Holding Back
Banks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love is holding back
I know I've done you wrong
Did I say too much?
Drown my sorrows, called you up
When the truth is tough
Honesty may not be enough
I know I've done you wrong
Believe me, I'm alright
I'll see you in the morning
And loving is holding back
And I have been in mourning
Have I told you that I seen a light?
You know I'm pushy 'cause I go too far
Something 'bout what you said in the morning
Never gave me a warning, ah
And while you walking free
I stay in the middle unaccompanied
Listen, you were little, won't you come and see?
I wrote you a melody, can't you see
That it's you I love and, babe, I know
You won't admit it but we're something, baby
All I wanna do is get you loved and laid
I wrote you a melody, can't you see that?
Holding back
I know I've done you wrong
Did I say too much?
Believe me, I'm alright
I'll see you in the morning
And loving is holding back
And I have been in mourning
I remember when you locked us out
We had to climb in through the window how
Lifting me up, was on the second floor and
I always love that story
And when you talk to me
You don't think I listen, but I do, you see
Words are never bitter 'cause your voice so sweet
Your voice is like melody, can't you see that?
Baby, don't be afraid
Not every conversation is a new grenade
All I wanna do is get you loved and laid
I wrote you a melody, can't you see that?
Holding back
I know I've done you wrong
Did I say too much?
Believe me, I'm alright
I'll see you in the morning
And loving is holding back
And I have been in mourning
Anything, I want you more than
All-time, I want you more than
Moonlight, I want you more than
Sunshine, I want you more than
Water, I want you more than
High tides, so don't you say that
Our time is up
And our time ain't up, oh ooh-ooh-ooh
'Cause I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you (want you)
Give me love, give me love, give me love, give me love, give me love, yeah
Want you, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you
Give me love, give me love, give me love, give me love, give me love, yeah
Give me love, yeah
Love is holding back
I know I've done you wrong
Believe me, I'm alright
I'll see you in the morning
And loving is holding back
And I have been in mourning
Love is holding back
I know I've done you wrong
Believe me, I'm alright
I'll see you in the morning
(Babe, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you)
And loving is holding back
And I have been in mourning
The song "Holding Back" by Banks is about the singer's struggle with love and vulnerability. She acknowledges that she has done wrong in her relationship and expresses a desire for honesty, even though honesty may not be enough to salvage the relationship. The repetition of the line "Love is holding back" emphasizes the idea that fear and hesitation are preventing her from fully giving herself to the relationship. The singer also reminisces about past experiences with her partner, highlighting their love for each other but acknowledging that they still have work to do in their relationship.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of holding back in love, with the singer admitting that she has done wrong but also expressing a desire to make things right. She wants to be with her partner but acknowledges that love requires vulnerability and that can be difficult for her. The verse where she talks about having seen a light is particularly interesting, as it may indicate that she has seen a way to move forward in her relationship, but she is still unsure if it will work out.
Overall, "Holding Back" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of love and relationships. The song conveys the message that love requires vulnerability, honesty, and communication in order to be successful, but these things can be difficult to achieve.
Line by Line Meaning
No
Love is not present in the current situation
Love is holding back
The fear of getting hurt is preventing the expression of love
I know I've done you wrong
The singer is aware of their mistakes in the past
Did I say too much?
The artist is questioning if their honesty was inappropriate or not
Drown my sorrows, called you up
The artist is drinking to cope with their emotions and has reached out to the person they care about
When the truth is tough
It is difficult to be truthful in situations like this
Honesty may not be enough
Being truthful may not be sufficient to repair the damaged relationship
'Cause love is holding back
Expressions of love are inhibited by fear
Believe me, I'm alright
The person is doing okay despite the anxiety and fear
I'll see you in the morning
The artist plans on seeing the person they care about the next day
And loving is holding back
The hesitation to express love is causing emotional pain
And I have been in mourning
The artist is grieving over the loss of the relationship
Have I told you that I seen a light?
The singer is having moments of hope and clarity
You know I'm pushy 'cause I go too far
The singer can be aggressive in trying to make things right
Something 'bout what you said in the morning
Something the other person said has stirred up emotions in the singer
Never gave me a warning, ah
The other person did not express their feelings or intentions clearly
And while you walking free
The other person is not as affected by the situation as the artist
I stay in the middle unaccompanied
The singer feels alone in the situation
Listen, you were little, won't you come and see?
