“Harry, you’re no good alone”: Harry Styles’ As It Was Hit Us Different After Liam Payne’s Tragic Death

SUMMARY

• Harry Styles' "As It Was" lyrics take on a new meaning after Liam Payne's death, echoing themes of mental health struggles and loneliness.
• Fans relate the song's lyrics, such as "Ringing the bell and nobody's coming to help," to Payne's reported mental health issues before his passing.
• The song's impact is amplified by fans' awareness of Payne's struggles and Styles' own vulnerability, sparking emotional reactions and tributes on social media.

Fans from all around the world were left devastated and heartbroken after learning of the tragic death of Liam Payne at only 31. This stood especially true for all the hardcore Directioners worldwide who were still holding onto the flicker of hope of seeing One Direction band members Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Payne reunite once again.

Liam Payne. | Credits: donkeyjacket45/CC-BY-SA-2.0/Wikimedia Commons.

But while that’s that, what further seems to be deepening the pain and loss of it all are some of the songs these heartthrobs made together and individually after embarking on their solo careers. Styles’ As It Was, for one, is hitting much differently after Payno’s passing away as the singer shared his mental health struggles through the song, and how he was seemingly suffering alone.

Harry Styles’ As It Was is Hitting Harder After Liam Payne’s Death

When Harry Styles dropped the song As It Was as a part of his album Harry’s House back in 2022, fans knew it wasn’t just another track that the singer had imbued his vocals in. Rather, it was a raw and vulnerable confession of all the mental struggles he was going through at the time. Through that one song, he shared how people tend to hold themselves down during their darker days.

Styles in As It Was music video. | Credits: Harry Styles/YouTube.

Of course, following its release, fans became aware that the now-30-year-old was having a hard time and extended all their love and support to him to help him cope with it all. But while it had a great impact on audiences back then and was met with a tremendous reception, the song’s lyrics seem to be hitting a lot harder after Styles’ co-bandmate Liam Payne‘s recent tragic death.

In the song, Styles conveys how people struggling to control their emotions get stuck in their own minds and find it hard to get out and let their feelings known even when surrounded by others. Some lyrics, in particular, hint at the deep struggles through this dark phase of the person’s life as they try to seek help but fail, stuck in a loop in their heads as they feel brutally misunderstood.

Harry Styles and Liam Payne. | Credits: karina3094/CCA-by-SA-2.0/Wikimedia Commons.

These lyrics, in particular, are actually hitting harder than ever before after Payne’s devastating demise:

Answer the phone / “Harry, you’re no good alone / Why are you sittin’ at home on the floor? / What kind of pills are you on?” / Ringin’ the bell / And nobody’s comin’ to help / Your daddy lives by himself / He just wants to know that you’re well, oh

For those who may not know, the Familiar singer was reportedly undergoing an incredibly hard time right before his death and was even reported to be struggling with mental health problems. That said, listening to all these songs now that he’s gone is not only making fans realize just how desperately Payne needed help before he seemingly eventually gave everything up.

Fans Are More Heartbroken Than Ever After Relating As It Was to Liam Payne

Liam Payne. | Credits: Impaulsive/YouTube.

While not everyone does it, a lot of young singers tend to share their struggles through their songs. Justin Bieber, for instance, made songs like Ghost and Lonely, which talk about dealing with the loss of a loved one and the obstacles he had to deal with during the early stages of his career.

Other singers like the late Chester Bennington, Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, and Benson Boone also tried to get out of their heads and share their mental health and other struggles through their respective songs Heavy, What Was I Made For, My Mind & Me, and Cry, among others.

Payne himself, in fact, seemingly tried to express himself through his last song, Teardrops, which is actually leaving fans sobbing after his demise. But the worst-hitting of them all is the cover of As It Was by Victor Ray shared by @theawesomevocals on Instagram, to which fans are saying:

Can’t help but to connect these lyrics w/ Liam 😭😔🤍

Hearing “ringing the bell and nobody’s coming to help” after Liam 😭

Well, I’m crying rn. I can’t stop thinking about Liam with that lyrics😭

Watching this after liam😢

After Liam passing this sounds different, omg harry might be feeling similar to Liam, oh god save him, we can’t loose him too 💔 my heart simply cannot.

I always say this song is a ballad but Hollywood want radio singles so they made it poppy and dancy and kids will love it. The lyrics are so sad. Harrys songs are really deep and raw. Now this version hits harder with Liam gone

With all of this being put out there, it’s inevitable that it will truly be a long time before fans are able to get over the unbearable loss of Liam Payne. Until then, these songs will continue to remind fans of the singer who left an indelible mark on their hearts with his remarkable music-making skills and even better personality.

Written by Mahin Sultan

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