A Parent's Mistake: Because Of You By Kelly Clarkson

A Parent’s Mistake: Kelly Clarkson “Because of You” Every child deserves to grow up with the commitment of two loving parents. The despairing truth reveals that not every child is blessed with the guidance of respectful guardians. Kelly Clarkson acknowledges the hardship of not having a stable family life as a younger girl and the continuing effects that follow her into her own family life. In the video “Because of You”, Kelly presents the allegation that a parent’s attitude towards their significant other and child has a lasting negativity, along with limited positivity, that will affect the child’s future relationships and mindset. Kelly presents the struggles and hardships she has faced throughout her life because of the neglect from …show more content…
Kelly not only blames her father for the heartbreak she feels in her adult life, but she accuses her mom of not paying attention to the anguish she was experiencing from all the fighting. Kelly sings, “You just saw your pain and now I cry in the middle of the night for the same damn thing” (Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You”). As a young child, the burden of observing her mother’s pain and feeling helpless was too much for her to handle. Kelly explains this burden in the line, “I was so young you should have known better than to lean on me” (Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You”). Although after growing up without stable parental guidance, Kelly learned not to make the same mistakes her parents made and to not cause her daughter the same pain she deals with every day. At the end of the video after the flashbacks of her parents, Kelly runs back to her husband, takes the photo out of his hand, and gives him an apologetic hug (Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You”). Together the video and lyrics conspire to reveal the failure of her parents to grant her pleasurable childhood, and the repercussions that haunt her as an …show more content…
I believe Kelly wrote this song to finally reveal to her parents how their divorce has affected and intervened within her own relationships. She wants to prove to them that she is strong enough to not let her past ruin her future. Although, she feels empty inside because she did not grow up in a loving home. She feels afraid to love anyone because she is threatened by the idea that she will end up just like her parents. In the song, Kelly makes her argument clear that she will not make the same mistakes her parents made which acts as a positive aspect. The song can relate to many children who have undergone the same circumstances, and hopefully act as an uplifted to the many children who feel convicted to a lifetime of failing