Most anytime the radio comes on, something by Justin Bieber is played. This morning as I was listening to one of the most overplayed songs, "Sorry," I listened just a little bit closer and was utterly disturbed. If you just hear it without thinking about it, it seems like a really great message. The guy made a mistake and is trying profusely to apologize; that's all he wants. However, the song sends multiple incredibly wrong messages regarding mistake making as okay so long as there is an apology, making a female's body the primary thing that a guy notices, saying that sometimes one person's blame can be shared, and apologizing can only be done once given permission. And that's not even the half of it.
The song opens with this line:
You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty
The honesty is what will be appreciated. The fact that you are telling the truth is certainly the way to begin an apology, so good for you. But you also have to consider that the truth of what you have done absolutely can get a person angry at you. So please, do be honest, but expect an honest reaction back, too.
In the second verse, Bieber sings as follows:
Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness
I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice
By once or twice I mean maybe a couple a hundred times
I think Mr. Bieber here seems to think that "once or twice" and "a couple a hundred" mean the same thing. Hate to break it, but there is a pretty large difference. If he made these mistakes- whether the same or different each time- over and over again, why on earth does he deserve that "one more shot of forgiveness?" In later verses, he sings "'Cause I just need one more shot, second chances," but what I wonder is how many second chances have you already had? The word "shot" alone makes it seem like he's mindlessly about to ask for forgiveness, because if he was truly determined, he would've been sure he hit the target the first go around.
The chorus then says:
Is it too late now to say sorry?
'Cause I'm missing more than just your body, oh
Yes, Mr. Bieber, if you are just now realizing that you miss a your girl for who she is inside, not just her physical being, then yes, it is a too late to say sorry. Women are more that just a display for you to gawk at and appreciate for your own pleasure; you must love them not only what they look like on the outside, no matter any imperfections, but also for their entire inner self, personality, heart, soul, thoughts opinions, and more alike.
Next, it goes like this:
I'll take every single piece of the blame if you want me to
No, it's okay! You made the mistake, so let me share in the blame. That's how to successfully apologize! Not. Now, I don't know if the girl did anything that would be considered a mistake, so I'm not saying she is innocent. However, no one but you can take full blame and responsibility for your mistakes. "If you want me to" is a ridiculous statement, because it shouldn't even be an if. It should simply be "I'll take every single piece of the blame because it's the right thing to do."
These lyrics topped it all off:
I'm not just trying to get you back on me (oh, no, no)
'Cause I'm missing more than just your body (your body), oh
Oh, you're not just trying to get back "on" her? Good to know that you want her back for more than just your physical enjoyment.
The more I hear this song, the more I dislike it. If you make a mistake of any sort, say you're sorry, and do it without asking if you can first.
