"Why Me, Specifically?" is a song about racism that I wrote last year during quarantine/lockdown, right after the death of George Floyd. Seeing the amount of hatred those cops had towards him solely because he wasn't the same skin color as them resonated with me.
During my first two years of high school, there was this boy who bullied me. At the time, it never occurred to me that racism could've been the reason why he decided to do it, but it recently became clear. Reflecting back on those days, I remember being scared for my life every time that I saw him in the hallways. I never understood why he bullied me. I never talked bad about him, and I never did anything to him, his friends, or his family. I was the nice girl in high school, so I thought that it might've just been because I was really short. But why would someone have SO much hatred towards me solely because I wasn't the same height as other high schoolers? That just doesn't seem to be a valid reason as to why he had THAT amount of hatred towards me. I wanted to fight back, but I was scared that he would've hurt me if I did. He had so much rage against me, that I was afraid he would've translated it into physically hurting me if I were to have approached him. So, instead, I just let it happen. And to this day, I am still scared of him.
If you have experienced racism, this song is for you. But more specifically, for my Asian viewers: I encourage you to share your story. Hatred towards Asians has never been more prevalent, and our stories have never been more relevant. Every story needs to be heard, because we do not deserve to have the stories that we have.
VERSE 1: I don't know what I did for you to treat me like this I never went after you or your loved ones I just stayed in my lane, no matter how many times you crossed the line
CHORUS: No matter what I do can never please you It seems like you'll always hate me Tell me, what is it about me But No matter what I do can never please you It seems like you'll always hate me Tell me, what is it about me Do you not like my height Do you not like that I'm shy That I'm insecure, and you don't know what for Or maybe it's my skin color, cause it's not the same as yours
VERSE 2: I never had anything against you Yet you still had this rage built in you I know I didn't build it for you Cause you had no reason to have all this anger towards me specifically Cause I never hurt you, your friends, or your family but you had this anger towards me specifically but I never hurt you, your friends, or your family But
CHORUS: No matter what I do can never please you It seems like you'll always hate me Tell me, what is it about me But No matter what I do can never please you It seems like you'll always hate me Tell me, what is it about me Do you not like my height Do you not like that I'm shy That I'm insecure, and you don't know what for Or maybe it's my skin color, cause it's not the same as yours
BRIDGE: But don't you see You're the cause to my insecurities I wouldn't be like this if it weren't for the way you treat me And what is it for? To let all your anger out on me? But why me specifically? And don't you see You're the one picking the fights But I don't do anything, cause I know what's right But what's it far? Why do you let all your anger out on me? And why me specifically?
CHORUS 2: Do you not like my height Do you not like that I'm shy That I'm insecure, and you don't know what far Or maybe it's my skin color, cause it's not the same as yours
OUTRO: But don't you see You're the cause to my insecurities I wouldn't be like this if it weren't for the way you treat me And what is it for? To let all your anger out on me? But why me specifically? And don't you see You're the one picking the fights But I don't do anything, cause I know what's right But what's it far? Why do you let all your anger out on me? And why me specifically?
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