Things we tell ourselves

Song Meaning

The lyrics to "Things we tell ourselves" immediately plunge into a deep well of regret and longing. The speaker is consumed by thoughts of a missing person, repeating a heartfelt plea for their return. There's a palpable sense of a past mistake and a fervent desire for a second chance. This intense yearning in the chorus, centered on "How much I miss you around," clashes sharply with the disillusionment expressed in the verses. The narrator recounts being told "I wouldn't have long to wait" and that they "could be who I want to be," only to find these assurances hollow. This creates a central tension: a desperate personal plea set against a backdrop of broken external promises. The most intriguing turn comes with the line, "I'll pick it up fast and let it down slow." This isn't just a lament; it suggests a new, perhaps guarded, strategy for engagement. It implies a learned caution, a way to protect oneself from future letdowns, or perhaps a reflection on how past connections were handled, adding a layer of self-awareness to the raw emotion. Ultimately, the power of these lyrics lies in their stark emotional honesty. The repeated promise, "I'll never let you down," feels like a raw, almost obsessive thought, while the contrasting cynicism of the verses—where "they never showed"—grounds the longing in a weary reality. The back-and-forth between desperate hope and jaded experience creates a compelling portrait of someone grappling with both personal regret and the broader disappointments of life.