The singer wants the other person to come see them and listen to their side of the story
I wrote you a melody, can't you see
The artist has expressed their emotions in a song for the other person
That it's you I love and, babe, I know
The artist is confessing their love for the other person
You won't admit it but we're something, baby
The artist believes there is something special between them despite the current situation
All I wanna do is get you loved and laid
The singer wants to make the other person feel loved and valued
Holding back
Fear is preventing the expression of love
Anything, I want you more than
The singer wants the other person more than anything else
All-time, I want you more than
The singer has always wanted the other person
Moonlight, I want you more than
The singer wants the other person more than the beauty of the moonlight
Sunshine, I want you more than
The artist wants the other person more than the warmth and light of the sun
Water, I want you more than
The artist wants the other person more than the necessity of water
High tides, so don't you say that
The singer wants the other person to not give up on the relationship
Our time is up
It feels like the relationship has reached its end
And our time ain't up, oh ooh-ooh-ooh
The artist believes there is still time for the relationship to be repaired
Give me love, give me love, give me love, give me love, give me love, yeah
The artist wants the other person's love
Love is holding back
Fear is preventing the expression of love
Believe me, I'm alright
The singer is doing okay despite the anxiety and fear
I'll see you in the morning
The artist plans on seeing the person they care about the next day
And loving is holding back
The hesitation to express love is causing emotional pain
And I have been in mourning
The singer is grieving over the loss of the relationship
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Eliot Dubock, Jasmin Tadjiky, Jillian Banks, Rachel Moulden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jasmineping7606
[Intro]
Love, love is holding back
I know I’ve done you wrong
Did I say too much?
Drowned my sorrow’s, called you up
When the truth is tough
Honesty may not be enough
[Chorus]
‘Cause love is holding back
I know I’ve done you wrong
Lead me on my way
I’ll see you in the morning
And lovin’ is holdin’ back
And now you’re feeling wounded
Ever told you that I’ve seen the light? You know I pushed you ’cause I go too far Something ’bout what you said in the morning Never gave me a warning, ah Now while you’re walking free I’ll stay in the middle unaccompanied Missin’ you a little, won’t you come and see? I wrote you a melody, can’t you see that? It’s you I’m lovin’, babe I know you won’t admit it, but we’rе something, babe All I wanna do is get you lovеd and laid I wrote you a melody, can’t you see that?
[Chorus] Love is holding back I know I’ve done you wrong Did I say too much? Lead me on my way I’ll see you in the morning And lovin’ is holding back And now you’re feeling wounded
[Verse 2] I remember when you locked us out We had to climb in through the window How lifted me up, was on the second floor And I always loved that story And won’t you talk to me? You don’t think I listen, but I do, you see Words are never bitter ’cause your voice so sweet Your voice is like a melody, can’t you see that? Baby, don’t be afraid Not every conversation is a new grenade All I wanna do is get you loved and laid I wrote you a melody, can’t you see that?
[Chorus] Love is holding back I know I’ve done you wrong Did I say too much? Lead me on my way I’ll see you in the morning And lovin’ is holdin’ back And now you’re feeling wounded
[Bridge] Anything I want you more than all time I want you more than moonlight I want you more than sunshine I want you more than water I want you more than high tides So don’t you say that our time is up Our time ain’t up, oh-ooh-ooh-ooh ‘Cause I want you, I want you, I want you I want you, I want you (I want you) Give me love, give me love, give me love Give me love, give me love, yeah I want you, I want you, I want you I want you, I want you (Want you, want you, want you, want you, want you) Give me love, give me love, give me love Give me love, give me love, yeah (Give me love, yeah)
[Chorus] Love is holding back, yeah I know I’ve done you wrong Over and over Lead me on my way I’ll see you in the morning And lovin’ is holding back And now you’re feeling wounded Love is holding back, yeah I know I’ve done you wrong (Oh, na na na na na na) Lead me on my way (Oh, na na na na na na) I’ll see you in the morning (Oh, na na na na na na) (Baby, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you) And lovin’ is holding back And now you’re feeling wounded
@ItsRakoon
First off idk if anyone else can HEAR how her overall confidence has grown over the years! I love that I’ve got to witness this growth of an artist!!! 💚🔥🔥🔥🔥
@KTBEverlasting
She indeed has. Banks has officially snapped.
@brunofilipesilvabarbosaved1256
The devil knows it all.
@aliseversella3946
Agree! Oh it's been so cool to witness! And very empowering!
@averyhurst8371
it's one of my favorite things about being a fan since 2013!!!!! her growth, not only artistically but also in her confidence!
@roshanda7006
It makes me love her music even more!! I have a whole list for her it helps me go to sleep at night!
@Vinsomer
I think Serpentina will be the ultimate culmination of how BANKS has grown as an artist over the years, from her vocals to her lyrics to her production. Honestly can't wait.
@Anmadowr
"When the truth is tough
Honesty may not be enough" ... Poignant wording🔥🔥🔥
@piscesglossier6687
Literal chills wow…I’m literally speechless. This song is amazing
@letsbefair2675
BANKS CONFIDENCE ALWAYS SHINED! IM NOT SURPRISED. She has always been here ahead of her time. A sound meshed together that I love and finally someone has been making and is still here!