Alice has a dedicated following that started with Ashton Kutcher posting one of her covers to Facebook in 2015 and has since grown organically to almost 850,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel. Her recent releases “Lost My Mind” and “Lost in Translation” were featured on Spotify’s coveted New Music Friday and New Music Friday UK playlists, and Blackbook Magazine proclaimed “We fell for her with the recent release of the hauntingly beautiful single ‘Lost My Mind.’ It was a bit like Lana Del Rey, but with 10x the fire. You heard it here first: we think Alice Kristiansen is going to be a star.”
One can’t help but believe her new music is a first glimpse into what will be a pivotal year in the creative journey of Alice Kristiansen. It is undoubtedly an indicator that we are just scratching the surface of what is a very special artist.
Tighten Up
Alice Kristiansen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Most of all, most of all
Someone said true love was dead
And I was bound to fall, bound to fall
For you
Oh, what can I do?
Take my badge but my heart remains
Tighten up on your reigns
You're runnin' wild, runnin' wild
It's true
Sick for days in so many ways
I'm achin' now, I'm achin' now
It's times like these I need relief
Please show me how, show me how
To get right
Yeah, it's out of sight
When I was young and moving fast
Nothing slowed me down,
Oh slowed me down
Now I let the others pass
I've come around,
Oh come around
'Cause I've found
Living just to keep going
Going just to be sane
All the while not knowing
It's such a shame
I don't need to get steady
I know just how I feel
I'm telling you to be ready
My dear
The song "Tighten Up" by Alice Kristiansen is about the struggles of love, the feeling of being sick with it, and the desire for relief. The opening lines of the first verse, "I wanted love, I needed love, Most of all, most of all, Someone said true love was dead, And I was bound to fall, bound to fall, For you," portrays the desperation for love that the singer is experiencing. She then goes on to ask, "Oh, what can I do?" indicating a sense of helplessness.
The chorus of the song, "Take my badge but my heart remains, Lovin' you, baby child, Tighten up on your reigns, You're runnin' wild, runnin' wild," speaks of the singer's unyielding love for the person she sings about. "Take my badge but my heart remains" suggests that she is willing to sacrifice anything for love, even something important like her "badge" or identity. "Tighten up on your reigns, You're runnin' wild" showcases the struggle between wanting to let go and be swept away by love while also wanting to keep it under control and not get hurt.
The second verse talks about being sick for days and needing relief from the pain that comes with love. The lines "It's times like these I need relief, Please show me how, show me how, To get right Yeah, it's out of sight" expresses the desperation for relief from the pain.
The bridge talks about learning to slow down and coming to terms with the fact that life is not all about moving fast. The lines "When I was young and moving fast, Nothing slowed me down, Oh slowed me down, Now I let the others pass, I've come around, Oh come around, 'Cause I've found" talk about growth and the realization that there is more to life than just moving fast.
Overall, the song "Tighten Up" is about the struggles of love, the feeling of helplessness and desperation, and the acceptance of the fact that life is not always moving fast.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanted love, I needed love,
The singer expresses a deep desire for love.
Most of all, most of all
Above anything else, love is the most important thing to the singer.
Someone said true love was dead
The singer has heard that true love is no longer possible.
And I was bound to fall, bound to fall
Despite this belief, the singer knew they were destined to fall in love.
For you
The singer has fallen in love with someone specifically.
Oh, what can I do?
The singer is helpless to their feelings.
Take my badge but my heart remains
The singer is willing to give up their authority and power, but not their love.
Lovin' you, baby child
The singer is expressing their affection for the person they love.
Tighten up on your reigns
The singer is asking the person they love to take control of their own desires and impulses.
You're runnin' wild, runnin' wild
The person the singer loves is behaving recklessly and the singer wants them to slow down.
It's true
The singer believes what they are saying is accurate.
Sick for days in so many ways
The singer is ill, both physically and emotionally.
I'm achin' now, I'm achin' now
The singer is currently in pain.
It's times like these I need relief
During these intense moments of pain, the singer desires some form of solace.
Please show me how, show me how
The singer is requesting help from someone to alleviate their pain.
To get right
The singer wants to get better.
Yeah, it's out of sight
The singer believes that feeling better is going to be amazing.
When I was young and moving fast
The singer used to be young and reckless.
Nothing slowed me down,
There was nothing that could slow down the singer in the past.
Oh slowed me down
The singer's reckless behavior stopped them from being able to enjoy life.
Now I let the others pass
The singer now takes their time and doesn't rush through life.
I've come around,
The singer has changed their ways.
Oh come around
The singer has realized a better way to live.
'Cause I've found
The singer has discovered something important.
Living just to keep going
The singer realizes they were just going through the motions of life.
Going just to be sane
The singer is saying that they were trying to keep from going insane.
All the while not knowing
The singer wasn't aware that they were living this way.
It's such a shame
The singer is regretful that they were living that way.
I don't need to get steady
The singer is fine with living life in a relaxed way.
I know just how I feel
The singer is confident in their feelings.
I'm telling you to be ready
The singer is telling the person they love to be prepared for their relationship together.
My dear
A term of affection to the person the singer loves.
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sophia Knudsen
on Flume
These are the lyrics for Wicked Games by The Weeknd, not the lyrics for Flume by Alice Kristiansen.