EPK - “It Never Is” Single
“It Never Is” is about failure, falling short, and the feeling of inadequacy that all human beings feel at some point in their lives.
The song started as a voice in the back of my head, when the band I played in since high school started heading down hill. Leaving the group was especially bittersweet, since every heartfelt lyric that I wrote and fans had connected with were never heard again after I left.
In every endeavor afterwards, I always had a taste of success but never a full bite. I auditioned for bands that never replied, changed their minds, or told me “you’re not the right style”. I worked with producers that broke their promises and never took me seriously. In my personal life, my relationship at the time was stressful and full of inequality and expectations. The disappointments continued to pile up, and I started to wonder if this was a string of bad luck, or if it was inherently my fault that nothing worked out, and who I am as a person was not compatible with this world.
Part of my outlook on life is a result of my sansei upbringing (3rd generation Japanese-American). And while I can’t be perfect (as the stereotype between Asian parents and their children goes), I made it a point to take responsibility for the projects that didn’t work and to find projects that would. This evolved into writing a song, changing my genre, working with the right people, and eventually turning a song about failure into success.
Enjoy, and sing along!
Lyrics
You want me to be somebody perfect
Someone born the way you imagined in your dreams
I probably shouldn’t be myself, tried once and it didn’t work out well
I’ve wished away this worthlessness but it doesn’t ever leave
I thought if I let it go long enough I’d be getting over it
Your words are still stuck in my head
Nobody, nobody hurts me like you do
Nobody, nobody’s ever good enough
All that I can do is lie awake in my room
I’m staring at the ceiling cause I’m thinking of you, hey
Gave it all I’ve got but it’s not enough
Yeah, it never is
You want this to be your happy ending
So caught up in yourself cause it's all about you
Better build your walls up high
Cause I’m out of patience and you’re out of time
And I’m tired of hearing “Nice try, but try again”
I thought if I let it go long enough I’d be getting over it
Your words are still stuck in my head
Nobody, nobody hurts me like you do
Nobody, nobody’s ever good enough
All that I can do is lie awake in my room
I’m staring at the ceiling cause I’m thinking of you, hey
Gave it all I’ve got but it’s not enough
Yeah, it never is
You want me to be somebody perfect
You want me to be somebody…
Never good enough
You want me to be somebody…
I thought if I let it go long enough I’d be getting over it
Your words are still stuck in my head
Nobody, nobody hurts me like you do
Nobody, nobody’s ever good enough
All that I can do is lie awake in my room
I’m staring at the ceiling cause I’m thinking of you, hey
Gave it all I’ve got but it’s not enough
Yeah, it never is