Lyrics
Verse 1
You were 43 when you got the news
Life will be changing, nothing we can do
The clock is ticking now, all I can think about
Is knowing I have to move on without you somehow
And I just can't believe that you're the one who's keeping it together
As you hold my hand and say
Chorus
It's okay to cry, it's okay to fall apart
You don't have to try, to be strong when you are not
And it may take some time to make sense of all your thoughts
But don't ever fight your tears 'cause there is freedom in every drop
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart
Verse 2
You ask me to sing some songs that I wrote
But I can barely speak, can barely play a note
All my tears rush in, falling on my strings
And make the sound of these progressions have a different ring
And I hate to say goodbye, knowing this will be the last time we're together
As you close your eyes and say
Chorus
It's okay to cry, it's okay to fall apart
You don't have to try, to be strong when you are not
And it may take some time to make sense of all your thoughts
But don't ever fight your tears 'cause there is freedom in every drop
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart, oh
Bridge
And you've got the gift of mercy, don't ever think it's strange
Not a curse, but it is a blessing to feel other people's pain
And always love without condition and trust with all your heart
There's healing in the story of your scars
Verse 3
Well, it's been a while since you've been gone
Sometimes I still catch myself trying to call your phone
All the hopes and dreams we used to talk about
They're still alive in me and I just hope I make you proud
Now I'm your legacy and it's your love still holding me together
And I still hear you say
Chorus
It's okay to cry, it's okay to fall apart
You don't have to try, to be strong when you are not
And it may take some time to make sense of all your thoughts
But don't ever fight your tears 'cause there is freedom in every drop
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart (Yeah, yeah, it's okay to fall)
Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart
Is when we fall apart
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“When We Fall Apart” treats grief with unusual honesty, following a son through his mother’s diagnosis, final days, and lasting absence. The chorus rejects the pressure to appear strong when sorrow is overwhelming. Tears are not presented as failure; they become part of healing, allowing pain to be acknowledged rather than hidden. Details such as an unanswered phone and tears falling on guitar strings keep the loss personal and concrete.
The mother’s counsel forms the song’s moral center. Mercy, compassion, unconditional love, and trust are named as gifts to carry forward, while scars become evidence that suffering can be spoken rather than denied. This view of mourning is consistent with biblical scenes in which faithful people weep and God remains near to the brokenhearted. The song offers no quick explanation for death. Its hope is quieter: love continues through memory and legacy, and a grieving heart may begin to heal when sorrow is given room.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 34:18 The psalm says the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.
- John 11:35 Jesus weeps in the presence of death and grief.
- Romans 12:15 Paul instructs believers to weep with those who weep.