I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real

The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything

What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end

And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of shit
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair

Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here

What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end

And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

If I could start again
A million miles away
I will keep myself
I would find a way


Lyrics submitted by implode, edited by Mellow_Harsher, swagshag

Hurt song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

532 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    No... I always liked this song (join the club, I know), but I never realized its meaning until I experienced it myself.

    I had a habit. I'd become involved with people, and then decide one day that I just didn't care anymore. People would wonder why I suddenly don't like them or why I stopped talking to them. So did I. I came to realize this the night it hit me. I thought to myself, "Everyone I know goes away in the end". Then I knew. It 'Hurt' me so much that I now am completely changed. That night, I sat in my "liar's" chair, contemplating the horror that I have been. It was such a mess of unorganized thinking -- my broken thoughts. The thing that really made me understand this song, though, was "what have I become? My sweetest friend...Everyone I know goes away in the end". I can't understand why I would be so horrible to my sweetest friends when there was absolutely no reason. It was basically like, if you try to be my friend, I will let you down...I will make you hurt.

    I finally got over this...addiction of sorts...much with the help of this beautiful, heartfelt song. And that is precisely the point: Look at this guy. The guy in the song. What a wreck. He just ends it all; why shouldn't he? Even nothing would be better than what he had. But that's not the right way of thinking; it's tunnel vision. Reznor is saying, you gotta break free. You see where this guy went wrong? Reznor showed everyone what NOT to do, he showed us someone and said "you don't want to follow in this guy's footsteps, do you?". And you don't. I don't.

    Drugs are just not a factor in this song -- people see 'needle' and think 'o, it's about drugs'. That's such a misconception.

    Silent_Hitman009on February 17, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.