I Try - Macy Gray - Lyrics Meaning

Macy Gray's "I Try" was her break out single, and allowed the singer to earn radio play and credibility in the marketplace. The song seems to exude a charming innocence. It also makes the most of Grey's unusual vocals, with the gritty tones contributing to the assumed emotionality of the piece.

The song is typically interpreted in one of two ways. Some people interpret it as a simple good bye song, with an underlying sentiment of "parting is such sweet sorrow". Others assume that the song is about a relationship that just won't end, with repeated break ups and make ups as the two parties can't seem to make a clean break from each other.

However, the song can also be interpreted as a testimony to Gray's relationship with her music and stardom. When "I Try" debuted, she was a 30 year old single mother of three who had been trying for years to make a living with her music. Encouraged to try other paths, she could never walk away from the power and draw of the life of a recording artist. Although she frequently tried to have another life, she fortunately always choked and came back to the music.