Chronic Illness Playlist: Bayside's "Bear With Me"

Heather Danielle Ashley
Dec 16, 2016
3 min read

I am back this week with another addition to my "chronic illness playlist." I decided to add another Bayside song from one of their newer albums. The song is called "Bear With Me". I chose this song because these are words I always think when I am with other people. I desperately plead for everyone to bear with me because I can not do things like other people can. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome makes everything so tedious for me, so I can only imagine what it is like for other people who have to deal with me. I hope that if people bear with me that they will be able to see past all of my medical issues and see me for who I am. I want people to have a chance to get to know the person underneath all of the pain, that person is worth knowing, but it takes some time for me to get comfortable enough around other people to let them see me.

I feel like I constantly have to explain every little thing about my chronic illness to everyone, especially if I am just getting to know them. I don't want to have to do this. I want to just be. I am sure this is what other people want to, but unfortunately it is impossible for me to do that when I am around people who do not understand why I have to do things a certain way or why I can not do things that they can do. I try to play everything off as if I am fine, as if there is nothing wrong, but I am unable to maintain this facade for very long. I am afraid that people will get tired of me because of my medical problems, but I just keep hoping that people "bear with me" long enough to know who I really am and so we don't have to focus on my medical problems. I want to just move on and laugh instead of dwelling on which of my joints popped out and why they did so...but I always have to explain. Once you get to know me and learn that I have these things happen all the time, well that is when the real me comes out.

I have highlighted (bolded) a few lines that I like in particular

Here are the lyrics:

Bear With Me

by Bayside

Well I could be brief But what would that change? I just beg to borrow time Adding minutes to my life To long for something I can't buy And I try to look like I'm fine But there's proof in every phrase And these rings around my tired eyes say something's gotta change

Ashes ashes Buried in his mattress Slept in flames And smothered in his blanket

Stay with me Bear with me I am a novelty But I'm twice the man I used to be Oh agony (agony) Bear with me I am a dying breed But I'm twice the man I used to be Ashes ashes

Well I do believe that our decline is pre-disposed But it keeps me on my toes I can't accept what I can't control And I pray that I can be cured And never leave this place Lady luck beyond my sight as I'm just withering away

Ashes ashes Buried in his mattress Slept in flames And smothered in his blanket

Stay with me Bear with me I am a novelty But I'm twice the man I used to be Oh agony (agony) Bear with me I am a dying breed But I'm twice the man I used to be

And it's too late for me I've been talking in my sleep And I've got nothing to say to me

Ashes ashes Buried in his mattress Slept in flames And smothered in his blanket

Stay with me Bear with me I am a novelty But I'm twice the man I used to be Oh agony (agony) Bear with me I am a dying breed But I'm twice the man I used to be