Before It Breaks

Didn't know whether to choose "my interpretation" or "song meaning" since this is my interpretation of the song's meaning.

Seems to me that she's asking a lover or someone she loves to just make a decision about a possible long-distance relationship (and/or to tell her what the decision is instead of worrying about hurting her feelings). I'm drawing this conclusion from the contrasting lines:

Say it's over, say I'm dreaming (tell me whether the relationship is over or whether I'm worrying over nothing) Say you'll wait, say you won't (tell me whether relationship will continue even when we're apart or whether it will end) Say you love me, say you don't (tell me whether you love me or not) I can make my own mistakes (stop worrying about hurting me) Let it bend before it breaks (we can redefine the relationship before it's too late)

I absolutely love this song! So sad but so beautiful! The first lines are a bit different though:

'Round here it's the hardest time of year Wakin' up the days are even gone And the collar of my coat, lord help me, Cannot help the cold The raindrops sting my eyes, I keep them closed

But I'm feelin' no pain, I'm a little lonely And my quietest friend, Have I the moonlight Have I let you in Say it ain't so, Say I'm happy again

To me this song is about easing into an inevitable break-up, one that she doesn't want, but may know is necessary. Although it may be a mistake it's almost better to live in denial, in limbo, then be apart from that person, and she's okay with that. The partner in the relationship has the power..."better than you left me," and she seems to be the type of person that is used to being hurt and is always "alright, don't I always seem to be." I think it's about giving in to that person, or that relationship, that you know is so wrong for you, but you don't care, you hold on because you don't know what to do without that person in your life.

This is a fantastic song but the lyrics incorrect. The first lines in the song are...

Around here, it's the hardest time of year Waking up, the days are even gone (from)The collar of my coat, lord help me killing off the cold The raindrops sting my eyes, I keep them closed

But I'm feeling the pain only the lonely And my quietest friend, have I the moonlight? Have I let you in? Say it ain't so, say I'm happy again.

I feel like I can relate to this song because I noticed during months like November (Hardest time of year), when there were no leaves on the trees and the sun is hiding behind the clouds most days, almost everything seemed dull. All the people that I love and wanted to be near weren't around and that made me exceptionally lonely which would keep me up thinking about those people many nights( my quietest friend, have I the moonlight). Besides the point of being lonely, I'd often want to cry because the consistent cold and rainy weather made me feel so crumby but there was no one there to really console me so I'd just hold it in ( Raindrops sting my eyes, I keep them closed). I also, like Brandi says " Say it ain't so, say I'm happy again", know that it's just a seasonal thing and I will have to shrug it off for awhile because I'm generally a happy person and these lonely feelings will all be over once I get through the winter. When I hear this, I imagine her singing of a similar situation.

For me this song is about fighting off my mind and trying to not let myself break yet.