‘Someone in This Room’ by Jessie Murph & Bailey Zimmerman - Lyrics & Meaning

When Jessie Murph announced her debut album, That Ain't No Man That's The Devil, the tracklist included two blockbuster duets with Koe Wetzel (‘High Road’) and Teddy Swims (‘Dirty’).

This was enough to send the sense of anticipation ahead of the new project through the roof - but the ‘I Hope It Hurts’ prodigy dialled things up an additional couple of notches when she revealed there was another hidden guest vocalist on the album.

In August, Jessie Murph tantalisingly took to socials to confirm the long-teased heartbreak ballad, ‘Someone in This Room’, would feature ‘Religiously’ hitmaker, Bailey Zimmerman. On the eve of the album's arrival in early September, Bailey joined Jessie during her Nashville release party to sing the track together for the first time.

‘Someone in This Room’ aches with the agony of both of the lovers that drive the narrative, with Jessie Murph and Bailey Zimmerman crooning despairingly against an atmospheric, hazy backdrop. An undulating acoustic guitar riff collides with the dominating ambient, synth-based instrumental that enters the fray for the hook.

Jessie and Bailey's vocals complement each other strikingly, with Jessie taking the helm for the vast majority of the track, before Bailey offers a second perspective during his verse.

“You cut first

And I cut back, that isn't me

It starts like that

I go too deep

It just comes out, I like the way

It breaks you down”

The most heartbreaking aspect of ’Someone in This Room’ is that both lovers find themselves hurting the other, before wondering why they bring this side out of one another. Jessie outlines how her partner lashes out at her first, before she fires back with an equal amount of venom - despite this being out of character for her. She then candidly muses about how part of her actually enjoys breaking him down, again highlighting how this relationship has become toxic beyond repair.

“It's you and me and broken dishes

Highs and lows, too-far-to-fix-its

You ain't who you were, and I ain't either”

The broken dishes here seem to hint that some of the fights become physical, with plates being strewn across the kitchen. Jessie reflects on how they've both changed for the worse, as a result of all the tension and resentment that has seemingly built up.

“Someone in this room is someone's bad decision

Someone's too fucked up to leave the kitchen

Someone is the martyr to someone's bad religion

Someone's dragging someone right down with 'em

I used to know who was who

Now I'm just someone in this room”

The hook revolves around the idea that the lines have become blurred as to who's the good guy and who's the bad guy in this relationship, with Jessie viscerally portraying how one of the lovers is “the martyr to someone's bad religion”. This suggests that, during their fights, one of them has to sacrifice their own pride for the sake of the other's misplaced beliefs about what's right in the relationship.

Jessie hints that some of these descriptions are about her, as she concludes the chorus with the powerful lines, “I used to know who was who / Now I'm just someone in this room”.

“I lost my mind

Was that your plan? How does it feel

To break a man?

I'm on my knees, I'm begging, babe

A little love, an ounce of grace

I'll do anything, I'll take the blame

There's gotta be another way”

Bailey Zimmerman steps into the shoes of the other lover here, as he confesses that he feels broken by his partner's harsh words and their constant torrent of arguments.

He questions whether this was her intention all along, before pleading with her for “A little love, an ounce of grace”. Bailey continues the spiritually-minded language as he transitions from asking for ‘grace’ to underlining that he's willing to sacrifice himself - linking back to the ‘martyr’ line in the hook - and take the blame.

“'Cause it's just you and me and our addictions

Pain in different definitions

You ain't who you were, and I ain't neither”

Jessie and Bailey emphasise that they both have faults and flaws, referencing their respective ‘addictions’, which contribute to each lover feeling an array of different kinds of pain. They conclude by again stressing how much they've changed since their first got together, with it feeling as though the relationship is well past salvation.

Jessie Murph and Bailey Zimmerman teased this star-studded collaboration a number of times in the lead-up to its release, with both artists repeatedly underlining how excited they were to join forces. Once it was out as part of Jessie's debut album, That Ain't No Man That's The Devil, the fast-emerging singer-songwriter took to socials to express her immense gratitude for her fanbase, “My debut album is out now, I fucking love yall with my whole entire heart and soul, thank you for listening, for caring and for giving me purpose, i hope this album makes you feel something, i put absolutely all of me into it and i will forever be proud of it, I am gonna finish eating my sushi and cry about this now okay bye go listen”.

“You cut first

And I cut back, that isn't me

It starts like that

I go too deep

It just comes out, I like the way

It breaks you down

-

It's you and me and broken dishes

Highs and lows, too-far-to-fix-its

You ain't who you were, and I ain't either

-

Someone in this room is someone's bad decision

Someone's too fucked up to leave the kitchen

Someone is the martyr to someone's bad religion

Someone's dragging someone right down with 'em

I used to know who was who

Now I'm just someone in this room

-

I lost my mind

Was that your plan? How does it feel

To break a man?

I'm on my knees, I'm begging, babe

A little love, an ounce of grace

I'll do anything, I'll take the blame

There's gotta be another way

-

'Cause it's just you and me and our addictions

Pain in different definitions

You ain't who you were, and I ain't neither

-

Someone in this room is someone's bad decision

Someone's too fucked up to leave the kitchen

Someone is the martyr to someone's bad religion

Someone's dragging someone right down with 'em

I used to know who was who

Now I'm just someone in this room

-

Mm, someone in this room

-

You ain't who you were, and I ain't either”

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