What You Didn't Say
Unspoken Heartache: Deciphering the Silence in Mary Chapin Carpenter's Song
Lyrics
I can read your eyes just like a book
I can understand your emotions and thoughts just by looking into your eyes.
You tell me different, but I know that look
Even though you say otherwise, your expression reveals the truth.
And I don't have to guess what's between the lines
I don't need to speculate about the unspoken messages; they are clear to me.
So what in the world am I still doing here
Despite the unclear situation, I am still present and involved.
You push me away when I get too near
You push me away when our connection becomes too close.
Saying love's too simple to analyze
You claim love is too straightforward to analyze.
So why do I feel confused
I feel uncertain despite your reassurances.
Why do I feel so used
I feel used and manipulated.
Like a worn-out thought you threw away
Similar to a discarded idea, I feel neglected and unimportant.
It wasn't what you said, it's what you didn't say
The problem lies not in what you said but in what you chose not to say.
Where are the windows, where are the doors?
I am unsure about the entry points to your emotions and thoughts.
I haven't the key to your heart anymore
I no longer have access to the deepest parts of your feelings.
I haven't a clue to what's gone wrong
I am clueless about what went wrong in our relationship.
'Cause you look at me sometimes as if I weren't there
Your occasional indifference makes me feel invisible.
You say you're listening, but you never hear
You claim to be attentive, but you are not truly hearing me.
The strains of silence have grown so strong
The weight of unspoken words has become overwhelming.
I never wanted to doubt you
I never wanted to question your sincerity.
But I'd be better off without you
However, it seems I would be better off without you.
I'm no good at looking the other way
I struggle to ignore problems and pretend everything is fine.
It wasn't what you said, it's what you didn't say
Similar to before, the issue lies in what you chose not to express.
So look at me one last time
Give me one final genuine and meaningful look.
With eyes that still know how to shine
Hold me with the same warmth and affection as before.
Hold me like you won't let go
Embrace me as if you never want to let go.
But you let go anyway
Despite the plea, you let go anyway.
No one belongs where they're not wanted
People should not stay where they are not wanted.
You're just a ghost, and my heart is haunted
You are like a distant memory, and my heart is filled with haunting feelings.
When I said goodbye, you didn't even beg me to stay
Even when saying goodbye, you didn't express a desire for me to stay.
It wasn't what you said, it's what you didn't say
Similar to the overall theme, the issue is about what was left unsaid.
No baby, it wasn't what you said, it's what you didn't say
Reiteration that the problem lies in the unspoken words rather than spoken ones.
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