I could have been easier on you
I could have been all you held on to
I know I wasn't fair
I tried my best to care
About you
(About you)

I know I could have been a better man
I always had to have the upper hand
I'm struggling to see
The better side of me
But I can't
Take all your jabs and taunts
You're pointing out
My every fault
And you wonder why I walked away

When you tell me I'm a wreck
You say that I'm a mess
How could you expect anything less
(Expect anything less)
You latched onto me
Then cried I strung you along

I told you when you asked
I knew this wouldn't last
At least I could be honest about that
(Honest about that)
And now you're tellin' everyone
How I only did you wrong

I guess you never knew me at all

Remember on my 21st birthday
You took me where we went on our first date
We stayed till closing time
After four glasses of wine
You started with the pointless argument
You said that I forgot to compliment
The dress you wore that night
That I've seen a thousand times

But I think
We just want different things
I want space
You want a diamond ring
Whatever made you think we were meant to be?

When you tell me I'm a wreck
You say that I'm a mess
How could you expect anything less
(Expect anything less)
You latched onto me
Then cried I strung you along
(Cried I strung you along)

I told you when you asked
I knew this wouldn't last
At least I could be honest about that
(Honest about that)
And now you're tellin' everyone
How I only did you wrong
(How I only did you wrong)

I guess you never knew me at all

You tell me I'm a wreck
You say that I'm a mess
How could you expect anything less

When you tell me I'm a wreck
You say that I'm a mess
How could you expect anything less
(Expect anything less)
You latched onto me
Then cried I strung you along
(Cried I strung you along)

I told you when you asked
I knew this wouldn't last
At least I could be honest about that
(Honest about that)
And now you're tellin' everyone
How I only did you wrong
(How I only did you wrong)

Still I see you standing there
Waiting round for me to fall
(Waiting round for me to fall)
Girl you must be crazy
Still believing you and me belong

I guess you never knew me at all


Lyrics submitted by artemisaurelia

Tell Me I'm a Wreck Lyrics as written by Michael Allen Timothy Pagnotta

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Tell Me I'm a Wreck song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    this song PERFECTLY represents how me and my ex's relationship was.

    "i could have been easier on you, i could have been all you held onto. i know i wasn't fair, i tried my best to care about you. i know i could have been a better man, but always had to have the upper hand i'm struggling to see the better side of me but i can't take all your jabs and taunts"

    he thinks he screwed me over and still regrets that we broke up, but he also thinks i treated him like dirt when in reality he was cheating- although i can honestly take some blame.

    "i told you when you asked, i knew this wouldn't last at least i could be honest about that"

    he says he tried to end it with me, but really he beat around the bush and didn't make his point at all.. next thing i knew he was in another relationship.

    "i guess we both want different things, i want space.. you want a diamond ring"

    until he started to drift away from me, i didn't want commitment. but now i would do anything to get him back.

    leglessfugitiveon June 21, 2010   Link

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