Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.
Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.
The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.
Keepin’ It To Myself
Average White Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm giving away much more than I ought to be
Oh, yes I am
And today I got a letter
Telling me things that I better not believe
But I don't know if I can
But you're the last in a long line of mistakes I've made
I'm tired of giving my heart and soul to a masquerade
Keepin' it to myself
Let it build up inside of me
Keepin' it to myself
Baby, I tried
Well it makes no difference
I always thought that it was planned
When you get everything a man has to give
You now you got to return it
But every time I build my dreams
Find that love is not all what it seems to be
And I keep getting burned
But from now on I'm gonna quit
Before I commit myself
To any woman I meet
And I'll get by without love for a while
And get into something else
Keepin' it to myself
Let it build on up inside
Keepin' it to myself
Baby, I tried
The lyrics of Average White Band's song Keepin’ It To Myself talk about the singer's realization that they tend to give away more than they should in a relationship. They receive a letter that warns them about something but they don't know if they can believe it. The singer speaks about being tired of making mistakes in love and giving their heart and soul to someone's illusion. The last mistake has led them to decide that they will keep their emotions and feelings inside rather than giving them away to anyone. They declare that they will try to keep everything to themselves and consciously suppress their emotions from spilling out. The singer continues to say that they always believed in making an effort towards love and relationships, but every time they invest themselves in someone, they always seem to face disappointment. Hence, the singer is tired of getting burned and is ready to move on from the world of love and focus on something else.
The song is an excellent representation of an individual's struggle between their desire for love and their fear of getting hurt, leading them to willingly seal off their emotions from others. It portrays the internal conflict that an individual goes through while deciding to let go of a part of themselves to fall in love. The song highlights the fear of commitment and the fear of getting hurt, leading the singer to want to keep everything to themselves. The meaning behind the lyrics is relatable and strikes a chord with many, thus making the song evergreen.
Line by Line Meaning
Now and again it occurs to me
Every so often, I realize
I'm giving away much more than I ought to be
I'm sharing too much of myself with others
Oh, yes I am
It's true
And today I got a letter
Recently I received a message
Telling me things that I better not believe
Informing me of falsehoods I shouldn't trust
But I don't know if I can
I'm not sure if I have the ability
But you're the last in a long line of mistakes I've made
You're the most recent error in a series of many I've committed
I'm tired of giving my heart and soul to a masquerade
I'm exhausted from putting so much effort into a deceptive performance
So I'm gonna be
Therefore, I will
Keepin' it to myself
Keeping my feelings private
Let it build up inside of me
Allowing my emotions to accumulate within me
Baby, I tried
I made an effort, but it didn't work out
Well it makes no difference
It doesn't matter
I always thought that it was planned
I used to believe it was deliberate
When you get everything a man has to give
Upon obtaining all a person can offer
You now you got to return it
It's expected you'll give back something in return
But every time I build my dreams
However, every time I envision a positive future
Find that love is not all what it seems to be
I realize that romance isn't always straightforward
And I keep getting burned
I continue to get hurt
But from now on I'm gonna quit
Yet, moving forward I will stop
Before I commit myself
Before I dedicate my time and energy
To any woman I meet
To any new potential partner
And I'll get by without love for a while
I'll manage without romance temporarily
And get into something else
I'll pursue a different interest instead
Keepin' it to myself
Keeping my feelings private
Let it build on up inside
Allowing my emotions to accumulate within me
Baby, I tried
I made an effort, but it didn't work out
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALAN GORRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind