To Hurt and to Be Hurt
Tom Klose Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh this life is quite absurd
We live to hurt and to be hurt

There is nothing I could say
That could take your pain away and I'm sorry
But you know I can't regret
To have done something like that it's not easy
Am I such an asshole to
Be doing what I want to do with no doubt
I am curious just like you
Thinking if I only knew what love is all about

Oh this life is quite absurd
We live to hurt and to be hurt

Help me help me
I am turning into stone
Help me help me
No one likes to be alone
Help me help me
I am turning into stone
Help me help me

Don't you leave me here
Don't you leave me here alone

Overall Meaning

In Tom Klose's song “To Hurt and to Be Hurt,” the artist explores the contradictions and complicated emotions surrounding love, desire, and regret. The first verse reveals the singer's inner conflict and struggle to recognize himself in the mirror. He acknowledges that he has done something wrong, but he cannot help the way he feels. He wants someone who does not want him back, and he settles for someone else, someone who can make him happy for the night. The chorus emphasizes the futility of our existence, how we live to hurt and to be hurt. The second verse, in turn, reveals the singer's awareness of his actions' consequences. He knows he cannot take away the person's pain he hurt, but he cannot regret what he did either. He also ponders whether he is an asshole for acting on his desires with no regard for others. He admits his curiosity about love and questions whether he even knows what it is.

The bridge is a desperate call for help, for love and connection. The singer feels like he is turning into stone, and he does not want to be left alone. There is a palpable sense of loneliness and isolation in his plea. The song's overall message seems to be that love is both wonderful and terrible, that it can create beauty and cause pain, that it can make us do stupid things and feel lost and confused. Ultimately, the song asks us to confront our complex emotions and try to make sense of them.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't recognize myself
I feel like I've lost who I truly am

I look like someone else in the mirror
I don't feel like the person I see in the reflection

I know what I did was wrong
I understand that my actions were not morally right

I was just playing along trying to see clearer
I was going with the flow to gain more clarity

I know what I want is you
I desire to be with you

But you never wanted to be with me
You don't have the same feelings for me

So I went for someone
Therefore, I chose to be with someone else

I knew would stay with me tonight and make me happy
I found someone who will provide me with temporary happiness

There is nothing I could say
There are no words I can express

That could take your pain away and I'm sorry
I regret that I can't ease your suffering, and I apologize

But you know I can't regret
Even though I apologize, I can't truly feel sorry for what I did

To have done something like that it's not easy
It's difficult to face the consequences of my actions

Am I such an asshole to
Could it be possible that I'm a terrible person

Be doing what I want to do with no doubt
Without hesitation, I follow my desires

I am curious just like you
I want to understand things like you do

Thinking if I only knew what love is all about
Wondering what it would take to comprehend the true essence of love

Help me help me
I plead for your assistance

I am turning into stone
I am becoming emotionless and numb

No one likes to be alone
Being alone is a difficult and unpleasant experience

Don't you leave me here
Please don't abandon me in this state of mind

Don't you leave me here alone
Leaving me alone right now would be detrimental to my well-being

Oh this life is quite absurd
This existence is perplexing and nonsensical

We live to hurt and to be hurt
As human beings, suffering seems to be an inevitable part of life

Contributed by Audrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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04To Hurt and to Be Hurt4:33

PT4M33S

Tom Klose

05Down By the Water4:33

06Ceasefire6:29

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Kathy

4y↑2

I don't recognize myself
I look like someone else in the mirror
I know what I did was wrong
I was just playing along trying to see clearer
I know what I want is you
But you never wanted to be with me
So I went for someone
I knew would stay with me tonight and make me happy

Oh this life is quite absurd
We live to hurt and to be hurt

There is nothing I could say
That could take your pain away and I'm sorry
But you know I can't regret
To have done something like that it's not easy
Am I such an asshole to
Be doing what I want to do with no doubt
I am curious just like you
Thinking if I only knew what love is all about

Oh this life is quite absurd
We live to hurt and to be hurt

Help me help me
I am turning into stone
Help me help me
No one likes to be alone
Help me help me
I am turning into stone
Help me help me
Don't you leave me here
Don't you leave me here alone

All comments from YouTube:

Pyotr Kropotkin

11y

I have no idea how I could dislike this at first. Some of the best stuff I've heard in a while!

