Easier on You by Michele Barton Thomas © (Original)

The first verse four lines of this song were inspired from an interaction I saw on facebook many years ago. A young woman, about 19, was expressing her feelings and obviously struggling with some deep stuff. The replies to her were mostly people trying to be understanding and encouraging even if it was with trite sayings and platitudes. But one reply was from a middle-aged woman who dismissed her feelings and told her she is young and pretty and has her whole life ahead of her and that she has nothing to be sad about. I got a little angry when I saw that. That interaction spurred on this whole song. It was easy to let it roll after I got the first four lines down.

Some of us are more melancholy than others (we’re just wired that way) and this is my attempt at trying to explain this to a personality type who is not like this or those people who bury things down inside themselves and run from things maybe they should face. I think the rawness and intensity of us melancholy types can be very unsettling for some people and they get concerned about us and it’s hard on them knowing someone they care about is “so miserable” (as I’ve been told I am even at times when I wasn’t) and if they didn’t know this or have to watch us “be miserable” it would be easier on them. But then we’d have to change our personality and that ain’t happening!

I know us melancholy types can be exhausting for non-melancholy types to deal with but I assure you, that positive, enthusiastic, talkative, energetic people are exhausting for us melancholy types to deal with as well.

Easier on You

Just because I’m young, it don’t mean nothing
I got thoughts in my head so dark and deep
You think I should just deny some of my feelings
‘Cause I’m pretty with my whole life ahead of me

But you don’t know the things I’ve seen
You don’t know the things I’ve heard
Or the way that I was wired from the moment of my birth
You want me to fake my smile, and live life all in denial
But I don’t ever wanna live a lie
But it’ll make it easier on you if I comply

These words that I speak make you uneasy
You want superficial talk out of my mouth
And not worry myself with all life’s problems
You don’t think I should ever wear a frown

But you don’t know the things I’ve done
You don’t know what was done to me
The battles I have lost and won and the emotional debris
You want me to play a role and put on a pleasant show
You tell me, honey, just come on and please try
So it’ll be easier on you if I comply

You tell me I shouldn’t feel the way I do
And you cringe when you see this side of me
Well that’s life, the way it is, the way I am
I don’t ever want to deny reality

Oh, you don’t know the cross I bear
And that I have got no choice
But to live all too aware of this nagging inner voice
You want me to play a game and ignore all of the pain
You want me to turn a blind eye
To make it easier on you if I comply

Please don’t worry, there are times when I am happy
I might even seem to be somewhat carefree
But even then there is always a sea of darkness
Churning deep down in the depths of inside of me

There’s so much more that I could tell you
But I don’t think you want to know
All that goes on in my mind and the longing of my soul
You want me to play a part and deny what’s in my heart
You don’t ever want me to heave a sigh
And it’ll make it easier on you if I comply

Oh, I know this may disturb you
And you cannot understand
But please don’t try to change me or make any demands
You want me to shut it down and then turn it all around
But if I can’t be myself, I’ll die inside
I can’t make it easier on you, I won’t comply

Written by Michele Thomas © 2023

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