I'm Still Here

I’m Still Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z-l9IUBOqM

I fell in love with this song the first second I heard it, and I could listen to it every day and never get tired of it. I originally heard it from the animated Disney movie Treasure Planet (2002), and the song I’m Still Here, from Treasure Planet’s soundtrack, and from then on it’s been cemented as one of my favorite songs (you’ve probably noticed I have a whole bunch of favorite songs). The song is the only single by John Rzeznik, the singer and guitarist of The Goo Goo Dolls, an American rock band formed in 1986.

The lyrics are very powerful for anyone who had ever felt insignificant to the world. The song explains the story of a young man trying to find his place in the world, yet constantly being pushed down. Just when he is about to give up, someone comes into his life and changes him completely. He finds himself, and he is finally able to face the world and say that “I’m Still Here.” It’s interesting to note that, though I assumed the person who changed his life was a girl, the song doesn’t specify anything about the person who helped him, showing that anyone can be a catalyst for change in someone’s life. As a Christian, I’ve had people that were male, female, family, and friends that have all helped me along the way to becoming a better person and impacting the world. Everyone wants to feel like that matter in the world, but in their own way. Rzeznik says that “I’ll never be what you want me to be,” because “they don’t know me.” He realizes though, that “they can’t break me as long as I know who I am,” which was powerful and moving to me.

The story begins with the man telling himself “I’m not here,” but he changes his life for the better. Hopefully, one day everyone will have a person in his or her life that can be that catalyst of change. Hope you liked the song, see you next week!

               

I’m Still Here Lyrics:

I am a question to the world
Not an answer to be heard
Or a moment
That's held in your arms

And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway
You don't know me
And I'll never be what you want me to be

And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man
You can't take me
And throw me away

And how can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

Chorus:
And I want a moment to be real
Wanna touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

And you see the things they never see
All you wanted I could be
Now you know me
And I'm not afraid

And I want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am

Chorus

They can't tell me who to be
Cause I'm not what they see
Yeah, the world is still sleepin while I keep on dreaming for me
And their words are just whispers and lies thatI'll never believe

Chorus

I'm the one now
Cause I'm still here
I'm the one
Cause I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here