Comments: 5

• Crystal C. from TexasThe last three lines in the second verse - I know, I've heard that to let your feelings show/It's the only way to make friendships grow/But I'm too afraid now. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who sees it
• Maya from VaThank you Dan, I thought the whole world had caught the zombie mindless for a second there. She flat out says, “fool this town”, “tell you what you want to hear” (lying), hides her tears, puts on “armor” (self-aware about her mask). I agree with you, one of her best heart-wrenching songs of not being truly seen, “you’ll never see”, “I’m too afraid”, because she’s soooo powerfully hiding the pain. Maybe it takes one to know one, and even her song fools everyone. That “empowering” chorus, she’s being ironic.
• Dan from MassachusettsDavidm is right. This isn't an empowerment song, it's a cry for help. The song is in F# minor, and in the chorus drops to the VI chord, D major, giving a burst of hope and then to A as the dominant V/VI chord (e.g. "I'm a Porsche with no brakes, I'm invincible"), but then it goes to very tense C# minor and back to the sad F# minor. Coming from the minor key verses, it creates an arc of someone trying to brighten up, rising to a peak, and then stumbling and falling back into a minor key - i.e. depression.
  
  This is also paralleled in the bridge sections ("I put my armor on, show you how strong I am; I put my armor on, I'll show you that I am") - the progression is D major, rising to E major, but then collapsing back to C# minor and returning to D major. This isn't a strong, armored line, but one that's trying to convince itself it's strong. It's also there in the lyrics - note the change between "show you *how strong* I am", and "show you *that I am*." The former is a challenge or a declaration... The latter is a hope that she'll be seen *at all*.
  
  Put together, this is a heartbreaking song, as are many of Sia's best works. This is a "go curl up sobbing in the corner" type of song, done masterfully.
• Donna Lee from Bc CanadaAbsolutely agree w Davidm
• Davidm from VirginiaNot to disagree, but I'm totally gonna. Song's refrain is totally empowering, great run music. However, read the full lyrics, listen to the slower parts and even look at the album cover: "This is acting". The song's not about empowerment, it's about the front she puts on while inside she's feeling alone, powerless, unheard and in pain. No one seems to know HER and she's even having problems building friendships because she's afraid to show the real her. So she puts her armor on and lives this false front day and night, meanwhile, pain. Song's quite possibly about one of those people who suicide while everyone around them is like "She was such a strong person, had everything going for her, it's always the quiet ones."
  
  I've a teen daughter who's awesomesauce, and this song made me pay more attention to her to make sure that she's got what she needs for the inner HER. Listening even random thoughts and ideas, being with her during study even if I'm not helping (she's smarter than I) just so she knows she's not alone, making sure she knows that absolutely nothing she says could possibly make me love her less. No issue, I really was already there for her, but it made me double-check. Sia, thank you!

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