Day 21 - Love the Way You Lie

 

When I first heard this song, I refused to listen to it.  The chorus, which opens the song, told me all I needed to know: "just gonna stand there and watch me burn - that's alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry - that's alright because I love the way you lie."  Nothing about that sounded healthy or appealing.  It sounds like there is venom in this relationship, and the person singing has internalized it to the point that she likes the abuse (the lying and the anger/burning).  But, as is the case when listening to the radio, the song was everywhere, and eventually, I had to sit through it.  Admittedly, the creativity of the song is somewhat appealing, but the message of the song itself is problematic.  It seems to have the general ups and downs of any normal relationship, but they are explained in such extreme terms.  "It's so insane, cuz when it's going good, it's going great - I'm Superman with the wind at his back, she's Lois Lane. But when it's bad, it's awful."  He describes everything in this relationship from raging jealousy and violence to the infatuation at the beginning to passionate sex to just blind fury.  There is so much going on in this song that it's hard to really put a finger on it.  

One of the parts that stands out to me says, "But your temper's just as bad as mine is - you're the same as me. But when it comes to love, you're just as blinded."  This tells me the problem right here - 2 unhealthy people are in a relationship. They have anger issues and little idea what real love looks like.  I guess that's why he can say, "Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano."  And when 2 things that powerful and out of control come together, there is bound to be violence and injury.

Real love is not something that blinds - it illuminates. Love isn't about "You ever love somebody so much, you can barely breathe when you're with them? You meet and neither one of you even know what hit 'em- got that warm fuzzy feeling, yeah them chills, used to get 'em..." 

Be healthy before you enter a relationship.  And if your relationship looks anything like this one, then run and re-evaluate!