'The Hard Way' by Cameron Whitcomb – Lyrics & Meaning

Over the last year, vulnerable hits like 'Medusa', 'Quitter' and 'Hundred Mile High' launched Cameron Whitcomb into alt-folk stardom. Now, the rising talent is reaching even greater heights with the release of his official debut album, a collection that will see even more of his emotive songcraft brought to the fore.

A project that he has called "every piece of who I am," The Hard Way is set to be a 15-track opus fueled by tales of struggle and recovery, growing up and finding a way forward. Come Sept. 26, we'll get the full scope of Whitcomb – the artist and the entertainer but also the human being behind all the back flips and shirtless antics.

A good taste of The Hard Way and the star's newest, most revealing chapter yet comes by way of the album's title track. Released on Friday (Sept. 5), the single, 'The Hard Way', seems to say it all.

'The Hard Way' is brought to life in layers of clear strings and pockets of pillowy rhythms, the calm before a storm of bounding, thundering, racing beats and bright, excitable strums.

With the chorus comes tinny mandolin and powerful choral textures, building and swelling flourishes that make the explosive tune nearly unrecognizable from where it began.

"Waking up worthless
Should've worked up the courage to kill myself
And did I deserve this?
The Mona Lisa that sits upon my shelf
I wasn't privy to purpose
I wasn't really the perfect candidate
A younger me would let it go to waste"

With his music, Cameron Whitcomb often mines his depths, pulling forth themes of depression and addiction and bringing to light the darker aspects of his journey to today. It seems to be all in an effort to commiserate and empathize with those around him, to show fans they're never really alone.

'The Hard Way' is no different. In the song, he is very open about feelings of worthlessness and a lack of purpose that has led to suicidal ideations in the past.

He, however, has found ways to navigate such despondent feelings. It has not been easy, but it's been worth it.

"My inhibitions are gone
I had to do it the hard way
And you were right all along
I was addicted to heartache
I was addicted to love and lies that I was sold
I’d rather die alone
Than have to live in the dark days
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way"

He sings of how his inhibitions – his hang-ups, his hindrances, all his reservations – went out the window when he made the moves to end his anguish and live for brighter days.

When he stopped looking in all the wrong places, he eventually discovered peace, recovery and his own worth. It was no cake walk, he assures. He did it the hard way, but he'd rather lose it all than go back to the days in which he felt desperate and undeserving.

Whitcomb has spoken very candidly about this track and how it speaks to his struggles with addiction and mental health.

“A lot of people think all your problems are solved as soon as you get clean, but in my case the ups and downs of my mental health got more extreme," he shared in a press release. "That instability has been hard to deal with while trying to navigate a career as a musician, especially as a kid who used to dig holes for a living. At the same time, I’m really grateful, and I know I just need to keep moving forward.”

Waking up worthless
Should've worked up the courage to kill myself
And did I deserve this?
The Mona Lisa that sits upon my shelf
I wasn't privy to purpose
I wasn't really the perfect candidate
A younger me would let it go to waste

My inhibitions are gone
I had to do it the hard way
And you were right all along
I was addicted to heartache
I was addicted to love and lies that I was sold
I’d rather die alone
Than have to live in the dark days
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way

I guess that I’m tired
Of looking for peace that I’ve been promised
The friends I admired
Have all grown up and turned to liars
They tell me they get it
The over-rehearsed I’m doing fine
Goodbye’s a lonely hill
To have to climb

My inhibitions are gone
I had to do it the hard way
And you were right all along
I was addicted to heartache
I was addicted to love and lies that I was sold
I’d rather die alone
Than have to live in the dark days
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way
(You were right to say I was wrong, you were right)
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way
(You were right to say I was wrong, you were right)
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way

My inhibitions are gone
I had to do it the hard way
And you were right all along
I was addicted to heartache
I was addicted to love and lies that I was sold
I’d rather die alone
Than have to live in the dark days
I had to do it the hard way
I had to do it the hard way

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