If I could kill a word and watch it die
I’d poison never, shoot goodbye
Beat regret when I felt I had the nerve
I’d pound fear to a pile of sand
Choke lonely out with my bare hands
I’d hang hate so that it can’t be heard
If I could only kill a word
Yeah, I’d take brokenness out back
And break heartbreak, stand there and laugh
Right in its face while shootin’ it the bird
I’d put upset down in its place
I’d squeeze the life out of disgrace
Lay over under six cold feet of dirt
If I could only kill a word
Give me sticks, give stones
Bend my body, break my bones
Use staff and rod to turn me black and blue
‘Cause you can’t unhear, you can’t unsay
But if were up to me to change
I’d turn lies and hate to love and truth
If I could only kill a word
Kill a Word – Eric Church
Never. Goodbye. Regret. Fear. Lonely. Hate. Brokenness. Heartbreak. Upset. Disgrace.
As you listen to the lyrics of this song, you get the feeling that Eric Church is doing a deep purge of negativity in his life and relationships, summed up by that list of “words.” It’s almost as if he’s hoarded these things inside to the point where he can’t take it anymore. These might be labels he’s been given but certainly situations he’s experienced. But since they are dynamic, he’s determined to kill them off, once and for all.
My younger brother Marshall passed away a few years ago. His cause of death was kidney and liver failure brought on from years of alcoholism. His drinking and subsequent behavior damaged many of his relationships, even his with me for a time. Thankfully, we became much closer in his last few years, primarily after our dad passed away in 2016. I think we bonded over our shared experiences fearing our dad’s outbursts growing up. It was the first time we really talked about them.
We didn’t know it when he was a kid, but he had ADHD and probably some other learning disabilities. Because of this, he struggled in school and his teachers didn’t know what to do with him. He was the recipient of many negative labels such as hyper, out of control, unfocused, trouble, etc. Fortunately, my brother was skilled with his hands. He could fix most anything and spent his career doing maintenance at apartment complexes. My theory is that because of the labels and “words,” he had a hard time coping with challenges. Which led to his drinking, which led to well…
What labels and “words” are defining YOU today? What have you heard or experienced through the years that still impacts you?
Keep in mind that those labels and “words” were given by people who can’t possibly know the real YOU. If you let their words influence you, then they’ve won. And you lose.
Maybe this is the right time to “kill” some of those words. Ban them from your thoughts. Distance yourself from those who assign them to you. I often wonder what kind of man my brother would have been if he had been surrounded by positivity.
What kind of person will you be minus those labels and words? Maybe this is a good time to start finding the NEW you.