dodie - Guiltless (Lyric Video) 

Bold of you to assume I don't know the lyrics by heart

A generational trauma bop, I LOVE it!

for someone who has survived trauma from my own parent; oh my god it speaks out of my soul and that situation I've been. thank you dodie x

The first lines punched me in the face and I just immediately started crying Childhood trauma. It be like that man and it sucks

The way that you find language that expresses a personal experience in a way that allows you to process it without giving too much away, and yet still allowing others to find meaning in your words, is magical. Personally, I relate so much to the lyrics in relation to my relationship with certain family members. And I know I'll always be curious about the true story behind this song, I also know how empowering it must be for you, dodie, as an artist, to be able to express yourself but keep things private.

*dodie (n.)* - "a brilliant songwriter, musician, human being, a queen and an actual angel" - "something actually perfect in every way" *synonyms:* _aesthetic_ , _real_ , _talent_ , _creative_ , _adorable_ , _funny_ , _nice_ , _gracious_ , _gorgeous af_ *antonyms:* _imperfect, wrong, fictional, irritable, unimaginative, malevolent_ *EXAMPLE:* • The sunset is almost as beautiful as Dodie • This circle is almost as perfect as Dodie • The songbirds outside remind me of Dodie (thank you for over a thousand likes and to all the replies!) (thank you for over three thousand likes now!!)

Me: yeah, this is pretty good Me five seconds later: wait why am I crying

this song really, really reminds me of my mother. while this could be about any sort of abusive relationship, of a lot of this song feels like it’s about an emotionally abusive parent. more specifically, a narcissistic parent. it was the line “you believe you’re guiltless” that first set my mind in that direction, as narcissistic parents can never accept the fact that they’ve done anything wrong to their child. however, the line “i’ll carry your burden until the day that you die” is the one that solidified this theory for me. children of narcissistic parents often feel this way, they feel that exposing their parent to the error of their ways wouldn’t fix anything, that it might even make things worse. so, they are forced to live with the abuse and trauma until they can cut contact or the parent dies. obviously, this is a piece of art, so you can think whatever you want. whether dodie ever explicitly states the inspiration behind this song or not is up to her, but even if she does, i’m going to continue to use this song as an anthem for me to carry on when i feel like i’ll never be enough for my mom.

The ‘ooh’ s get me screaming YESSSS QUUEEEEEEBNBBNNNNNN

that lingering chord at 2:26 YUM

hey dodie ! no chance of you seeing this, but whatever lol. i’m like so proud of the things you’ve accomplished in the past few years. you went from a teenager sitting in her small room to a powerful, confident woman. you’re singing and voice has exponentially grown in skill ! you have become one of my favourite artists, and i’m very excited to see what is to come in the future !

THANK YOU FOR THIS SONG. SINCERELY, Everyone with childhood trauma

i love your aesthetic so much it’s so pleasing and relaxing

your hand writing is on point!🤩😂

I usually hate my handwriting... But Dodie’s handwriting is *sooo similar* to mine! ... I now love my handwriting more than ever

Well, if ever a song were to remind me of my father... lol

This song actually gives me chills, it's to relatable.

I say it all the time but I mean it, thank you for sharing your art with the world 💞

the fact that a song that’s obviously so personal can resonate with listeners in a thousand different ways.. i’m living for it, and i’m so impressed with how far her songwriting has come since i started watching years ago❤️

It’s so easy to forget that other people have childhood traumas when really none of us are alone, thank you for making this beautiful song and putting some of my feelings into words. All of your songs are so good, much love 💕

I had a small break from dodie but I'm so glad I'm back and so is she

I- Sadly this song is scarily relatable.

dodie dodie how did you know i was making a sad boi hours playlist

I've interpreted this song as the internal screaming right after hearing a person you love say something very homophobic. They don't feel bad, they believe they are guiltless. You try and cover your own bitterness with tiredness, because there is no use in getting angry at how they have been wired to think. Unbeknownst to them, they've build a wall in your life. You could never let them know your secret, they would never get it. It could be dangerous, you might not feel better if you opened their eyes. But you can't let go of the betrayal and pain you feel. You feel you will have to hide and carry this pain until they die. Ugh. Thank you dodie for this beautiful piece of art. 💙

I WAS SO HYPED FOR THIS EVER SINCE I SAW UR YT STORY AAAAA

Damn, a song about childhood abuse/trauma? Amazing, powerful, means a lot to me

I’ve never had the experience of someone singing exactly how I feel before. I could never eloquently explain how I feel with my own words but this song does such a good job of saying it for me.

I don’t have any elaborate comment or overused comment to use, simply want to express that Dodie has indeed helped me through many times. And I am so blessed to have found such a beautiful artist, and I wish everyone’s having a lovely day today and tomorrow and the day after that and etc.. *Dodie changed my life for the better, I hope she can do the same for you*

Dodie you’re such a blessing, thank you for always posting when I’m feeling my lowest, I adore you x

your messy long hair up against the wall reminds me of 2012 dodie

Thank you for putting my childhood trauma into words.. feeling much better now x

Oh my.. The song is so upbeat as if it's trying to relax you even though the lyrics are so understanding of the feeling of not being heard, understood and blamed. The song knows how many headaches and tears you may have shed. Dodie is so amazing. I'm trying my hardest to not let myself cry because I'm living with the one person who reminds me of this and he's slowly changing but he's not there yet and it's hard to be patient. The line after the chorus where she says she probably won't feel better after opening their eyes shook my entire spine. The one thing you want is for them to understand and for them to change, but putting yourself through the effort and pain to get there is most likely going to wreck your mental health and ultimately not be worth it. Wow, just wow.

“ ‘till the day that *you* die” Like you’re saying that all the walls and trauma will go away as soon as they’re completely out of your life. You’re a lyrical genius. Something so simple yet powerful, love it💚

i am so so soooo happy that you released this song and like.. THAT YOU'RE BACK? YAAAAAAY

angel

thank you for translation my emotions into words im forever grateful for you and your music

This is such a classic already boii

the last couple of seconds in this video,,, the favourite (2018) who

Why are all these songs lining up with my life events right now 😂😣

the chorus really hits me tbh, my ex was emotionally abusive and still refuses to take accountability for it. ive cut her out of my life now but it was childhood/adolescent trauma and has really affected my ability to form relationships and trust people, especially in a romantic way. thank u, dodie, for writing this song x

I have been waiting and searching for a song that encompasses how I feel about a person from my past because I could never exactly put my thoughts into words myself. This. This is it. You took the words and feelings that I didn't even know I had right out of my brain. Thank you, Dodie.

I’ve just finished crying about my childhood and then I heard this song for the first time. crazy man

Thank you for singing about traumatic situations like this... it makes me feel less crazy. Your music continues to be the soundtrack to my recovery. Thank you, Dodie.

that ending takes my breath away, I love it so much !!! ❤️

I just want to thank you so much for this song. My friend called me about a week ago, listed all the things she didn't like about me, and then said she didn't want to see me again. This song has basically become my anthem for this whole situation. I've listened it on repeat so many times, just to remind myself that I'm not entirely at fault for what happened. Just, thank you so much. Your songs really mean a lot.

This one hit me really hard. My dad was very mentally abusive and even physically abusive (not with me, but my little brothers), but he believes he's a good parent and thinks my mental problems aren't his fault. He's the entire reason I have traumas, no self esteem and trouble getting attached to people.

Every single word of this has been my thought process on healing the past year from growing up with a father with INTENSE anger issues. My jaw literally dropped hearing this the first time because it was so beautifully parallel and I couldnt help but tear up. Thank you for this song Dodie. Its a little anthem now.

I’ve had a lot of sad and traumatic events happen in my life, especially as a child. I still to this day face the exceptionally rough reality of the trauma (I’m now in my early 20s). I feel that I’m so behind in life with certain things and milestones and I’m just trying to get my life in order now. “I’m not bitter, I’m just tired No use getting angry at the way that you’re wired.” I’ll carry these lyrics with me for the rest of my life. This is exactly what I needed to hear, now and forever. Thank you, dodie.

i'm a simple girl i see a new video from dodie, i click

im not bitter im just tired glad she can put my feelings into words bc damn I can’t

Thank you. Needed this, to know I'm not alone in feeling like that and in having this experience.

I needed to hear this today. I keep thinking about this person from my past that treated me badly but this song makes me realise that not everyone sees things the way you do and maybe they don't know how bad the things they've done are. I envy people who feel guiltless though, I feel guilt over everything.

This is way out of my range. But imma scream it anyway Edit: My dog is not impressed

This sounds like a difficult song to make. Thankyou

I have no idea how Dodie keeps managing to produce songs about my life, but I'm living for it!!! This song reminds me so much of my mother...wish I had the guts to send it to her and hope she understands. As Dodie said...she'd never get it, and I'll carry her burden till the day that she dies. "I'm not bitter, I'm just tired. No use getting angry at the way that you're wired..."

