Larrieux was born and brought up in the neighborhood of Greenwich Village in New York City. Her mother was a dance critic and professor who encouraged Larrieux to grow up in a free-spirited, artistic environment. Many of her influences are drawn from R&B, soul, jazz, folk, hip-hop and gospel, with flashes of Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian ethnic styles. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
As a solo artist, her music is mostly categorized as fitting within the nu-soul genre, though she also dabbles in jazz, blues and gospel sounds. She sang lead vocals with Sade's band Sweetback while Sade was on hiatus. On her last album 'Lovely Standards' she gravitated away from nu-soul to produce a cover album made up of songs from the jazz and blues singers that inspired her. Larrieux is also influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Prince — as she has previously credited on her website.
Don't Let Me Down
Amel Larrieux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see the words taking shape
But love's like a language
I cannot translate
I can't afford to be careless
And let you in
I turn my head for one minute
And lose everything
Wish I had someone whom I could lean
Cause everybody's always counting on me
With my hands held real tight
Always ready to fight
For the few pieces of joy I have now
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
Of a dream of a love one day found
So don't let me down
Your past it may be rocky
But your present is clear
My present situation
Is the sum of all my fears
I take responsibility for the few things I done right
But I got so much on my plate
I'm scared to take another bite
Wish I had someone on whom I could lean
Still I don't want no one's charity
With my hands held real tight
Always ready to fight
For the few pieces of joy I have now
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
Heartbreak and bullets can try
To steal any good from my life
Fathers and lovers have lied
Rivers have flowed from my eyes
Never seen love face to face
Just seen it walking away
Why would you think I would recognize
Something that's never been mine
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
You're the dream of a love one day found
And the freedom from what kept me bound
And a promise of staying around
My eyes may not work for me now
But my heart sure remembers the sound
So if you saying it
Please say it loud
And don't let me down
In the first verse of Amel Larrieux's "Don't Let Me Down," the singer is grappling with the difficulty of understanding love. They watch their lover's lips moving, forming words that they cannot quite make sense of. The metaphor of love as a language they cannot translate suggests a deep sense of alienation from emotional intimacy. This feeling is underlined by the admission that they "can't afford to be careless" with their heart, suggesting a past relationship trauma that has elevated their defenses to nearly impossible heights.
In the chorus, the singer reveals a need for someone to lean on, someone who can provide a much-needed respite from the constant struggle of life. They acknowledge that "everybody's always counting on me," highlighting a sense of isolation and loneliness, and explain that their readiness "to fight for the few pieces of joy" they have now has left them exhausted. The introduction of the lover as someone who has "turned on a light" conveys a feeling of hope and possibility, though it is tinged with the singer's heightened sensitivity to the possibility of being let down.
The second verse picks up on this theme, with the singer acknowledging that their past has been rocky and their present is full of fear. They take responsibility for what they have done right but are scared to take on anything else. They reiterate their need for someone to lean on but are clear that they don't want charity - they want a partner. The repeated reference to a dream of love found suggests that this hope is central to the singer's worldview but is also tempered by the stark reality of their past experiences. Ultimately, the song communicates the fragility of the singer's hope and their need for a partner who can help them navigate the difficulties of life without letting them down.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch your lips moving
I am observing your lips move.
I see the words taking shape
I see the words forming.
But love's like a language
Love is similar to a language.
I cannot translate
I am unable to decipher it.
I can't afford to be careless
I am unable to be reckless.
And let you in
Allow you access to my heart.
I turn my head for one minute
I glance away for but an instant.
And lose everything
And everything is gone.
Wish I had someone whom I could lean
Desiring someone for support and comfort.
Cause everybody's always counting on me
People depend on me always.
With my hands held real tight
I hold on tightly with my hands.
Always ready to fight
Prepared to struggle always.
For the few pieces of joy I have now
For the little happiness I possess now.
You have turned on a light
You brought light into my world.
And I've lost my sight
I am unable to see.
