I see this as being totally autobiographical (the video confirms this, featuring old pics from Regina's childhood). She's in a bar reminiscing about the 'story' of her childhood- the 2nd person she refers to throughout the song is herself, either past or current. She begins as a loner throughout grade school, as an oddball/foreigner/introvert. She doesn't fit in, and discusses the pain of going through much of life fearful and regretful of social interactions.
I perceive the chorus "never mind your bleeding heart" as a reminder of the constant repeated message from the 'normal' world that she should act fine and not worry about her anxiety, whilst ignoring the deeper problems. Our culture is catered to extroverts, and rarely deals with the issues of loneliness or depression; for example Disney movies are mostly happy and bright- positivity is everything, put a smile on even if you don't mean it. The chorus taunts herself, and she is repeating the refrain to herself, because all she knows how to do is shut down those emotions and bury them inside.
The 3rd verse appears to suggest that now that she's grown up she's overcome the pain/shortcomings from her past, and she pity's someone she sees in a situation like she used to be. But the last line shows how she never really fixed any of her former problems, "Cause you won the war so it's not your turn / But everything inside still burns." In reality, that pain from her past manifests itself in her current life.
The outro shows how she has channeled the pain through patience, effort, and dreaming; she has used her former shortcomings to become a hugely successful musician/poet. Yet each line suggests the pain she still goes through as part of this process, with constant doubts and sadness. She is trying to use the art form to fix her bleeding heart, but the pain subsists. So with the final line she reiterates that she'll keep ignoring it.
"How long must I wait till you learn that it's not too late
How long must I cry till you know that you really tried
How long must I try till you learn that dreaming's hard
How long must I dream till you heal your bleeding heart
Never mind your bleeding heart"
This also suggests the dilemma that maybe it's best to forget about her bleeding heart. Or maybe it's just that she's come to terms with it in the end, and as she's used it to create something good while overcoming the major challenges she faced as a child (that is more optimistic, but I think it's a stretch to say that that's reflected in the lyrics).
So that's a really depressing take, and I think the song sounds so bright and happy as a jarring irony representing the bitter-sweet reality of the fake happiness that results in constantly pushing down your painful emotions.
@jpq21 I entirely agree with your interpretation except for the very last part. As you say, it’s a conversation between her current self and her younger self, but I always see the lines of the outro as split between a question and an answer, rather than a full sentence.
@jpq21 I entirely agree with your interpretation except for the very last part. As you say, it’s a conversation between her current self and her younger self, but I always see the lines of the outro as split between a question and an answer, rather than a full sentence.
When we’re young and insecure and anxious, it feels endless, and even when we look back at our teenage concerns, they seem so trivial now, but at the time they don’t, and I think those lines are her current self answering her younger self’s concerns:
When we’re young and insecure and anxious, it feels endless, and even when we look back at our teenage concerns, they seem so trivial now, but at the time they don’t, and I think those lines are her current self answering her younger self’s concerns:
Younger self...
Younger self — how long must I wait?
Current self — till you learn that it’s not too late
Younger self — how long must I cry?
Current self — till you know that you really tried
Younger self — how long must I try?
Current self — till you learn that dreaming’s hard
Younger self — how long must I dream?
Current self — till you heal your bleeding heart.
She’s basically telling her former self to stop feeling sorry for herself and heal, because she won’t be able to move on until she does.
I see this as being totally autobiographical (the video confirms this, featuring old pics from Regina's childhood). She's in a bar reminiscing about the 'story' of her childhood- the 2nd person she refers to throughout the song is herself, either past or current. She begins as a loner throughout grade school, as an oddball/foreigner/introvert. She doesn't fit in, and discusses the pain of going through much of life fearful and regretful of social interactions.
I perceive the chorus "never mind your bleeding heart" as a reminder of the constant repeated message from the 'normal' world that she should act fine and not worry about her anxiety, whilst ignoring the deeper problems. Our culture is catered to extroverts, and rarely deals with the issues of loneliness or depression; for example Disney movies are mostly happy and bright- positivity is everything, put a smile on even if you don't mean it. The chorus taunts herself, and she is repeating the refrain to herself, because all she knows how to do is shut down those emotions and bury them inside.
The 3rd verse appears to suggest that now that she's grown up she's overcome the pain/shortcomings from her past, and she pity's someone she sees in a situation like she used to be. But the last line shows how she never really fixed any of her former problems, "Cause you won the war so it's not your turn / But everything inside still burns." In reality, that pain from her past manifests itself in her current life.
The outro shows how she has channeled the pain through patience, effort, and dreaming; she has used her former shortcomings to become a hugely successful musician/poet. Yet each line suggests the pain she still goes through as part of this process, with constant doubts and sadness. She is trying to use the art form to fix her bleeding heart, but the pain subsists. So with the final line she reiterates that she'll keep ignoring it.
"How long must I wait till you learn that it's not too late How long must I cry till you know that you really tried How long must I try till you learn that dreaming's hard How long must I dream till you heal your bleeding heart Never mind your bleeding heart"
This also suggests the dilemma that maybe it's best to forget about her bleeding heart. Or maybe it's just that she's come to terms with it in the end, and as she's used it to create something good while overcoming the major challenges she faced as a child (that is more optimistic, but I think it's a stretch to say that that's reflected in the lyrics).
So that's a really depressing take, and I think the song sounds so bright and happy as a jarring irony representing the bitter-sweet reality of the fake happiness that results in constantly pushing down your painful emotions.
@jpq21 I entirely agree with your interpretation except for the very last part. As you say, it’s a conversation between her current self and her younger self, but I always see the lines of the outro as split between a question and an answer, rather than a full sentence.
@jpq21 I entirely agree with your interpretation except for the very last part. As you say, it’s a conversation between her current self and her younger self, but I always see the lines of the outro as split between a question and an answer, rather than a full sentence.
When we’re young and insecure and anxious, it feels endless, and even when we look back at our teenage concerns, they seem so trivial now, but at the time they don’t, and I think those lines are her current self answering her younger self’s concerns:
When we’re young and insecure and anxious, it feels endless, and even when we look back at our teenage concerns, they seem so trivial now, but at the time they don’t, and I think those lines are her current self answering her younger self’s concerns:
Younger self...
Younger self — how long must I wait? Current self — till you learn that it’s not too late Younger self — how long must I cry? Current self — till you know that you really tried Younger self — how long must I try? Current self — till you learn that dreaming’s hard Younger self — how long must I dream? Current self — till you heal your bleeding heart.
She’s basically telling her former self to stop feeling sorry for herself and heal, because she won’t be able to move on until she does.