Leave You Behind – The Story Behind the Song

On September 29, 2012, I wrote Leave You Behind. It came at a pivotal time in my life—nearing the one-year mark of my first real breakup, the one that completely changed how I looked at love, music, and myself.

I’ll let you discover the details of that breakup by listening to the song itself, but this moment marked the turning point where I truly found my songwriting voice.

From Just Playing Around to Writing With Purpose

Before that breakup, songwriting was mostly for fun. I’d write songs in high school, share them with friends, and focus more on how the music felt than what the words actually said. The lyrics always lacked depth.

But when heartbreak hit, everything shifted. I was musically talented, unable to sing, and completely brokenhearted. My guitar became my journal. Leave You Behind was one of the first songs where I poured my heart into both the chords and the lyrics. It was no longer just about playing—it was about surviving.

Learning to Sing Through the Pain

I’ll be honest: if you listen to the old YouTube video of me performing this song back in 2012, you’ll hear how raw it was. My voice was flat, nasally, and often gave out after just two or three songs.

But even in that roughness, you can hear the passion. The monotone delivery carried all the weight of someone learning how to sing through pain. Fast forward to the new recording today, and it’s crazy to hear how far I’ve come—not just as a singer, but as an artist willing to put it all out there.

Influences and Inspirations

Looking back, I think I was influenced by John Mayer’s My Stupid Mouth when I wrote this. At the time, I was obsessed with John Mayer, learning a ton of his songs on guitar and even playing them at open mics. Maybe some of that energy bled into Leave You Behind.

Still, the song was uniquely mine—raw, unpolished, and emotionally heavy.

Heartbreak as a Secret Recipe

When I listen to Leave You Behind now, I hear more than just the mistakes of a young songwriter. I hear the beginning of my personal “secret recipe”: writing as a coping mechanism. Every low point in my life since has found its way into a song.

Music became my way of journaling through heartbreak, a process that helped me heal and move forward. This track marks the first time I leaned fully into that process.

Rediscovering the Song Years Later

Revisiting Leave You Behind years later has been surreal. The only proof it existed was my old YouTube channel and some lyrics I had scribbled down. I had to relearn the song from scratch, and in doing so, I felt everything I had felt back then — while also appreciating how far I’ve come.

This isn’t just a breakup song. It’s the beginning of me learning how to turn pain into something meaningful, a lesson that has shaped my writing ever since.