But my heart still remembers the sound
My heart still recalls the sensation.
Of a dream of a love one day found
Of an ideal love that will be discovered one day.
Your past it may be rocky
Your previous experiences may have been difficult.
But your present is clear
However, your current situation is definite.
My present situation
My present circumstance.
Is the sum of all my fears
My present situation is the combination of all that I fear.
I take responsibility for the few things I done right
I acknowledge responsibility for the few things I've done correctly.
But I got so much on my plate
But I currently have many things to handle.
I'm scared to take another bite
I'm afraid to handle more tasks.
Still I don't want no one's charity
However, I don't desire assistance from anyone.
Heartbreak and bullets can try
Heartache and violence may attempt.
To steal any good from my life
To take away any good in my life.
Fathers and lovers have lied
Men I loved or respected have told falsehoods.
Rivers have flowed from my eyes
Tears have streamed down my face.
Never seen love face to face
I have never experienced love personally.
Just seen it walking away
I have only watched love depart.
Why would you think I would recognize
Why would you assume I would recognize it?
Something that's never been mine
Something that was never my own.
You're the dream of a love one day found
You are the ideal love I hope to find someday.
And the freedom from what kept me bound
And liberation from what captivated me.
And a promise of staying around
And an assurance of remaining present.
My eyes may not work for me now
My eyes may not work as desired at this moment.
But my heart sure remembers the sound
But my heart can still remember.
So if you saying it
So if what you are professing is true.
Please say it loud
Speak it with great volume.
And don't let me down
And do not disappoint me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOCHEN WENZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mercedescamacho6205
With my hands held real tight
Always ready to fight
For the few pieces of joy I have now
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
Heartbreak and bullets can try
To steal any good from my life
Fathers and lovers have lied
Rivers have flowed from my eyes
Never seen love face to face
Just seen it walking away
Why would you think I would recognize
Something that's never been mine
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
You're the dream of a love one day found
And the freedom from what kept me bound
And a promise of staying around
My eyes may not work for me now
But my heart sure remembers the sound
So if you saying it
Please say it loud
And don't let me down
@CatherineSTodd
"Don't Let Me Down" lyrics, performed by Amel Larrieux
I watch your lips moving
I see the words taking shape
But love's like a language
I cannot translate
I can't afford to be careless
And let you in
I turn my head for one minute
And lose everything
Wish I had someone whom I could lean
Cause everybody's always counting on me
With my hands held real tight
Always ready to fight
For the few pieces of joy I have now
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
Of a dream of a love one day found
So don't let me down
Your past it may be rocky
But your present is clear
My present situation
Is the sum of all my fears
I take responsibility for the few things I done right
But I got so much on my plate
I'm scared to take another bite
Wish I had someone on whom I could lean
Still I don't want no one's charity
With my hands held real tight
Always ready to fight
For the few pieces of joy I have now
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
Heartbreak and bullets can try
To steal any good from my life
Fathers and lovers have lied
Rivers have flowed from my eyes
Never seen love face to face
Just seen it walking away
Why would you think I would recognize
Something that's never been mine
You have turned on a light
And I've lost my sight
But my heart still remembers the sound
Of a dream of a love one day found
You're the dream of a love one day found
And the freedom from what kept me bound
And a promise of staying around
My eyes may not work for me now
But my heart sure remembers the sound
So if you saying it
Please say it loud
And don't let me down
@LaylaNicoleX
This song brought me to tears when I heard it in Beyond the Lights. I had to find it lol
@bailar29
It just popped in my head and I had to listen to it lol
@emilywhitney6967
+LaylaNicoleX agreed :')
@lilcali5472
Yes Girll Same😘
@pamcole5609
wry
@taneikaallison9899
LaylaNicoleX me too!!!! I love this😍
@passion84life
Thank you Beyond the Lights
@jaylasmoore
Yesss!👏🏾👏🏾
@demikamurphy9882
🙌🙌🙌
@OneSwagaDon
Facts