Tom Klose

@Pyotr Kropotkin an acquired taste is the best kind!

lili remei csar

11y↑3

My gratitude to Berlin sessions for successfully evoking a laid back sit in the park with friends playing music for the viewer alone, love this song, one of many artists I never would have known otherwise. I will recommend this to my many music fan friends scattered on many continents!

Tom Klose

@lili remei csar thank you for the kind words and for the scattering! ;)

LIA

4y↑1

This guy's voice is amazing ♥

Katerina Skryabina

11y

That's an amazing one. Have been listening to tom's song through the whole day!

Tom Klose

9y↑51

Alright!! My first 100.000 clicks on one video! So happy over here thanks for the early Christmas present everyone! :) on to the next 100k! :)

eortego1

Love your style, sir.

Jack Newton

+Tom Klose Legend. Great words. Great music. Lovely.

Tom Klose

7y↑3

haha and here they are! thanks again, keep em coming guys! :) on to the next 100k! ;)

David Ramirez

I love this song, I like very much this version.

Gabrielle Drew

11y

wow i wasn't expecting that!! that was fantastic love it!! <3

Stewart Woolstenhulme

11y

Fucking brilliant!!! Berlin sessions has just showed me some of the best talents I've heard in a long time. Tom you kick ass my man. Hope you come to the states we need you out here man.

Tom Klose

@stew baby thank you so much and sorry for the late reply. I'm afraid I still haven't been to the states, sorry baby!

Sid Plimmer

8y↑14

Great piece and great music combo but it's sad to see these songs dismissed as 'hipster bullshit' these guys have talent and the issue isn't the music industry being taken over by hipsters it's the twats saying that all alternative music is pretentious and thus not good

Paul Garcia

6y↑1

Sad that most people would be only appreciating mainstream music coz its easier to get a hold of.. Great music

Ramses Bagett Sierra

8y↑2

Great job, first time i hear you and liked your style

Flip C

11y↑1

Thank you very much! gonna play it for myself now :) And ... of course. great job dude!!

Eva Ngilion

Awesome!!!I love this!!!!

Berak Celana

10y↑3

Amazing! German music revived in this new era with new type of music, like in the old days Bach Strauss Heiden etc

Tom Klose

@Berak Celana why thank you and you are not the first person to compare me to Bach, Strauß, Heiden and co. I do after all compose great orchestral classical pieces and I am almost as famous.

Tom Klose

11y

that is pretty much exactly what it is well done :) seems the song is not hard to figure out after all. it's F-major though in the chorus. have fun playing my tune! :)

Chiara Barbarisi

11y

love it

L. K.

Man merkt, dass du mit viel Leidenschaft singst ! Lass dir das bitte nicht nehmen und höre nie auf die Leute, die sagen, dass du keinen Erfolg haben wirst !
Liebe Grüße aus Russland :))

Tom Klose

2y↑1

@L. K. danke dir die meiste Kritik stößt bei mir eh auf taube Ohren, das is ja das Problem. Grüße nach Russland!

flaschie09

10y

ich war in lingen und fand euch richtig gut, vor allem dieses raue in deiner stimme mega, und Respekt das ihr das nur mit Cello und Gitarre macht :))

nikolflin

10y

great music , thank you !!!

Chas Benem

11y

Such a lovely song. :> <3

Lauren Brown

10y↑1

Bloody talented.

Maisel46

Great work!

Gino Davis

11y

Flawless. So amazing, holy cannoli

Erik Dymke

Hej Tom, ihr macht echt 'ne geile Mucke...Gefällt mir echt gut. Weiter so ;-)

Linda Schur

10y

good job, tom klose!

