Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Why You Gotta Be So Mean?


I'll admit it.  I watch The Voice.  Every single episode.  All seasons.

NOTE:  Team Blake, baby!

There were lots of contestants that I liked, but Danielle Bradbery was my favorite from the beginning.  One of the songs she sang near the beginning was called Mean.  I didn't know the song, but loved her voice and wanted to vote for her, so I downloaded it.

NOTE:  I now have NINETEEN (19 -- nineteen!) songs from this season of The Voice on my I-Phone.  Danielle is my most purchased singer, but I have plenty from the others too.  Nineteen.  Yikes.

Anyway, the first time I really listened to Mean and heard the words, I couldn't help but think about abused children and wanted to know more.

Turns out that Mean is a Taylor Swift song and here are the words:

You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like I'm nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man

You can take me down with just one single blow
But you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean, yeah
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

Taylor says she wrote the song about her critics, but the words are SO applicable to the children we serve at Community Partners of Dallas.
 
 
It makes me cry to think about children who "just wanna feel okay again" and dream about one day being "big enough so you can't hit me" -- and believe me there are so many children in Dallas feeling this way right now.  Every 103 minutes another child is confirmed as abused and neglected in Dallas County.
 
How can people be so mean?

2 comments:

  1. Hi Paige... just found your blog through my friend, Lilly of Pancakes and Beet Juice. I live in Mckinney and love finding Dallas bloggers! I was a theatre major and missed the boat to broadway as well. Your blog is adorable. I have been scrolling through it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your nice comments, Katie! And I know you were a Theatre major becuase you spelled it that way.

      Thanks for reading!

      Delete