If I Leave Lyrics
[Chorus]
If I leave, somebody else will love you
But nobody else could forgive me
Quite as often as you
[Verse 1]
No one on this street knows
No one in this mall knows
No one in this bar knows
And none of my friends know
Surely, none of my colleagues
Nor do my family
[Chorus]
If I leave, somebody else will find you
But nobody else could see me
Quite as clearly as you (You, you)
Only you know, I've let only you know
[Bridge]
How I ride through a tunnel
And it's dark the whole way
I ride through a tunnel
It's been dark the whole way
I ride through a tunnеl
It's still dark the whole way
[Verse 2]
I couldn't lose you
How could I losе you?
I couldn't lose you
[Chorus]
For if I lost it, somebody else will cheer you
But who else could love me
Quite as kindly as you?
Who could love me
Quite as kindly as you?
[Outro]
You?
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If I Leave Song Meaning [Mitski]
“If I Leave” is a 2026 pop ballad by Mitski from the album "Nothing’s About to Happen to Me", produced by longtime collaborator Patrick Hyland and released via Dead Oceans. The track continues her tradition of intimate confessionals, pairing sparse imagery with emotional vulnerability to examine the fear of being truly known and the quiet terror of losing the one person who understands you.
Song Meaning
The opening movement frames love as an exchange of irreplaceable roles rather than possession. The narrator believes their partner could easily find someone new, yet what cannot be replaced is the rare forgiveness and acceptance they receive. It establishes a dynamic where the relationship’s value lies not in romance alone but in emotional refuge.
The next passage widens the lens to isolation within everyday spaces. Surrounded by strangers, acquaintances, and even family, the narrator feels fundamentally unseen. This contrast highlights the partner as the sole witness to their authentic self, suggesting that intimacy here is less about passion and more about recognition.
When the perspective returns to the chorus idea, the emphasis shifts from forgiveness to perception. Being “seen clearly” becomes the emotional currency of the relationship. Mitski often explores the anxiety of exposure, and here the fear is not judgment but losing the one person capable of understanding the hidden self.
The bridge’s tunnel imagery deepens the psychological landscape. Movement through darkness without visible exit evokes depression, burnout, or the numb endurance of modern life. The repetition suggests a cycle rather than a journey, implying that the partner’s presence may be the only light guiding the narrator forward.
In the final sections, desperation surfaces. The possibility of separation triggers panic not because the partner would suffer, but because the narrator would lose the kindness directed toward them. It reveals a fragile self-worth dependent on external compassion, a recurring motif in Mitski’s writing.
Emotional Core and Themes
The song explores emotional dependency, the longing to be understood, and the fear that love is conditional on being tolerated rather than cherished. It portrays intimacy as mutual survival — one person offers clarity and forgiveness, the other offers devotion born from vulnerability.
Connection with Listeners
Listeners may recognize the quiet dread of losing the person who knows them beyond social masks. The song resonates with anyone who has felt invisible in public yet exposed in private, capturing the paradox of wanting to be seen while fearing abandonment.
Conclusion
“If I Leave” stands as a stark meditation on being known at your most unguarded. Rather than dramatizing heartbreak, it lingers in the uneasy space where love feels both lifesaving and precarious — a portrait of connection that is as comforting as it is terrifying.
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Song Details
Song Name: If I Leave
Artist: Mitski
Album: Nothing’s About to Happen to Me
Lyricist: Mitski
Producers: Patrick Hyland
Genre: Pop
Language: English
Label: Dead Oceans
Released: February 27, 2026
External Links
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• Spotify
[Disclaimer: Lyrics are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All rights belong to the original owners.]
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