HI SORRY I GOTTA GET THIS OUT My mom is a narcissist and she can’t admit when she’s wrong and throughout my whole childhood I thought she was the coolest, strongest, most invincible person Then I started getting into my teenage years and throughout them I slowly realized she’s a narcissist (she even said it, not me) and she can’t admit when she’s wrong and if you try to see someone else’s point of you then you’re “picking sides and against her” She also drinks a lot to cope with her own shitty childhood and she comes home drunk and angry as fuck out of nowhere Then she brings up serious and hurtful things and throws it in your face out of nowhere and she doesn’t care if she hurts you because she’s hurting and she is the only one allowed to hurt. AND if you’re not physically with her then she doesn’t contact you much unless she needs you for something and I LOVE HER BUT SHES SO TOXIC AND RUDE AND INCONSIDERATE And the older I get the more I realize how much so. I realize how much she actually hurts me and it makes me want to not spend time with her. But you can’t try to help her because “she’s fine. She doesn’t need help.” She told me once that she was bipolar and that’s why sometimes she gets a certain way. and now she insists that she never said that and she refused to believe that I have any mental health problems when I come to her for help. And now that I’m legally an adult she won’t help me do anything. Like she won’t teach me about insurance or resumes or buying a car or anything. I’m not asking her to do it for me I’m asking her to teach me how and she just says “you’re an adult do it yourself.” And she never has a happy ending with any boyfriend because she has to be the boss at all times. And FINALLY The big kicker In October of 2018 my mom found out that I’d been self harming. We were in her car on the way to a party for her friend. And instead of being caring or trying to be helpful or make me feel less shitty in anyway She smacked me in the face from the drivers seat and yelled at me. And played the victim once again. Saying things like “wow I try to get you out of the house and this is what I get?” “You sneaky bitch.” “You’re going to this party and you’re gonna pretend to be alright while you’re there. You do that everyday anyways, right.” “how do you think this makes ME feel?” “I always thought it’d be your brother. But nope.” “You had friends you could have been talking to but no. You let yourself feel shitty.” My resentment for her keeps growing and growing and growing and now I just. I find myself barely wanting to spend time with her. And it scares me because I just really really don’t wanna be that. I don’t. I want to be open to communicating and I wanna make better decisions than her. I love her so much and I just wish she’d help herself. She’s slowly gradually killing herself with smoking and drinking and all this accidental emotional-self-sabotage. I wish that she wanted to help herself. Idk. UGH (I don’t live with her anymore, btw. Which is good but I also miss her and I know she wants to mean well but. Idk about it.) But long story short She believes she’s guiltless.

I never believed I could ever put into words how I feel about my maternal figures But then you wrote this song Thank you Dodie this song is really special to me

literally the other day my dad who was abusive for years was being like "i didnt ever hurt u lol even if i did there's ppl who have it worse" so thank u for this i rlly needed this song

Well now I just have handwriting envy...

I'm in class rn but I know the song by heart so I'm playing it in my head

"don't say it's genetic" and the vibe of the song kind of makes me think of nature vs nurture

this autoplayed on spotify for me the other day and now im a giant fan

Beautiful, cathartic, inspiring. Good job, Dodie. Thank you ❤️

I am so happy for you! What a great song!!! Literally “a bit of madness is key” ;) you made this song possibly out of madness, but created such a bop first of all, but also an opening of arms for others. I relate to this song so much, thank you.

Another great one, DoN'Tdie! A new favorite. It's hard to heal after this kind of trauma...I certainly relate.

I wish this wasn't so relatable... Thank you for making me feel less alone in trauma ❤

Dodie, your music has resonated more and more with me as I get older. I've always loved your music but the more I go through, the better I understand and the more I feel the lyrics. You always help me find ways to comprehend my life with your songs. Thank you.

This applies so perfectly to my fractured relationship with my dad

IS THIS ON SPOTIFY I WANT IT IN MY LIFE

at 2:40 , it’s one of those moments where it feels so iconic, & I just get overly excited!!!! LOL THE LOOP IS PERFECT

my cptsd feels validated and understood. thank you.

this couldn’t have been released at a more perfect time. it reminds me of someone who I’ve just now realized has been manipulating, lying, using people, and doing horrible things to me and many others. dodies music has always helped me but this song really speaks to me and dodie I hope you know how loved and appreciated you are💕💕💕💕

This song came out the day my ex tried to crawl back into my life and this is my new favorite song. ❤

I screeched when this came into my notifications.

this is so well mixed and all the vocals and instruments complement each other aaaaa

Honestly I love all of Dodie's music. It's always so beautiful and hits so close to home. It's like a safe space.

It's such a beautiful song

Honestly the melody of this makes me want to move, twirl my limbs through the air and just become one with the sky💫💫

Can I just say that dodie is genuinely improving so much as an artist?? Her production and songwriting is so much better than when she began. Not to say her old music is bad- it’s absolutely gorgeous, it’s just that now she has such a way with harmonies and it has much more weight. Her old songs are very floaty and light, but this song just has so much WEIGHT to it. In both the lyrics and vocals and it’s just so beautiful

I don't know if you'll ever read this because you probably get so many comments that it's hard to keep track of them all, but I want to say thank you for making this song. If this is about what I think of whenever I listen to it, it makes me feel less alone in the experience. No one should ever have to go through that. I will repeat myself: you made me feel like I wasn't alone in this anymore. Thank you, your song moved me to tears.

