"Gravity" by Sara Bareilles

12.15.2009

I was listening to the radio and I came across the song Gravity by Sara Bareilles. Besides being a beautiful song, the lyrics really stood out to me. In talking with teens, I always hear the myth that if they experienced abuse, they would just leave and wouldn’t return. I find that most people don’t understand how difficult it is to leave an abusive partner and stay away. In the song Gravity, I think that Bareilles gives a haunting and heartbreaking depiction of how difficult it is to leave a bad relationship. Check out the song and lyrics in the video below.



Throughout the song, Bareilles talks about the difficulties that she has leaving the relationship, and once she does leave, staying away. She states how her partner “holds her without touch or chains,” and how she would love to bask in her partner’s love without feeling their rain. I think that this one line defines dating and domestic abuse relationships perfectly. In abusive relationships, the abused partner doesn’t necessarily want to leave the relationship; they just want the abuse to stop. And because their dating partner may not always be abusive, sometimes they feel the good times overshadow the bad.

The song continues on with Bareilles begging to be left alone, stating that she doesn’t “want to fall another moment into [their] gravity” and that she is getting stronger, but they keep trying to keep her down. She goes on, continuing to speak about the difficulties of leaving and staying away.

This song is kind of sad because the ending is never resolved. The song ends right where it began, with her stating that "something always brings me back to you." While it is sad, it really speaks to the difficulties that barriers create. What would you do if you were still in love with your abuser, if you had no one to turn to for help, if you partner threatened to kill you or them if you left, if you had no money, no job, or anywhere to go? These are just a few of the barriers to leaving; there are many, many more. Listen to the song and try to put yourself in the abused partner’s shoes. As a society we need to try to have some empathy and stop being so judgmental. Figure out ways to help a survivor of abuse instead of looking down on them for staying in a relationship that is not healthy, because leaving looks much easier when viewing it from the outside.

What are your thoughts? Do you like the song? How did it make you feel?