Only Ifs
Heart's Regret: Unspoken Love in Chris Peters' 'Only Ifs'
Lyrics
Only if
Expressing a condition or hypothetical situation
She knew the end was coming
If she anticipated the end of the relationship
Then it would’ve been less stunning
The breakup would have been less surprising or shocking
When the boy tore her heart into bits
Referring to a painful experience where the boy broke her heart
But tonight, all I have are
Current emotional state revolves around hypothetical scenarios
“Only ifs”
Continuation of expressing conditional thoughts
Only if
Reiteration of expressing a condition
My words could console her
If his words could provide comfort to her
Patch her heart where the hole burns
Mending the emotional pain she feels
And keeps her awake on nights like this
The emotional turmoil keeps her awake at night
Only if there were no “only ifs”
Expressing a desire for a world without hypothetical situations
Only if she understood me
If she comprehended his perspective
And where I’m coming from
Understanding his feelings and motivations
And why it came up in a good week
Reflecting on a positive time when the issue arose
Or why it had to be done
Questioning the necessity of the action
Now I’ve tried my best
Effort in expressing emotions consistently
To express my feelings day by day
Attempts to convey feelings daily
But they just hurt her any way
Despite efforts, words cause her pain
So for now, I’ll say
Choosing to limit expression for now
Only if
If she recognized his genuine love
She knew I truly loved her
Her certainty about his love would eliminate doubt
Then she’d never have to wonder
Avoiding confusion about the cause of the relationship change
What caused the sudden shift
Expressing desire for a world without conditional situations
Only if
Reiteration of the longing for a hypothetical-free scenario
Only if there were no “only ifs”
If she grasped his perspective and motivations
Only if she understood me
Understanding the reasons behind an impactful event
And where I’m coming from
Reflecting on a positive time when the issue arose
And why it came up in a good week
Questioning the necessity of the action
Or why it had to be done
Effort in expressing emotions consistently
Now I’ve tried my best
Attempts to convey feelings daily
To express my feelings day by day
Despite efforts, words cause her pain
But they just hurt her any way
Choosing to limit expression for now
So for now, I’ll say
If they were certain about a lasting relationship
Only if
Expressing desire for a world without conditional situations
We knew we’d be together
If the relationship had an expiration date
But it would not last forever
Questioning the willingness to try under those circumstances
Would we still have tried like this?
Reflecting on the challenges of a relationship with predefined limits
Only if there were no “only ifs”
Expressing a desire for a world without hypothetical situations
Only if there were no “only ifs”
Reiteration of the longing for a hypothetical-free scenario
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