Hold Me Up
Banner Pilot Lyrics


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I look at you, it hurts, I can't deny that
It makes all the blood and bones melt right out of
My knees when you speak, a picture so perfect
It's framed with the moon, your face and eucalyptus trees

All of the streetlights are broken tonight
All of the streetlights are broken, they're broken
All of the streetlights are broken tonight
All of the streetlights are broken, I'm broken down

So let me go with you
I get through days finding ways to feel alright
Be the tape and glue that holds me up
Want to know where you go when you're not

Lighting up the night
Taking lows to drunken heights
I can't go home

I grin a crescent moon, it lights the road in
A dead valley town, you say can't imagine
My days playing out here, lawns are so perfect
But you'd be amazed, you can end up here lots of ways

So let me go with you
I get through days finding ways to feel alright
Be the tape and glue that holds me up
Settled in, poured our hearts out on the floor

Sat on 10th and Grand
I saw a bum leaning up against a door
As we passed him by, my only thought
Could be you, could be me, we've still got time

April 1
And the ground has just thawed out
The white got black
I pray for rain and an end to March's drought

Tell the ceiling cracks, we're the same, we got tired of fighting
Slept it off and I woke up writing
Places I've been, the people I've known
Capped the pen, grabbed my bag, and headed home

Bottle days so they spill out into night
Scattered thoughts on a page, polluting white




I find myself in the kitchen, aim for a couple barks that bite
I scratched your name but nothing came

Overall Meaning

The song "Hold Me Up" by Banner Pilot talks about the overpowering feeling of love that makes the singer's knees go weak. The opening line itself conveys the pain and intensity in his eyes when they meet the love interest's gaze. The picture that she creates is so perfect that it makes the singer's heart melt. The broken streetlights in the background symbolize how everything else fades away in front of her beauty. The chorus talks about how the singer wants to go with her to be with her because she is the only one who can keep him together. As though she is the tape and glue that hold him up.


The second verse highlights the singer's background in a dead valley town, where he had to play out his days without ambitions. He could have ended up with anyone, but he ended up with her. The imagery of the crescent moon lighting up the road and the lawns being perfect, contrasts with the reality of his life. "Sat on 10th and Grand" line refers to his location in Los Angeles, specifically in the downtown area where he sees a homeless person leaning up against a door. He thinks of how time can change his fate and how they still have time.


The third verse is about the start of spring, the end of March drought, and the singer's realization that he needs to move on from his bottle days. He writes about the people he's known and the places he's been, remembering the love interest as he starts packing up his things to go back home. The last line of the song, “I scratched your name but nothing came” shows how he’s moved on from the love interest as she isn’t a part of his life anymore.


Line by Line Meaning

I look at you, it hurts, I can't deny that
Seeing you is painful, yet I cannot deny the feelings that arise


It makes all the blood and bones melt right out of
My attraction to you is overwhelming - it feels like I'm losing all control


My knees when you speak, a picture so perfect
Everything about you makes me weak and vulnerable, and yet you are seemingly perfect


It's framed with the moon, your face and eucalyptus trees
The image of you is so beautiful that it's almost surreal, like a framed picture under the moon and eucalyptus trees


All of the streetlights are broken tonight
The world around me is dark and chaotic


All of the streetlights are broken, they're broken
The darkness is pervasive and inescapable


So let me go with you
Please take me away from this darkness and chaos


I get through days finding ways to feel alright
I'm barely hanging on, and barely getting by day to day


Be the tape and glue that holds me up
I need someone to support me and keep me together in the face of my struggles


Want to know where you go when you're not
I want to be close to you and know everything about you


Lighting up the night
Your presence brings light and hope to my life


Taking lows to drunken heights
Being with you makes everything feel better - even to the point of intoxication


I can't go home
Being without you feels unbearable, and I can't fathom going back to my old life without you in it


I grin a crescent moon, it lights the road in
In your presence, even the moon seems to shine brighter, illuminating the path forward


A dead valley town, you say can't imagine
This place is desolate and bleak, but you bring life and color to it


My days playing out here, lawns are so perfect
My life here seems dull and mundane, while your presence brings excitement and beauty


But you'd be amazed, you can end up here lots of ways
Even in a desolate and ordinary place, a beautiful and unique person can still shine brightly


Settled in, poured our hearts out on the floor
We are comfortable and open with each other, sharing our deepest feelings and emotions


Sat on 10th and Grand
We are enjoying each other's company, just sitting and observing the world around us


I saw a bum leaning up against a door
In the midst of our happiness, we are reminded of the struggles of others


As we passed him by, my only thought
Despite our own problems and difficulties, we are still able to empathize with others


Could be you, could be me, we've still got time
Even in the midst of struggles and chaos, there is hope for a brighter future, together


The white got black
A sudden and striking change, from light to dark


I pray for rain and an end to March's drought
I am hoping for a change in my life, after a long period of hardship and struggle


Tell the ceiling cracks, we're the same, we got tired of fighting
We are all struggling with our own battles and demons, and sometimes it feels like too much to bear


Slept it off and I woke up writing
Sometimes, the best way to deal with our struggles is to rest and let our emotions out creatively


Places I've been, the people I've known
Reflecting on our past experiences and relationships can help us understand ourselves and our struggles better


Capped the pen, grabbed my bag, and headed home
After processing our thoughts and emotions, we can move forward with a renewed sense of purpose


Bottle days so they spill out into night
Drinking to cope can be a dark and dangerous cycle


Scattered thoughts on a page, polluting white
Our struggles and hardships can make it difficult to focus and think clearly


I find myself in the kitchen, aim for a couple barks that bite
We may turn to self-harm and self-destruction as a way of coping with pain


I scratched your name but nothing came
Even the people we care about cannot always save us from our struggles




Contributed by Hannah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Niels Van Damme

great song!

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