One of my all-time favorite songs by Grace is the song that began her whole career. The one that she performed on AGT in the very beginning. That song is “I Don’t Know My Name”.
This song is all about finding yourself and discovering who you are as a person.
[Intro]
I don’t know my name
I don’t play by the rules of the game
So you say I’m just trying, just trying
[Verse 1]
So I heard you are my sister’s friend
You get along quite nicely
You ask me why I cut my hair
And changed myself completely
[Chorus]
I don’t know my name
I don’t play by the rules of the game
So you say I’m just trying, just trying
[Verse 2]
I went from bland and popular
To joining the marching band
I made the closest friends
I’ll ever have in my lifetime
[Bridge]
I am lost, trying to get found
In an ocean of people
Please don’t ask me any questions
There won’t be a valid answer
I’ll just say that
[Chorus]
I don’t know my name
I don’t play by the rules of the game
So you say I’m just trying, just trying
[Outro]
I now know my name
I don’t play by the rules of the game
So you say, I’m not trying
But I’m trying, to find my way
Let’s begin…
“I don’t know my name. I don’t play by the rules of the game.”
When I hear the line “I don’t know my name”, I think of a young teen or pre-teen experiencing changes and trying to figure out who they are. They don’t yet, but are in the process of discovering themselves.
“I don’t play by the rules of the game” makes me think of someone who dares to be different. They’re not going around doing what everyone else is doing or what they are told to do or be like. They’re following the path they want to follow.
“I went from bland and popular to joining the marching band.” This is another line that stuck out to me. I hear this line and think of a young teen who used to be considered popular and decided to join the marching band. They decided that being popular wasn’t the most important thing in the world. They decided instead of being someone they’re not and doing what all the popular kids are doing, they would make their own path and do something they were truly passionate about. It has to be my favorite line in the song.
I play the clarinet and am in the band. I tried the sports the other kids were doing and realized that wasn’t my thing. I used to think I wanted to be a cheerleader but decided that wasn’t important to me. I started taking voice and playing the ukulele because that was my passion. No one else I know takes voice, but it doesn’t bother me. Everyone is different and has a passion for different things.
“I am lost trying to get found in an ocean of people.
Please don’t ask me any questions. There won’t be a valid answer.”
When I hear “I am lost trying to get found in an ocean of people”, I think yet again a young teen growing up in this big world trying to find themselves and what they’re passionate about. There are so many other people out there, and like you they are trying to figure out who they are as well.
“Please don’t ask me any questions, there won’t be a valid answer”, I think of someone basically saying “I don’t know who I am yet so I won’t have an accurate answer”. “I’m still learning about myself”.
Those are the lines that stuck out to me the most when I first heard this song. I absolutely love this song. I feel like pre-teens can really relate to this song in so many ways. They don’t know who they are yet. I know I don’t know who I am yet.
This song is beautiful, relatable and Grace sings it like an angel.
This article was first posted on VanderVault’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yfl9ID8F0g&lc=Ugw1edvSQqfqMSNoUrJ4AaABAg