Kampa

10y↑2

Ich war gestern veim Tim Bendzko Konzert in Bremen und fand euch super !!! Große Show und macht weiter so :D

Cary Friday

10y

ich war gestern beim tim bendzko konzert in berlin und fand tom klose auch echt gut :) hab mir danach erstmal ein autogramm geholt xD

Isaiah Dancy

10y

so great, so many feels

1313rosey1313

10y

Amazing!!!!!

up_to_JC

11y

so incredible

nur hidayah

12y

love.so good.so nice!

Juris Prudence

10y

Dude awesome song!!!

Cory Corzine

11y

GOD YOU'RE AMAZING!!!

Amy Buchanan

11y

Awesome!

MrJossage

11y

YOU ARE SO HELPFUL!!!!! Thank you tom. do you have any tabs or chords for born a lion?

Tom Klose

@MrJossage sure, just hope I'm not too late. 8 years is a long time.
Am G C G
Am F G
E E7 E something something
Am G C D/F# (but it's 9/8 in the chorus!)

Tibor Brechler

11y

What a howl! great! :)

Dan H.

11y

I LOVE the Bridge. Favorite song on Berlin Sessions.

Tom Klose

@Dan H. phew I don't even know what the bridge is but thank you very much my friend!

Michael Harbach

Extra fire!

SILESIA VIDEOSESSION

11y

Fantastic! Dirty sound and this voice... *_*

.Renato.

11y

Super Lied! Danke.

Sarahi Gomez

12y

... Ultra cool! ♥ this channel!

Boatface

Großartig!

Lisa Dobler

10y

Hammer Song!

Kathy

4y↑2

Tom Klose

@Kathy spot on!

Kathy

you'll never know
that you have been my muse ✨

fateshound

12y

I want the chords for this song .

leo hu

11y

großartig!!!!

Tobias Leifeld

Sounds great. The Chord Progression reminds me on Coconut Skins by Damien Rice

iris

haha, me too :) :)
I love Damien

Tom Klose

@Tobias Leifeld I think that song also subconsciously inspired my song.

Jonas M

11y

Ganz ganz toll <3

alenajacob230601

10y

Gestern in Luxemburg super gesungen

Peter Preis Dinslaken

Klasse gemacht gefällt mir außerordentlich gut Lg.Pidi aus Blomberg

misssophie02

11y

sauschön leute ! danke:)

Anni Musicheart

11y

So ein King! :)

Reka Csergöffy

11y

I think I've just fallen in love!

Tom Klose

@Reka Csergöffy sorry I read this a bit too late, I have wife and children now. too bad!

Rute Paredes

11y

i have no idea how i ended up here but God am I happy!

monpea lu

11y

so happy and so sad at the same time!

Светояр Svetoyar

11y

Yeah!!! it was great )))

fateshound

11y

Anyone know the chords for this?

Tom Klose

@fateshound they are up there somewhere.

Tom Klose

11y↑16

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Sure I only hope they are decent ;) Intro: Am G C G Verse: Am (h-c) F G Bridge: E E7 (some freaky E/E7-like chords way up the neck) Chorus: Am G C D/F# "Solo": the riff shouldn't be too hard to figure out. If this didn't help you at all or you have minor problems still, just ask. I'm happy to do what I can. :)

mellima

10y↑1

Hab ihn gestern in Ravensburg gesehen und fand ihn gut :)

Adrian Gumpp

10y↑1

ich auch!

KCKALOHA

11y

Cello players hair............ how EVERY guys hair should be........ oh yeah, and they sound GREAT!

Tom Klose

@KCKALOHA thank you I'll be sure to pass it on...

Egor Shvecov

5y↑2

Help me, help me I am turning into stone. Help me, help me no one likes to be alone...

CapnBarefoot

10y↑2

This guy sounds a bit like The Talles Man on Earth, great! (:

Tom Klose

2y↑1

@CapnBarefoot thanks yeh that was kinda what I was going for back in the days I guess.

CapnBarefoot

@Tom Klose Going to listen it again, how you doing?

Tom Klose

2y↑1

@CapnBarefoot cool that's exactly why I replied to your comment, here comes another view on the video!

Tom Klose

@CapnBarefoot pretty good and yourself?

