'Nothing to Be Scared Of' by Kacey Musgraves - Lyrics & Meaning

The fifth studio album to come from Kacey Musgraves called Deeper Well – which hit all music streaming services on March 15 – is a smash hit from start to finish, featuring 14 tracks all co-written and co-produced by the Texas native herself.

With each and every song detailing the changes that she has experienced in her life after the age of 27 – from love to anxiety to spirituality and beyond – arguably the best one on the album is a tune titled 'Nothing to be Scared Of', serving as the perfect conclusion to a near-perfect project.

With songs like 'Sway' detailing her struggles with anxiety, 'Nothing to be Scared Of' serves as a sweet, stripped-down contrast to the majority of Deeper Well, encouraging the listener to push aside anxiety and be unafraid when dealing with love.

Explaining that what's meant to be, will be, Musgraves wraps her fans in a warm hug as Deeper Well comes to a close, hopefully removing some of the fears that tend to come with romance once and for all.

With Musgraves’ majestic vocals accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and a keyboard – as well as male harmonies from what is seemingly co-writer and co-producer Daniel Tashian – the simplicity of 'Nothing to be Scared Of' is what makes it oh-so special sonically, concluding the album in an extremely gentle yet engaging way.

"Living on the west side, and
I think about you often
Worrying that I might drive
The nail into the coffin
I’ve got my own patterns
Maybe I can stop them"

In verse one, Musgraves begins by hinting at some of the struggles and doubts she has regarding romance, admitting that she is in a cycle of self-destruction. However, she is seeking a way to stop this cycle and move towards acceptance and an overall sense of peace.

Beginning with the line “Livin' on the West side and I think about you often,” it is assumed that Musgraves was feeling this way while living in Los Angeles, soaking up the success that came from her Grammy award-winning album Golden Hour a few years prior.

"Holding tight to who you are
Like someone’s going to take it
Bubble wrap around your heart
Like someone’s going to break it
Demons in your mirror
Together we’ll escape them"

Musgraves begins to delve into the details of these struggles and doubts in the beginning of verse two, expressing the concern of losing a part of yourself, as well as your independence when you get into a serious relationship with someone.

hifting towards a different concern in the second line, Musgraves talks about the fear of heartbreak when you get into a serious relationship with someone as well, ultimately concluding the verse by stating that she and whoever she is singing to will escape the “demons” and move past these worries.

"Come to me and drop your bags
And I’ll help you unpack them
You’re the only one
I want to give my love
There’s nothing to be scared of"

In the chorus, Musgraves extends a helping hand to those who might be experiencing these struggles and doubts, sharing that it is okay to let your guard down and be vulnerable.

The lines “Come to me and drop your bags / And I'll help you unpack them” is a reference to emotional baggage – something that seemingly everyone has, to some extent at least – with Musgraves promising to love them, guide them and ultimately help them overcome said baggage.

"I made a list of everything
That I’ve been busy chasing
But if a train is meant for me
It won’t leave the station and pull away"

Musgraves explains that what's meant to be, will be in verse three, utilizing the lines “But if a train is meant for me / It won't leave the station and pull away.” This means that if a love interest is truly her perfect match, he will stick by her through thick and thin, regardless of whatever emotional baggage she may have.

"I’ll come to you and drop my bags
And you’ll help me unpack them
You say I’m the only one
You want to give your love
There’s nothing to be scared of
Nothing to be scared of
Nothing to be scared of"

The second chorus is almost the exact same as the first chorus, however, instead of offering support to those who might be afraid to let their guard down and be vulnerable, Musgraves puts herself in this person’s shoes.

Instead of the lines “Come to me and drop your bags / And I'll help you unpack them,” Musgraves sings “I'll come to you and drop my bags / And you'll help me unpack them,” implying that she is seeking a significant other to help her overcome her emotional baggage, as well as love on her along the way.

Living on the west side, and
I think about you often
Worrying that I might drive
The nail into the coffin

I’ve got my own patterns
Maybe I can stop them
Holding tight to who you are
Like someone’s going to take it
Bubble wrap around your heart
Like someone’s going to break it

Demons in your mirror
Together we’ll escape them

Come to me and drop your bags
And I’ll help you unpack them
You’re the only one
I want to give my love
There’s nothing to be scared of

I made a list of everything
That I’ve been busy chasing
But if a train is meant for me
It won’t leave the station and pull away

I’ll come to you and drop my bags
And you’ll help me unpack them
You say I’m the only one
You want to give your love
There’s nothing to be scared of
Nothing to be scared of
Nothing to be scared of

––

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