Strong

I interpret this song to be about having great expectations, but being let down.

Wow...tough song to figure out. It seems as though it's about disappointment in someone not being strong enough to be true and honest. Or perhaps the singer is tired of making excuses for someone that has let her down. Nevertheless, beautiful melody and mood.

STRENGTH AND VULNERABILITY

There is a beautiful diametric nature between human strength and vulnerability. Strength and vulnerability both exist on emotional, spiritual, intellectual and physical levels.

But everyone actually needs to have experience of both extremes strength and vulnerability to be complete:

When we face fear we can eliminate it through courage. This journey starts with vulnerability and ends with strength. It is human nature to experience vulnerability and strength within the same journey.

It is survival instinct that drives us to be strong when we are vulnerable. Most survivors will say that their challenges are what trained them to be strong. Without the experience of vulnerability very few of us will ever face such a challenge and thus never learn.

(Note that vulnerability is not the same as weakness)

In the video the opposing forces are presented: The nurturing father preparing to entertain the child (his strength) but the look of tiredness or worry of a parent’s responsibility on his face as he walks with the child on his shoulder (his vulnerability).

This is represented conversely with the previously sleeping child (vulnerable) later offering protection to the parent at the end (strong).

The song’s lyrics re-iterate the important of listening to nature:- The lion’s roars should be listened to (strength) The child’s cries should be acted upon (vulnerability)

The message:- Be strong but do not forget that it is natural to be vulnerable too.

Nobody is 100% strong, celebrate your vulnerability.

If you give to the child when they need help, there will be someone there to help you when you too are vulnerable.

BTW The lyric is : ‘If a child, a child cries would you not GIVE them’

The way I interpret this song:

The narrator is caught up between emotions and her thoughts. She is sharing how the expectations we have of people are not really true, and how their ego’s take the better of them. ‘Yeah and man seem so strong, Yeah man speak so long, Man never been so wrong.’ Probably realizing this is why the narrator is so mixed up between feelings and thoughts. The narrator seems to be in a conversation, trying to level with a person who she feels might be going through the same and excusing herself for her behavior. The lion represents her gut feeling, which is not compliant with the expectations that we have of humans.

I interpreted the song in a rather simple way and based on personal experience.

I feel that the artist wants us to Open our eyes and see what's going on around us. It seems to me that the song is more like a conversation between the Singer, the person listening to the song and their minds. "Excuse me for a while, while I am wide eyed and so damn caught in the middle", here the listener speaks and the Singer excuses them and says the same. According to me it means that both of them, although with their eyes open wide, are confused between the right and wrong of the world and don't know what to do.

"If a Lion roars would you not listen, if a child cries would you not forgive them", here i feel its their inner voice telling to do what's right.

"I meet seem so strong, I might speak so long, I've never been so wrong", here I think, both the Singer and listener realise that although they put up a strong and hard exterior, they are really soft inside, only human and emotional too.

"......turn a blind eye with a stare caught in the middle", here, I feel that both the characters always look away from all the troubles, theirs and other, although their inner voice is asking them to do something about it.

"Have you wondered for a while.......", here again its the inner voice telling them that they have been caught up and been down for too long and its time to break free and take measures.

This is my first post, I hope you guys like my interpretation.

I tend to agree that this song is definitely about some type of disappointment or lost expectations.

Judging from the official video for this song, it might be about growing up and realizing that our parents are not the the super-humans we make them out to be as young children. As we grow up, our parents' flaws become more apparent and we start to realize they are only human and they need us as much as we need them. That could make some feel caught in the middle.

Perhaps a deeper interpretation is that this song is about someone who was raised by a parent with a personality disorder or psychosis. Such a parent may be inconsistent in both nurturing and beating them, thereby causing them to feel caught in the middle about their affections for that parent. It would take a great deal of strength to hold on to such a parent.

Then again, it could simply be about a relationship gone bad due to both lovers having mixed feelings about upholding their end of the bond. That would certainly put both of them caught in the middle.

