What does Say Something mean?

A Great Big World: Say Something Meaning

Album cover for Say Something album cover

Song Released: 2013


Say Something Lyrics

Say something, I'm giving up on you.
I'll be the one, if you want me to.
Anywhere, I would've followed you.
Say something, I'm giving up on you.

And I am feeling so small.
It was over my head
I know nothing at all.

And I will stumble...

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  1. anonymous
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     Sep 18th 2014 !⃝

    It was the beginning of the end. You know that I've tried my best to save our relationship. I will always love you Julian, even in my silence. You are the one for me && I will wait for you.
    Happy Birthday Juls!:( :(

  2. anonymous
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     Sep 16th 2014 !⃝

    In my opinion when I first heard this song I thought it was about suicide. The girl commuted suicide and the guy singing found her and is crying to her to say something to him because obviously he doesn't want her to be dead. And he's saying I will stumble and fall because he thinks it his fault that it happened. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you means he's sorry he didn't find her before she killed herself. I'm feeling so small means he feels like he's nothing without her. And when he says your the one that I love and I'm saying goodbye means he loves her and he finally excepting that she's gone

  3. anonymous
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     Aug 23rd 2014 !⃝

    For me, this song is about my mother. She has been emotionally abusive all my life, and I have came to the realization that she has a mental disorder. I try and try for her to get help, and she won't. Despite telling her all of my feelings towards the issue and how upset it makes me, she is shut off. She won't take any of the blame for our strained relationship.I can't change her, she can only change if SHE wants and makes the initiative to change. Until that time, I've given up on a normal mother-daughter relationship.

  4. anonymous
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     Jul 31st 2014 !⃝

    Its obvious he's letting go of god

  5. anonymous
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     Jul 25th 2014 !⃝

    For me, this song is about giving up on love. It means letting go because we have no choice but to. It is about breaking a commitment. It also strongly defines itself as closing a door, a chapter, a spirit. It is a simple, yet heart wrenching tale. For each of us, the songs' interpretation will be unique, as it should be.

  6. annecaroline.moraisalves
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     Jul 23rd 2014 !⃝

    It talks about a relationship that's about to end,you're losing the person you love,and although you've tried everything and nothing seems to help .Unfortunately just one of them is striving to making it work,the other person doesn't seem to care.For the song is basically a pleading to the loved one,he or she proves that awful feeling when you notice your realatioship is hanging by a thread,and he or she feel desperated when both are weary of trying,then you see that willing to admit their faults(I'll swallow my pride)but all this pleading makes them feel really small,because they're begging the loved one to try to make it work together,and even so the love is running out little by little.

  7. anonymous
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     Jul 8th 2014 !⃝

    I think the key to understanding this song lies in the lyric "I will swallow my pride / You're the one that I love /
    And I'm saying goodbye"

    When you swallow your pride, generally that means that you are taking the first step in a standoff, and that you will take blame. A person who got dumped and is walking away doesn't swallow their pride. They are keeping their pride. But if the person who did the dumping decides they made a mistake, and the dumpee doesn't want him/her any more, they switch roles. By admitting it was a mistake, that's how someone would swallow their pride.

    I imagine a couple that broke up after a first love. The singer (he) broke up with the other one (her), I'm guessing because of a separation. He dumped her instead of talking about it and trying to keep things going. But he didn't get the reaction he expected. She walked away. He realizes he made a mistake, and now he knows it is too late. Now she won't give him the time of day, and he realizes he's actually the one who has been dumped.

    Many of the lyrics are the desperation of the breakup talking:

    SAY SOMETHING (she won't talk to him)

    I'm giving up on you (a threat at first, then a plea)

    I WILL be the one (changing his mind)

    I WOULD HAVE followed you (she didn't ask)

    I am feeling so small (ashamed for mistake)

    It was over my head (I didn't know what to do)

    I know nothing at all (poor me)

    I will stumble and fall (more mistakes)

    I'm still learning to love (first love)

    Just starting to crawl (first love)

    I'm sorry I couldn't get to you (couldn't make her understand)

    I will swallow my pride (admit failure and fault)

    You're the one that I love (not others)

    And I'm saying goodbye (recognition of too little too late)

    That constant note (BMaj) is like a single heartbeat that finally dies.

