In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
All he needs is everyone I've been
And all she needs is everywhere I've seen
All they need
Anything I've touched
And all you need is everything I've loved
Everything I've heard everything I've learned
Everything I've tried everything I've held
Everything I've felt everything I've lost
Everything I've cried
Until my whole head shrieks with grinding my teeth
Struggling to find a single word I can keep
Any kind of truth
Any kind of hope
Oh just any kind of word that doesn't make me choke
But I keep saying I will and I won't
I keep saying I do and I don't
I keep saying I feel
But there is nothing to feel
Just a strange kind of nothing where it used to be me...
It used to be me
All he needs from me is everyone I've ever missed
And all she needs from me
Everyone I've ever kissed
All they need from me
Anything I've ever sung
Yeah and all you need from me is everything I've ever said
Everything I've ever done everything I've ever made
Everything I've ever prayed everything I've ever believed
Everything I've ever touched everything I've ever loved
Everything I've ever thought everything I've ever dreamed
Until my whole head screams with grinding my teeth
Desperate to find a single word I can keep
Any kind of faith
Any kind of fix
Oh just any kind of word that doesn't make me sick
And I keep saying I will but I won't
I keep saying I do but I don't
And I keep saying I feel
But there is nothing to feel
Just this strange kind of nothing where it used to be me...
Anything and everything
All that you need
Get it for free
Anything and everything
All that you need
Get it from me
Get it from me
Get it from me
Get it from me
And all she needs is everywhere I've seen
All they need
Anything I've touched
And all you need is everything I've loved
Everything I've heard everything I've learned
Everything I've tried everything I've held
Everything I've felt everything I've lost
Everything I've cried
Until my whole head shrieks with grinding my teeth
Struggling to find a single word I can keep
Any kind of truth
Any kind of hope
Oh just any kind of word that doesn't make me choke
But I keep saying I will and I won't
I keep saying I do and I don't
I keep saying I feel
But there is nothing to feel
Just a strange kind of nothing where it used to be me...
It used to be me
All he needs from me is everyone I've ever missed
And all she needs from me
Everyone I've ever kissed
All they need from me
Anything I've ever sung
Yeah and all you need from me is everything I've ever said
Everything I've ever done everything I've ever made
Everything I've ever prayed everything I've ever believed
Everything I've ever touched everything I've ever loved
Everything I've ever thought everything I've ever dreamed
Until my whole head screams with grinding my teeth
Desperate to find a single word I can keep
Any kind of faith
Any kind of fix
Oh just any kind of word that doesn't make me sick
And I keep saying I will but I won't
I keep saying I do but I don't
And I keep saying I feel
But there is nothing to feel
Just this strange kind of nothing where it used to be me...
Anything and everything
All that you need
Get it for free
Anything and everything
All that you need
Get it from me
Get it from me
Get it from me
Get it from me
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by Mellow_Harsher
It Used to Be Me Lyrics as written by Perry Bamonte Jason Toop Cooper
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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.
ive been listening to this song alot lately. i read a guy talk about this song about 6 years ago. i never had the single and heard this song till the boxset. its on my top 10 of the box set, hell top 5 really. this song reminds me of what i was and how i was like a couple years ago when i was doing alot better than i am now in every way possible. life turns too much to keep up sometimes. in any event i think this is robert looking back at when he was young, before he was in a band. and looking back at how this all effected mary. one song i can truly beileve its not about a book or poem hehe. robert, if you ever read this, heres some food for thought on your "growing older" thing thats always on your mind, from one of your favorite writers..
"Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old." Franz Kafka
@suicidemoon like, yah bro/sis, thanks for the franz kafka quote