I hear "if a child cried would you not forgive them" ... anyone else? Her breathing seems off on that line though. It's definitely not "listen" though for that line.

I think the narrator had a big decision to make: there were two choices and she feels that she has chosen the wrong one.

"Excuse me for a while While I'm wide-eyed And I'm so down caught in the middle"

This is talking about how she needs a moment away from people to make this big decision which she is finding very difficult; which choice?

"And a lion, a lion, roars would you not listen? If a child, a child cries would you not forgive them?"

This gives us an idea of what the two choices are. Lions and roaring suggest that the narrator is talking about being strong, standing up for herself and getting her true beliefs and feelings heard. Children and crying suggests that she is feeling sorry for herself and needing people to feel sorry for her.

So, the choices are between being strong and standing up for herself and getting her voice heard, or being weak and letting this weakness get the better of her.

"Excuse me for a while, Turn a blind eye With a stare caught right in the middle Have you wondered for a while I have a feeling deep down? You're caught in the middle"

This isn't really anything lyrically new... this is simply repeating that she had a decision to make and by "blind eye" it appears that she has ignored her gut feelings and backed down and not been strong enough.

"Yeah, I might seem so strong Yeah, I might speak so long I've never been so wrong I might seem so strong Yeah, I might speak so long I've never been so wrong"

This shows that she wasn't strong enough to to what she knew was right. She has "been so wrong" by letting her weakness get the better of her and not speaking out like she should.

She might "seem so strong" and "speak so long", meaning that her exterior may seem strong and she may seem that she can speak up for herself, but she was fooling herself thinking she was either of those things because she is clearly not strong enough to do what she has realised was right.

The decision isn't included in the song; there are no hints as to what this decision may be. This is most likely so that the person listening to the song can personalise it to their own situation and 'insert' almost their own problem.

For example, the problem that the listener is experiencing may be breaking up. Either be strong and face it head on and just do it or shy away and suffer the unwanted relationship a while longer. It may be a problem in a family. Either be strong and talk about it (like a roaring lion) or go unheard and suffer (crying child).

The main messages of the song:

1. Be strong
2. Face problems head on
3. Don't let your weaknesses overrule you

To me these lyrics express the thoughts and feelings of a person who has an ideal picture of how love should work out in life. Now (s)he is in a relationship and has fallen in love with someone else, caught in the middle between to lovers. The 'other' person is the intruder in the relationship (you're caught in the middle).

My interpretation is something a LOT of people could relate to. It's about being strong for someone close during a tough time, then being in a reverse situation but not getting the same support from that person when you really need it.

It's kinda sad because a lot of people will lean on those around them when they need help but forget about it when the roles are reversed. You'll see in my breakdown below.

Take something from this. Remember that none of us are unbreakable even if we convince ourselves that we are. When someone falls, help them back up ESPECIALLY someone who's been there for you.

First verse

She's speaking to someone close to her. Asking them to bear with her as she's overwhelmed by something, maybe a decision. Second half, she's reminding that person that she did it for them when they were in the same position.

Bridge

She's speaking metaphorically (I think that's the right figure of speech) because the person she's speaking to isn't understanding, isn't recognising her message, isn't hearing her, not understanding her emotion.
Why aren't you listening? Why can't you understand? If a lion roared, would you be deaf to it? If a child cried, would you get frustrated with it?

Chorus

She's opening up, bearing her soul. I might appear strong, I might have thought I never fall down, but I was wrong. Amazingly deep and emotional for such simple lyrics. Something a lot of people struggle to do, admit weaknesses or weak moments.

Verse 2

Acceptance. Accepting that the person can't bear with her the way she did for them. Like, ok, turn a blind eye and excuse me while I'm in this moment. Second half, voicing her opinion, and asking for agreement, to whether the person knows deep down that they can't be supportive because they don't feel strong enough about her, maybe don't really love her enough to.