  8. anonymous
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     Jun 18th 2014 !⃝

    I believe with others have said about the song and its relatively to being in love with an addict. I have been married for 34 years (began dating him at 14), to an alcoholic. He is a wonderful, caring, intelligent and sexy man when he is sober. However, when he drinks, he is not. He is a closet drinker, so many people that know us are unaware of the multiple attempts at sobriety, and the lies and deception that our family has been dealing with. Last year, I came home from a business trip, to find him almost dead. I had to admit him to detox, and when he came out, he worked very hard at sobriety. Unfortunately it did not last. I only heard this song recently, and immediately upon hearing it, felt that it represents people like myself that have finally had enough and are making the difficult decision too give up. The "say something" was particularly relevant to me, as many drunks lose all sense of emotions and empathy and will blankly stare as you fall apart, and all you want is for them to "say something" and acknowledge your pain. For me "swallowing my pride" meant finally admitting to myself and the world that we were not this perfect couple that they had seen. Lastly, the learning to love, is actually when a enabling, codependent spouse, finally begins to focus on and love themselves.

  9. anonymous
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     Jun 4th 2014 !⃝

    A realisation. A knowledge of the end. Or, in the artist's mind anyway. 'Say something'; the breakup is happening, you are unaware, you should be, this too obvious for everyone. I love you but you don't see, why?
    I have two opinion, I love you but cannot do any thing about it. must let you go, must let you move on!

  10. anonymous
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     May 23rd 2014 !⃝

    I think it's about silent treatment and how damaging it can be. The victim has had enough and doesn't want to let go but will.
    Anybody who has gone through will understand.

  11. anonymous
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     May 6th 2014 !⃝

    I can relate to this song so much that its scary.
    I think alot of us can. This song is about letting go.
    "Say something im giving up on you"
    Pretty self explanatory
    "I'll be the one if you want me to" this line
    Is my favorite. Its so desperate. Saying that
    I will always be here if you want
    "Anywhere I wouldve followed you"
    I'd go anywhere because i love you

    One of my other favorite lines is "and i
    Will swallow my pride, you're the one that I love
    And im saying goodbye".
    This line is so beautiful. Saying, im gonna save myself
    Some embarrasment and hurt, and walk away even though I love you...
    Such a sad and desperate song. Its beautiful.

  12. anonymous
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     Apr 19th 2014 !⃝

    A horribly sad song that creates apathy from nothing. A true downer. Pathetic self pity turned into a tune. A perfect song to flip the atmosphere of any happy situation into a sad one.
    Already sad? Listen to this song and take a final. last step over the precipice of blackness.

  13. anonymous
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     Apr 15th 2014 !⃝

    My version is that he is singing to his lover who has depression or is deeply sad and something big happened to make them this way and this man is feeling guilty that he vannot seem to get through to her....

  14. anonymous
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     Apr 1st 2014 !⃝

    I think the music video is portraying different situations and scenarios where the song would fit in someone's life. Firstly, I think The little girl under the bed represents everyone's vulnerabilities. Everyone has something the fear;relationships ending or a loved one dying. However, I think the little girl could also represents children. I'm going to use the example of children in 'the system' (by this I mean foster care or waiting to be fostered) sometimes they can feel scared of what's going to come next, which may be why she's under the bed, and they are also alone (mostly) there by themselves, they have no-one to protect them for what's coming next all they can do is go in alone and scared and hope for the best. (sorry if this offends anyone, I really dont know much about foster care, just what I've picked up from tv really). Secondly, the woman who walks away from the man in the bed. I think this could represent the obvious one, a relationship coming to an end. I think by showing the man in bed asleep while the woman is awake that one of them is more involved then the other;the woman. She is being kept up at night worrying about her relationship and were its going. In her mind the guy clearly doesn't care, this is show by the fact that he is sound asleep while she is cleearly in distress. The woman is probably trying to think of ways the relationship could work and the man has already accepted that it's over and he has to move on. After alot of deliberation the woman gets up an leaves. This symbolizes her finally giving up and letting the relationship end even though she doesn't want too. Finally, the old couple. I think this represents the most emotional one of all, the love of your life getting ripped away from you. The old man clearly loves his wife, who is in a hospital bed dying. You can see that he is talking to her, maybe saying his final words to her after a life time of love. The line 'say something I'm giving up on you' could represent the old man's last plea to the women he has lo!ved all his life to stay with him. He is starting to accept that she is going to die but still holds on to that tiny bit of hope he has left. When she remains unresponsive he breaks down and starts to cry. This is because his final bit of hope was taking away from him. Near the end of the song they start to repeat 'say something' this could represent the man trying to hold on to his bit of hope until the moment she dies. Thanks for reading, it's just my opinion anyway sorry if I offended anyone and sorry for any mistakes(I'm on my phone you see).

  15. anonymous
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     Mar 31st 2014 !⃝

    This is a song with a double meaning. Firstly, and most obviously, it's about a relationship between a guy and a girl that isn't quite working out. The other meaning however, is deeply Christian and involves a spiritual battle between the singer and their relationship with God. See, God allows us to fall and struggle to see clearly the good that he provides. That struggle can be very tough for anyone and can make us want to give up on him. But God never gives up on us, even if we never love him or even believe in him. God loves us all.

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