How many times did you have to rewrite this because a mistake? - Love this song cx

I loved the song. I wanted to write something about how i feel about it, but i could not bring myself to do it.

I dedicate this song to my abusive ex cause even if this isnt about abuse in a romantic relationship I still really relate it to him. So thank you dodie for giving me a song that I can bop to and feel proud I made it past that horrible person in my life!

this reminds me of that one poem, the whipping "the fear worse than blows that hateful Words could bring, the face that I no longer knew or loved..."

the chorus hits me like no other , you are AMAZING !! thank you for making this song

Also!! I’m so in love with this my goodness. Ive missed your more gentle music, it just hits me somewhere most music doesn’t. Keep up the amazing work love ♥️♥️♥️

Timber - tone - unexplicable inner move - voice - words - music - notes I begin to not care anymore about what are the reasons I like you doings. IT exists, you existe. I guess that enough for now. Thanks for sharing Doddie !!!

I will wait however long you need, as long as it meant Dodie can keep uploading the amazingly perfect songs she writes. ❤️ Thanks for being so great

I relate to this song on a far too deep level. Thank you, Dodie.

This is..amazing as always. Thank you dodie for always delivering only the best. Now to jam to this song 24/7

I never comment on people's videos, but Dodie, you posted this song exactly when I needed it. Two days ago I opened to my abusive stepmom on how she hurt me and she lashed back at me by telling me I'm an awful person instead of apokogizing like a parent should. The universe wanted you to make this song not only for yourself but for me and so many other people. Thank you for sharing your talent and soul. You are a flower. ❤

omg i remember crying as you played this at your show. This is the only song I've ever heard that reflects this feeling so accurately. love this. thank you.

parents don't get how much they effect their children. just because they created us doesn't give them a pass to say whatever they want. my parents called me a cry baby and a spoilt brat whenever I would get upset about something minor. they taught me not to trust them. I didn't tell them I had dark thoughts until i literally had no other option. I tried to but they dismissed me saying everyone feels bad. I attempted suicide and they still don't know about it. I may have asd which would explain me "giving up" or "being a cry baby" I was literally over loading. they had my teachers give a thumbs up or down every day after class. no one else in my class had that pressure. I get panicked when the school nurse suggests calling home bc they always call me a hypochondriac. this constant devalidating of my emotional and physical health has made me not trust myself. I could be throwing up and I still question whether I'm puting it on parents need to become more accepting and stop emotionally abusing their kids

This song speaks VOLUMES about my life right now. Needed a song like this. ❤ 👌🏻

it makes me so happy to hear dodie’s voice

Thank you, Dodie, for always creating + writing songs that not only help you understand, accept and heal from life but that you also gift it to the world so others may do the same on their journeys as well. Many blessings!!

I’VE FOUND MY *JAM!* It’s Crofters. Love the song too!

"You opened a door a kid shouldn't walk through." "I don't think I'd feel better if I opened your eyes. I'll carry your burden till the day that you die." This song hits so close to home. Honestly I needed this song right now. Can I share my story? For the few who will read it, thank you. I was 18. I was starting college and excited for life. I went into psychology. Not because I necessarily liked psychology, but he did. I went to the local college. Not because I wanted to, but because he was. I had spent all of my high school years pursuing him and falling head over heels over and over again. Getting my heart hurt over and over again. But that didn't matter because we were 18 and we were "grown". We were "adults". I know now that being legal doesn't mean you're emotionally equipped for the real world. We had been dating for seven months. The boy of my dreams. He was bringing up marriage and starting conversations about becoming...serious...to put it innocently. I compromised everything. And was then left with nothing. Not an explanation. Not an apology. Just an hour of silence on his end while I cried my eyes out and a whole next semester of us having the same classes. But that was seven months ago. Almost to the day. I haven't heard from him since the time he texted me asking what was on my wrist. Not that it was his business anyway. I now realize that love isn't just a feeling. It's a choice. It's a promise that you won't break. And I'm okay with being alone. I'm okay with doing things on my own now and not needed him as a security blanket anymore. I'm okay with saying no to sexual suggestions. And after therapy and medication and cutting connections with many people, I'm okay with....well, being okay again. And I promise you will too.

The surreal feeling at the end is so perfect for the song and the feelings you have when listening to it, like a jumble of emotions and thoughts and you can't figure out which on to focus on because your brain is going a million miles an hour trying to understand your trauma. ugh I love this song so much it hurts

hello dodie! i have been watching your videos since probably 2013/2014 and i just wanted to say that as someone with a lot of childhood trauma and as someone who is trying very hard to still have an okay relationship with their mom after it all, this song is exactly what i need. thank u for sharing your heart with the world!