I was a girl you were "the man"
I was too young to understand
I was naive I just believed everything that you told me
Said you were strong, protecting me
Then I found out that you were weak
Keeping me there under your thumb
Cause you were scared that I'd become much
More than you could handle
Shining like a chandelier
That decorated every room inside the private
Hell we built and I dealt with it
Like a kid I wished I could fly away but instead !

Kept my tears inside cause I knew if I
started I'd keep cryin' for the rest of my
Life with you I finally built up the strength
To walk away don't regret it
But I still live with the side effects

Wakin' up scared some nights
Still dreaming 'bout the violent times
Still a little protective 'bout the people that I let inside
Still a little defensive thinking
Folks be tryin' to run my life
Still a little depressed inside I fake a smile
And deal with the side effects

Side effects
Side effects
Side effects

Vacant inside, no one was there
Couldn't be real, had to keep quiet
Once in a while put up a fight it's just too much
Night after night
After a while I would just lie
You were dead wrong said you were right
Did what I could just to survive

Couldn't belive this was my life
Flickering like a candle
Doing my best to handle
Sleeping with the enemy aware that he was smothering
Every last part of me
So I broke away and finally found the strength to breathe

Kept my tears inside cause I knew if I
started I'd keep cryin' for the rest of my
Life with you I finally built up the strength
To walk away don't regret it
But I still live with the side effects

Wakin' up scared some nights
Still dreaming 'bout the violent times
Still a little protective 'bout the people that I let inside
Still a little defensive thinking
Folks be tryin' to run my life
Still a little depressed inside I fake a smile
And deal with the side effects

Side effects
Side effects
Side effects