CapnBarefoot

@Tom Klose had this funny interaction on the internet, so doing great thank you.
Well it helped, even shared it with my parter "This is what I used to listen 7 years ago".

1 More Replies...

Morgan Douglass

Sounds pertty cool

Viacra

12y

Fantastic

[[[] S c o t b o X []]]

WOW !

traashking bapapear

🔥🔥🔥🔥

Der Watz

10y

... I like what You do. Saw You on 10th of April. It was great.

KriSS MusiKK

10y↑1

this is fucking brilliant (excuse my language)...

Alice Kass

7y↑1

I think is fucking perfect

Tom Klose

11y↑1

sure! you can always check out ultimate-guitar for chords but there are not many to that song either: Intro: Am G C G Verse: Am F G Chorus: Am G C D/F#

Reka Csergöffy

11y

3:20 ♥♥♥

Tom Klose

11y

don't worry you are definitely not alone ;)

Tom Klose

11y

I do actually. ;) If you check my website tomklose.de you will find all the lyrics to all the songs on there. just scroll down a bit for this one here it's quite old.

Morgan Douglass

9y↑5

I kinda wish I had his face

Tom Klose

@Morgan Douglass oh believe me it's less pleasant than it looks.

Tom Klose

11y↑3

I hope I do ;) Capo 4th fret Intro/Verse/Outro: Am C Chorus: F G C Am F G it's as easy as that :) have fun with it!

Helena Backekuchen

11y

Wackelpudding!

ederivero

11y

A tour in south america might be a good idea, just saying

Tom Klose

2y↑1

@ederivero sounds like a good idea to me!

Caetano Polezi Martins

11y

hahahaahhahahaa Thaaaaaaaanks

MrJossage

10y↑1

@tom klose Thankyou.

Joss.

Tom Klose

@Joss Thankyou.

tom klose

canarinhio

11y

oh - seems this really is still relevant to you. :)

Tom Klose

@canarinhio nope not anymore. and neither was it 8 years ago for that matter.

Sebastián Fernández

11y↑1

I know everybody will jump against me saying that it gives personality to the singer but I don't like the screams at 3:30. Avoiding that, this sounds wonderful.

Tom Klose

the singer himself doesn't really like it anymore either if he's honest.

111gump

11y

Mick Jagger 2.0

Mariyn Alexander

9y↑4

Гребаный гугл переводчик

Tom Klose

2y↑1

@Mariyn Alexander my thoughts exactly.

Mariyn Alexander

Hi, we are waiting for you in Moscow. Come, we are waiting for you.

Tom Klose

@Mariyn Alexander sorry that it took me 6 years to reply and sorry that it might take even longer until I actually come to Moscow!

Mariyn Alexander

@Tom Klose you made my day ))

Tom Klose

@Mariyn Alexander and it only took 6 years to make 1 day! see you in another 6 for the second then!

canarinhio

11y

Capo 4 Verse a, C with e-string 3fred Chorus Fis G C walkdown to a Thats what sounds ok to me.. since your post is about 3 month old - hope its still relevant to you?

Tom Klose

@canarinhio that is correct except for the "Fis" in the chorus. that is just an ordinary F-major.

Jallus Maximus

Sounds great but... u want sum food?

Tom Klose

@Jallus Maximus I do as a matter of fact, what you got?

Braaidude

Great musicianmanship... such a shame about yet another faux accent. So sad....

MrBuddynib

Faux accent? Are you kidding?

Braaidude

MrBuddynib There's a strange accent which seems to be permeating hipster folk music. I'm not a huge fan of it because it makes all vocalists sound to similar and the originality of their work is reduced dramatically. This faux accent is particularly prevalent in the UK but seems to have caught on in the rest of Europe. I'm sure we'll find a cure for it shortly...

Braaidude

9y↑2

It's not an English accent. It's an academy of arts accent. Tom is talented and I never said he wasn't. You got a problem with the Germans? His English is probably excellent as with most of them. His music is great. I JUST am not a fan of the accent (which is neither German nor English, but is the latest "folky" trend), and I'm entitled to an opinion. I never said anything rude, so I'd appreciate it if you watched your mouth.