Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: psych-rock
Song Meaning of “All I Can” by Sharon Van Etten
‘All I Can’ by Sharon Van Etten is a song about coming to terms with our own limitations. It captures the difficulty of recognizing that sometimes we can’t do all we set out to do, and the process of trying to accept that. The lyrics allude to feeling defeated and frustrated at not being able to accomplish our goals, regardless of the amount of effort and work we put in. Through the chorus, she refers to this feeling of being overwhelmed, singing “all I can do is try”. It is Van Etten’s hope that, with acceptance and humility, she can endure this trying experience and come out a stronger person on the other side. The message here is to never give up hope and, in the midst of failure and disappointment, to always remain open to learning and growing.