Quotations are the lyrics for “The Good Parts” by Andy Grammer.

I’m sorry if I seem impatient
I’m not a fan of pleasantries
See, I get bored with the weather and what’s in the news
The topics we all hide beneath

Small talk is not a strong suite of mine. It makes me awkward. I don’t like to talk about the news at all, because I don’t watch it (it’s always so dang negative). The weather is the weather, and boring to talk about – I also love pretty much all weather to some degree, while most people want to complain about it.

Could not care less about your day job
The gossip or ordinary stress
See, every relationship I’ve ever loved
It starts when someone says

Gossip bothers me, immensely. After being bullied relentlessly as a child (and even into early adulthood), I know how vile gossip can get. Lies spread like wildfire, and the truth is meek and slow to spread. Don’t gossip to me. Period.

Show me where it hurts and give me something real
And lead me to the part of you that never really heals
And say the words that burn when they leave your mouth
Tell me your story, but don’t leave the good parts out

And tell me all about your failures
The little things that make you cry
And tell me the acts that you preach but cannot seem to practice
That leave you compromised

I crave connection. I do not want to hear the frivolous, I want to hear the deep and raw. I want emotion, I want deep connection. I want your soul to reach out to mine and connect on a deeper level.

Show me where it hurts and give me something real
And lead me to the part of you that never really heals
And say the words that burn when they leave your mouth
Tell me your story, but don’t leave the good parts out

I’ve seen your trophies, your highlight reels
You know I would love you still if you lost it all
And I love the castle that you have built
But I am asking still to let down the walls

I want a connection. Your failures, your triumphs, your secrets. Walls keep people from connecting, please don’t put them up around me. Even if we just met, I genuinely care and want to know who you truly are as a person. Can’t you see my soul reaching for yours?

Show me where it hurts and give me something real
And lead me to the part of you that never really heals
And say the words that burn when they leave your mouth
Tell me your story
And show me where it hurts, yeah
Oh, to the part of you that never really heals
And show me where it hurts, woah
Tell me your story
But don’t leave the good parts out
Don’t leave the good parts out

Please don’t shut me out. Talk to me, truly talk. I want to know what you think, what you feel, who you are. I want to know what scares you, and why. I want to know what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, what makes you tremble. Show me who you are as a person. Show me your soul, and I’ll show you mine.

Connect with me. Raw, real, emotional. Humans are complex. The complexities are what make us human, what makes us different, what makes us unique. Tear down the walls and you’ll see how much we have in common, how our fears are mirrored on the souls of others. You’ll see the emotions of your soul mirrored in the hundreds of eyes around you, and suddenly, we’re all the same. Different, but gloriously the same.

You’re never alone. See the souls reaching out, and let yours reach back.