**Verse 1** I walk into a room And somehow feel the weather change Like every smile gets quieter The second that they say my name I watch the ones I love Carry anger in their eyes And my mind starts making evidence Out of every little sigh I count the slammed doors I count the tears I count the times I wasn’t what they needed And somehow every road Inside my head Comes back to me being the reason **Pre-Chorus** I know pain has a thousand causes I know life can bruise us all But when everybody’s hurting I still swear I hear the call **Chorus** Everyone hurts better without me That’s the sentence in my head Like I walk into their happiness And somehow make it heavier instead Like my love comes with a warning Like my arms are made of chains Like everybody I try to shelter Ends up standing in the rain I know that sounds like heartbreak talking But God, it sounds convincing when I’m weak Everyone hurts better without me At least that’s what the darkness says to me **Verse 2** I tried to be the safe place I tried to keep the monsters small Tried to catch three falling pieces With two shaking hands—that’s all But somebody always needs me When somebody else does too And whichever way I turn There’s someone I couldn’t get to So I replay their faces After everybody sleeps Turn every disappointment Into another thing I keep There’s a courtroom in my ribcage And I’m guilty every night Because somehow loving this much Still never seems to make it right **Pre-Chorus** I tell myself their anger Must be something that I made As if loving someone deeply Means protecting them from pain **Chorus** Everyone hurts better without me That’s the sentence in my head Like I walk into their happiness And somehow make it heavier instead Like my love comes with a warning Like my arms are made of chains Like everybody I try to shelter Ends up standing in the rain I know that sounds like heartbreak talking But God, it sounds convincing when I’m weak Everyone hurts better without me At least that’s what the darkness says to me **Bridge** Maybe I’m too much Maybe I’m not enough Somehow I manage to believe both at once Too loud when I’m breaking Too quiet when they need me Too tired, too scattered Too late, too needy And I hate that I need anything When they already need so much So I swallow every ache And apologize for taking up too much I make myself smaller I make myself thin Thinking maybe if there’s less of me There’ll be more room for them But the smaller that I make myself The louder that thought becomes— *Everybody would be lighter* *If you weren’t so hard to love* **Breakdown** Is that truth? Or is that pain? Is that me? Or just the rain? Because I can’t tell anymore Where guilt ends And I begin **Final Chorus** Everyone hurts better without me That’s the lie I know by heart It wears my voice, it knows my memories It knows exactly where to start It points at every angry moment Every promise that went wrong And whispers, *See? You’re the problem.* And some nights I sing along I’m not ready for a happy ending I’m not ready to call myself okay I just know the voice gets cruelest When I’ve carried too much weight So tonight I won’t call it truth Even if I can’t call it wrong I’ll just call it what it is— A hurting mind Trying to explain Why everything hurts so long **Outro** Everyone hurts better without me... That’s what the darkness says. And tonight I’m trying not to answer it.
