Jessy and Dragos knew each other since their fourth year of high school. Back then (mid-2000’s), Dragos had somewhat of a background in classical piano and Jessy mastered the dark and esoteric art of the metal guitar solist.
In 2012, while finishing his master’s degree in audio postproduction at Laval University, Dragos spent most of his days and sleeping hours at the “LARC” studio working on his solo projects. He randomly met Jessy again, who was finishing his bachelor degree in Jazz guitar, in one of the faculty’s hallways and talked about doing a French-Touch / Italo-Disco track together. Some weeks later, they did just that. And it worked out so well that they decided to extend their collaboration to a whole project where many singers such as Odile Marmet-Rochefort, Gabrielle Shonk, Helena Deland and Geoffroy Sauvé, would be involved.
Between 2012 and 2016, all of Jessy’s and Dragos’ releases were made as part of Dragos’ masters and (dropped) PhD studies in order to gain access to the LARC’s infrastructure and to develop a unique sound.
Emma was a fortuitous encounter. In 2015 a mutual friend presented her to Dragos through a video posted over the Internet. She was casually singing and playing the guitar around a campfire with some of her friends. Emma’s voice was different, being less clear, more grainy and fragile with a mysterious twist that caught their attention. They reached her and tried recording one song called “Out in myself”, which turned to be one of the band’s easiest to record.
Jessy and Dragos then invited her to join them on live shows with Odile at the beginning of 2015. The womans' voices blended wonderfully together and the band got lots of positive feedback from the experience. Emma has been part of Men I Trust since then.
With their second album “Headroom", Men I Trust truly became a trio.
Hard to Let Go
Men I Trust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My friend
You changed
A while ago
Estranged
Pride stiffens like dough
(You're) closing in your cage
Proud sparrow
Hard to let go
I know
The slows
That break you low
You chase
Small embers that glow
Hunching close by night
Sleep deprived
Hard to let go
The little voice
That "told you so"
Good fiend
I'll never let go
To watch you wash the rain
With water
The lyrics of "Hard to Let Go" by Men I Trust depict the struggle of letting go of a friendship that has changed over time. The singer addresses their friend, acknowledging that they have become distant and estranged. The line "Pride stiffens like dough" suggests that the friend's pride has hardened and become unyielding, like dough that has been left out too long. They are closing themselves off and trapping themselves in a cage of their own making, symbolized by the proud sparrow.
The singer empathizes with their friend, knowing how difficult it is to let go of something or someone that they used to hold dear. The "slows" mentioned in the lyrics refer to moments of emotional turmoil or sadness that brings the friend down. The friend is depicted as chasing small embers that still glow, perhaps symbolizing their attempts to hold onto what remains of the friendship. They hunch close by night and suffer from sleep deprivation, suggesting the weight of their emotions and the toll it takes on their well-being.
The lyrics also refer to a little voice that constantly tells the friend "I told you so." This voice represents self-doubt or regret, adding to the friend's struggle to let go. Despite all of this, the singer declares that they will never let go of this friendship. They are determined to stand by their friend, even as they witness them "washing the rain with water," which can be interpreted as futile or unnecessary actions.
Overall, "Hard to Let Go" explores the complexities of a changing friendship and the difficulty in accepting these changes while still holding onto the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Hard to let go
It is difficult to release and move on
My friend
Someone I used to be close to
You changed
You became different
A while ago
Some time in the past
Estranged
No longer connected or familiar
Pride stiffens like dough
Ego becomes rigid and unyielding
(You're) closing in your cage
You are isolating yourself
Proud sparrow
A confident yet confined individual
I know
I understand
The slows
Slower moments or periods
That break you low
That cause you great sadness and despair
You chase
You pursue
Small embers that glow
Dimly shining fragments of hope
Hunching close by night
Crouching or curling up in darkness
Sleep deprived
Lacking sufficient rest
The little voice
The small inner voice
That 'told you so'
That warned you or predicted the outcome
Good fiend
Dear friend
I'll never let go
I will always hold on
To watch you wash the rain
To witness you trying to cleanse your troubles
With water
Using the very element that represents purity
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
Written by: Dragos Chiriac, Emmanuelle Proulx, Jessy Caron
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind