I think about how it might have been
We'd spend our days travelin'
It's not that I don't understand you
It's not that I don't want to be with you
But you only wanted me
The way you wanted me

So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
And we can hang our heads down as we skip the goodbyes
You can tell the world what you want them to hear
I've got nothing left to lose, my dear
So, I'm up for the little white lies
But you and I know the reason why
I'm gone, and you're still there

I'll buy a magazine searching for your face
From coast to coast, or whatever I find my place
I'll track you on the radio
And I'll sign your list in a different name
But as close as I come to you
It's not the same

So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back and say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
We can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I know the reason why
I'm gone, and you're still there

So, steal the show
And do your best to cover the tracks that I have left
I wish you well and hope you find whatever you're looking for
The way I might've changed my mind
But you only showed me the door

So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
We can pat ourselves on the back and say that we tried
And if one of us makes it big
We can spill our regrets
And talk about how the love never dies
But you and I know the reason why



Lyrics submitted by Eggos=yum

Track duration: 05:07

"The Reason Why" as written by Rachael Amanda Yamagata

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Reason Why song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:I agree with most of the things people have said but I think this song is about Rachael's ex-boyfriend James. They were in a band together in Chicago called Bumpus but Rachael ended up leaving because she was under-appreciated and she wanted to try some songs that were very different from the material the band usually played. From my understanding, they made fun of her for it. They didn't like her "sentimental" music and wanted her to keep doing their kind of music. Anyway, she and James broke up and Rachael went solo.

    So in reference to the song, they used to travel on the road while touring and could have continued to do so if they had stayed together. After breaking up, she used to look for him in magazines and would listen to them on the radio. Now James is the the lead singer (they used to sing together) so he'll steal the show and try to go back and cover the song tracks that featured Rachael. If either of them made it big, they could talk about their failed romance fondly.

    So while the song can be interpreted many different ways because Rachael made it open ended and threw in a lot of double meanings, this song to me is ultimately about the demise of her relationship with James.
    Flag LittleGreen5on January 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Memory:I recently lost a very, very dear friend of mine...not from sickness, but from her own pulling away...and while this song may be primarily be about a lost love situation, it honestly feels perfect in describing the situation. If we ever see each other again, I feel like it'll be different, and like that closeness will have been lost...it's a beautiful song. Tragic but beautiful.
    Flag Koalafaceon September 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"But you only wanted me the way you wanted me
    So, I will head out alone and hope for the best
    And we can hang our heads down as we skip the goodbyes
    You can tell the world what you want them to hear
    I've got nothing left to lose, my dear
    So, I'm up for the little white lies
    But you and I know the reason why
    I'm gone, and you're still there"

    Amazing lyrics. I can see how it's about her band, but it works for a relationship too. I like the positivity in it, like "say what you want to say, lie if you want to, but we both know the truth." Great stuff.
    Flag missmeon May 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with a lot of the comments above about a relationship coming to an end, whether it be business or personal. I just got the chance to see her live again and she never disappoints! During this song she asked the audience if there were any aspiring singers and had the few that shouted yes join her up on stage and sing the song with her :)
    Flag youaintright20on March 30, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It's definitely a band-breakup song. "Do your best to cover the tracks that I have left" is a cheeky play on words -- the band can keep playing her stuff, but it's just not the same (think Tony Fredianelli playing Kevin Cadogan's guitar parts).
    Flag Eamonon September 08, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this just sums up everything that people may feel when a relationship ends
    Flag honeyhoneyon April 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i saw her interviewed on something for the last kiss and this is actually about the break up of her band, but people were commenting that it's great because it can also be related to a relationship, although she wrote it about her band.
    Flag alternativemeaningon January 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is so great!!! I LOVE her voice!
    Flag ChloeGirldieon November 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't think this song is about a romantic relationship, but of course, everyone can have their own interpretations. Read more about Ms. Yamagata's story and it will make more sense to you. I think she wrote this for Bumpus, the group she used to work with.
    Flag paralumanon May 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:man, how wonderful is rachael yamagata?
    i'm a new fan (or should i say obsess-ee) and i think the reason i love her music so much is because of how personal it feels.
    in everything she writes, it feels like my own memior.
    the things i'm going through, the toiling emotions tugging at my heart, she writes songs about them.

    it's almost like she's a friend that sits down and simply listens to my hurts/fears/stories of my past and then masterfully puts them to music in the exact way i would if i had the talent.

    this song was the first i had heard from her. i absoutely love the picture it paints. i think it's about how honesty really comes out through the breakup rather than in the relationship. as pessimistic as it may sound, one of the only ways to really see the way he felt about you is to notice the way in which he reacts to your leaving. in the song, you see this girl that's been through this really very wonderful relationship and as she's leaving, for whatever reason, she realizes that he is almost unaffected and has to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't exactly genuine through the course of the relationship.

    five stars, rachael, five stars.
    Flag dizzystandingstillon March 25, 2007   Link

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