in order to protect you


And in the battle's clamor
During a chaotic situation


The flaw within my armor
My vulnerability is exposed


Might shake the secret loose
My weakness may be revealed


There's no ties
There is no connection between us


As far as anybody knows, no surprise
No one is aware of our connection


As far as anybody knows, you and I
To everyone else, we are strangers


As far as anybody knows, have no ties
To the world, we have no relationship


And as far as they know, my will is bulletproof
Others believe that I am strong and unbreakable


And I'd be no good to no one
I would be useless to others


If they knew the truth
If they discovered our secret relationship


You are my weakness, my weakness
You are my greatest vulnerability


You are my Kryptonite
You have the power to weaken me and bring me down


The sun that shines a light on my soul
You bring light and warmth to my life




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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