Make me lie, when I don’t want to/
And make someone else some kind of an unknowin’ fool.

“The Weakness in Me” by Joan Armatrading is a heartbreaking, personal song that you probably have not heard. Armatrading’s sound (in this song at least) is similar to Tracy Chapman, but she never got the airplay or the accolades that Chapman did. This song preceded Chapman’s and ranks higher than any of her songs, though Chapman’s catalog overall is better.

 

“The Weakness in Me” tells the story of a woman in a relationship who meets someone while she is currently in love. Her current lover loves her, why would she look twice at anyone else? But she begins to fall for the new lover. We hear her struggle to keep the new love at bay. It is so hard. The physical chemistry is undeniable. It begins to complicate her life. Is she weak? Does her new lover feel this way about her too?

By the end of the song we know what decision she will probably end up making, though she doesn’t outright say it. If this is at all autobiographical, I don’t think it would go well if she didn’t breakup with the old love and move to the new one. That would make for an awkward record-listening release party.

The song is kind of jazz-ish, in both her vocal, and the heavy use of bass and piano. The bass plays a big part in creating the sound of this song. Her vocal is amazing. Notice that she doesn’t belt out any notes in an attempt for emphasis. We already hear the emotion in her words right from the beginning of the song. The lyrics are great. The words she chooses can be unexpected at times and she is able to convey a lot of thoughts in a few words. (see above).

The Weakness In Me Lyrics

I’m not the sort of person who falls
In and quickly out of love.
But to you I gave my affection,
Right from the start.

I have a lover who loves me-
How could I break such a heart?
Yet still you gained my attention.

Why do you come here,
When you know I’ve got troubles enough?
Why do you call me,
When you know I can’t answer the phone?

Make me lie, when I don’t want to,
And make someone else some kind of an unknowin’ fool.
You make me stare, when I should not,
Are you so strong or is all the weakness in me?

Why do you come here,
And pretend to be just passing by?
But I need to see you,
And I mean to hold you
Tightly.

Feeling guilty, worried,
Waking from tormented sleep.
This old love has me bound,
But this new love cuts deep.

If I choose now, I’ll lose out;
One of you has to fall.
But I need you, and you…

Why do you come here,
When you know I’ve got troubles enough?
Why do you call me,
When you know I can’t answer the phone?

Make me lie, when I don’t want to,
And make someone else some kind of an unknowin’ fool
You make me stare, when I should not,
Are you so strong or is all the weakness in me?

Why do you come here,
And pretend to be just passing by?
But I need to see you,
And I mean to hold you
Tightly.

written by Joan Armatrading