I tried to be perfect
But nothing was worth it
I don't believe it makes me real
I thought it'd be easy
But no one believes me
I meant all the things I said

If you believe it's in my soul
I'd say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I'm trying to let you know
That I'm better off on my own

This place is so empty
My thoughts are so tempting
I don't know how it got so bad
Sometimes it's so crazy that nothing can save me
But it's the only thing that I have

If you believe it's in my soul
I'd say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I'm trying to let you know
That I'm better off on my own

(On my own)

I tried to be perfect
It just wasn't worth it
Nothing could ever be so wrong
It's hard to believe me
It never gets easy
I guess I knew that all along

If you believe it's in my soul
I'd say all the words that I know
Just to see if it would show
That I'm trying to let you know
That I'm better off on my own


Lyrics submitted by Aerion, edited by accurate

Pieces Lyrics as written by Deryck Jason Whibley Deryck Whibley

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Pieces song meanings
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191 Comments

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  • +7
    General Comment

    I believe that this song shows a deep struggle on the inside. You try to fit in, you try to be perfect, you try to be someone you are not. But you come to a point where you have to realize, that its just not worth it, and that in fact all these outside influences do nothing for you, and they just hurt you.

    Thus making you better off on your own.

    Musashidenon November 30, 2004   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    This song IS NOT about a girl or a breakup or anything like that. This song is about depression. It's about falling into that black hole that you can'tpull yourself out of no matter how hard you try. It's about trying to please everyone and lying to do it to the point where all your lies fall in on themselves and you've got nothing left but your own suicidal thoughts. It's about the thoughts of suicide and constant feelings of worthlessness getting worse and worse and you don't know what you can do about it. It's about realizing that people are better off without you in their lives because you will only bring them down. It's about realizing that it isn't even worth it anymore - no matter what you do, you'll always be this way. It's about suicide looking like a more appealing option every day. I don't expect every person reading this to understand it because I know that they can't understand it. That state of hopelessness, the constant thoughts of suicide... depression is something that a person can only understand if they've been through it themself. I am bipolar. I have days where I can't even get out of bed. Being this way gives me an insight into the world that people who aren't like me don't have. This song means a lot to me because I understand it - it relates to the world I'm forced to exist in. Anyone wanting to talk to me can IM me on my AIM screen name at Kerberos375.

    Chrisbrl88on May 29, 2005   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I really wish that everyone would stop looking at this song from the view point of a relationship, because to be honest, there is no reference ANYWHERE, not even in the video that it's about that. If it means it like that for you, then fine, but I really doubt it has anything to do with a relationship.

    Personally, I think it has a lot to do with alienation, depression, and like someone else said not being able to fit in. Sometimes trying to explain yourself to someone else means absolutely nothing, your thoughts mean shit and no one believes you. It gets to a point where you feel like you're better off alone, and you feel like you can handle it all because in the end no one gives a shit.

    xpwoppaon September 25, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I think this song is about someone dealing with depression/suicidal thoughts!

    "I tried to be perfect but nothing was worth it" They tried so hard to be perfect and everything everyone wanted them to be but it was never enough. "I thought it'd be easy but no one believes me I meant all the things I said" They told someone how they were feeling but no one believed them. They thought it was for attention but they meant it all.

    "If you believe it's in my soul I'd say all the words that I know" If they just believed him, he'd tell them everything. He'd try and get help.

    "Just to see if it wouldn't show That I'm trying to let you know That I'm better off on my own" He's crying out for help, he wants it desperately but no one helped and he gave up hoping someone would. He realized he was better off on his own.

    "This place is so empty My thoughts are so tempting" No ones there for him and his suicidal thoughts are so tempting

    "I don't know how it got so bad Sometimes it's so crazy But nothing can save me But it's the only thing that I have" He doesn't know how he got to place, that everything is so messed up and he's so sad and alone. He's so far gone that he thinks nothing can save him. All he has his is thoughts.

    I feel like I can relate to this song so much. It has such meaning and I feel like a lot of teen can relate! Fantastic song!

    fallingpieceson April 22, 2011   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    OK, this may sound crazy to any other outsider, but doesn't this song remind anyone of eating disorders? As an eating disordered person, I can fully relate to this song. "I tried to be perfect" very obvious. "But nothing was worth it," it is about coming to your senses and realizing it is not worth losing your health, your friends, people's trust and more. "I don't believe it makes me real." the unrealistic goals you force yourself to reach. "I thought it'd be easy, But no one believes me, I meant all the things I said." you think you can reach out to people and ask for help, but eating disorders are seen as simply extreme dieting or/and attention seeking, so you are ignored and judged, and left alone once again.

    "If you believe it's in my soul, I'd say all the words that I know, Just to see if it would show, That I'm trying to let you know, That I'm better off on my own." This whole verse explains the disordered's dilemma:once you find someone who believes you and will try to help you, you cannot part from the eating disorder, so you have to push them away. You lie and cheat and do things you don't expect from yourself and eventually are left alone, 'as you wanted'

    "This place is so empty, My thoughts are so tempting," perfect explanation of how when you are alone, you sink even deeper in your despair and disordered thoughts become too prominent. "I don't know how it got so bad." eating disorders start simple and innocent, and spiral out of control:they consume you before you even figure out what's wrong with you. "Sometimes it's so crazy, That nothing can save me," it is about the frustration that comes from not being able to recover. Nothing's working, you're still sick, it's killing you. "But it's the only thing that I have." eating disorders have the tendency to arise as a replacement of something missing:lack of care and love, lack of control you have over your life, etc...

    I tried to be perfect, It just wasn't worth it, "Nothing could ever be so wrong." it is very unnatural to your body to starve it, or force it's food back up, or force more food into it than it can handle, and more. It is unnatural to your mind, too. It's just wrong, abusing one of the main things you need to stay alive. "It's hard to believe me," explains how we DO know it's hard to understand, believe that this is an actual problem:one that can kill you. But it is. "It never gets easy, I guess I knew that all along." complete, full recovery from eating disorders are rare, (recovery is possible, but not completely) and you know this, you know that something that is taking over your life so harsh will never completely go away.

    This song is so close to my heart. It sums up everything so perfectly. And it makes me feel a bit less alone.

    CherrySnowon June 19, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i can so relate to this song. :\

    spnyon October 13, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    well... you try so hard to fit in and be what everyone, or someone, wants you to be... until you realize that now you're something totally fake, and it's not worth it @ all... and if being alone is the only way you can be yourself, then you're better off on your own. yes, no? i don't know but this is an awesome song. i love it, like no other.

    letxmex0utx829on January 17, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Does anyone else think the second verse of this song sound like he's thinking of suicide "This place is so empty. My thoughts are so tempting. I don't know how it got so bad. Sometimes it's so crazy but nothing can save me but it's the only thing that I have."

    I dunno, maybe it just me.

    J_ession January 23, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The lyrics make me think he's talking to his parents.

    scarletblue16on December 29, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    To me this is a kid's song to their parents. Parents are always trying to mold their kids to their own tastes, what they want them to be, without any regard for what the kid wants. The kid tried to be their parents' idea of perfect, but that just isn't how they are, and it didn't work for them. So, they're telling their parents that they' can't go on living the lives their parents planned for them, and that they're better off doing what they want, even if it isn't so great.

    BlinkBullet71on July 23, 2007   Link

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