I heard you on the phone, I had you in mind
I've been on the run since you walked through the hallway
Heard it all before, I don't even mind
I'll do anything, pull me in and I'm far away
[Pre-Chorus]
You're right there
But I won't say that I'm standin', I'm right here
When I see you, I panic
So scared of the way it might pan out
[Chorus]
Well, I don't want to say that this was all it was
Tryin' not to stay, but that just made it worse
I've been keepin' my distance
Well, I just wanna know what you're thinkin'
I just can't explain the way it hurts
Now that what we had is gone
I don't have the words
I'm so bad at playin' along
Savin' my feelings
I've been keepin' my distance
[Verse 2]
I talked about it last night, thought I was fine
Helped you pack your things, put your bags in the hallway
Maybе in a past life, problems aside
Wе could make it home, I'd hear you when you're callin'
You're right there, yeah
But I won't say that I'm standin', I'm right here
When I see you, I panic
So scared of the way it might pan out
[Chorus]
Well, I don't want to say that this was all it was
Tryin' not to stay, but that just made it worse
I've been keepin' my distance
Well, I just wanna know what you're thinkin'
I just can't explain the way it hurts
Now that what we had is gone
I don't have the words
I'm so bad at playin' along
Savin' my feelings
I've been keepin' my distance
[Bridge]
I've been feelin' so high on the way down
Hope I get another chance, 'cause I know I wouldn't
Wouldn't let you pass by, wouldn't even think twice
Let you out of my mind, I don't even know why
I've been feelin' so high on the way down
Said you treated me bad, 'cause you know I couldn't
Mmm, you know I couldn't
Well, I don't want to say that this was all it was
Tryin' not to stay, but that just made it worse
I've been keepin' my distance
I just wanna know what you're thinkin'
I just can't explain the way it hurts
Now that what we had is gone
I don't have the words
I'm so bad at playin' along
Savin' my feelings
I've been keepin' my distance
About
‘distance’ talks about the troubles of trying to avoid somebody who you’ve completely cut ties with. During these troubles, there are also Man vs. Himself conflicts, such as trying to find the right things to say, what exactly to think.
‘distance’ is about trying to get over that one special person.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
With this song I was actually writing a lot from Sarah’s perspective. I don’t really want to dox her relationship problems but it was an exploration of that department of a relationship where distance is healthy for that certain situation. When I wrote that track I always knew it was going to be a really stripped back song with just a guitar, hand claps and maybe some ambient stuff in the background. […] I was happy that we kept it really similar to how it was when I first wrote it, which is so different to the others song as they are so different to their original versions.
– Ruel via ThomasBleach
- 2.distance
- 3.courage
- 4.say it over
