☝️ Key Points
- The singer describes the despair and hopelessness after being left by a loved one.
- In the chorus, the inner conflict between the desire to forget the person and the fear of losing the memories of the time spent together is evident.
- In the second half of the song, the feeling of coldness and loneliness that the singer has been experiencing since the breakup comes to the fore.
- There is a sense of being lost in the love of the person and exhaustion from the situation described.
- Despite its apparent insignificance to the loved one, the singer cannot let go.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Bruises' by
Lewis Capaldi are about the deep sadness and confusion that a breakup or the end of a close relationship can bring. The first part of the song describes the despair and hopelessness the singer feels since his loved one left. Every breath feels wasted ('Since you left feels like a waste on me') and he desperately clings to the hope that the person will come back when they find inner peace ('That you'll come back when you can find some peace').
The chorus 'I've been told, I've been told to get you off my mind / But I hope I never lose the bruises that you left behind' shows the singer's inner conflict between wanting to forget the person and fearing to lose the memories of their time together - symbolized by the 'bruises' the person left behind.
In the second part of the song, the singer expresses the feeling of coldness and loneliness he has been experiencing since the breakup ('There must be something in the water / 'Cause everyday it's getting colder'). He wishes he could hold the loved one to keep from going under ('And if only I could hold you / You'd keep my head from going under').
The singer feels lost in the person's love ('It's your love I'm lost in') and is exhausted by the situation ('And I'm tired of being so exhausted'). Yet, he can't let go of the person, even though he is now meaningless to them ('Even though I'm nothing to you now').
Thus, the song 'Bruises' is an emotional portrayal of the difficulties and pain that a breakup or the end of a close relationship can bring.