Charles Otto Puth Jr. is an American singer, songwriter and record producer… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Otto Puth Jr. is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube.

Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, while songwriting and producing for other artists. With primary intent on a solo career, Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group eventually sought the artist and released his debut single, "Marvin Gaye" (featuring Meghan Trainor), in 2015. His next single and first feature, "See You Again", which he co-wrote, co-produced, and performed with Atlantic label-mate Wiz Khalifa for the Furious 7 soundtrack as a tribute to actor Paul Walker. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks. After the success of "See You Again", he gained worldwide recognition for multiple subsequent releases, including his next single, "One Call Away". The single reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Puth's debut studio album, Nine Track Mind, was released in January 2016 to moderate commercial success. The album was preceded by the singles "One Call Away" and "We Don't Talk Anymore" (featuring Selena Gomez), which peaked at number 12 and number 9 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, he released two songs, "Attention" and "How Long", with the former peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both were included on his second studio album, Voicenotes (2018), with ameliorated critical reception and a peak of number 4 on the Billboard 200. In 2019, Puth released the singles "I Warned Myself", "Mother" and "Cheating on You". The following year, Puth released singles "Girlfriend" and "Hard on Yourself". After deciding not to put these songs on his next album and scrapping what other songs he had written for it in early 2020, Puth released "Light Switch" in January 2022 as the lead single of his upcoming third studio album Charlie, which is scheduled for a 2022 release. "Light Switch" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, "That's Hilarious", was released in April 2022.

Light Switch
Charlie Puth Lyrics

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Yeah

Why you callin' at 11:30
When you only wanna do me dirty? (Uh)
But I hit right back
'Cause you got that-that, yeah, uh
Why you always wanna act like lovers?
But you never wanna be each others' (uh)

I say, "Don't look back"
But I go right back and

All the sudden, I'm hypnotized
You're the one that I can't deny
Every time that I say
I'm gonna walk away

You turn me on like a light switch
When you're movin' your body around and around
Now, I don't wanna fight this (no)
You know how to just make me want
You turn me on like a light switch
When you're movin' your body around and around
You got me in a tight grip (yeah)
You know how to just make me want you, baby

Do you love it when you keep me guessin'? (Me guessin')
When you leave and then you leave me stressin' (me stressin') (uh) (uh)
But I can't stay mad
When you walk like that, no, uh
Why you always wanna act like lovers?
But you never wanna be each others' (uh) (uh)
I say, "Don't look back"
But I go right back and

All the sudden, I'm hypnotized (hypnotized)
You're the one that I can't deny (can't deny)
Every time that I say
I'm gonna walk away (yeah)

You turn me on like a light switch
When you're movin' your body around and around
Now, I don't wanna fight this (no)
You know how to just make me want
You turn me on like a light switch (switch)
When you're movin' your body around and around
You got me in a tight grip (grip)
You know how to just make me want you, baby

Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on and show me how you do (you do)
You want, you want, you want, you want
You wanna keep me wantin' you (me wantin' you, girl)
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on and show me how you do (how you do)
You want, you want, you want, you want
You wanna keep me wantin' you

You turn me on like a light switch
When you're movin' your body around and around
Now, I don't wanna fight this
You know how to just make me want to

You turn me on like a light switch
When you're movin' your body around and around
You got me in a tight grip
You know how to just make me want you, baby

Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on and show me how you do (how you do)
You want, you want, you want, you want
You wanna keep me wantin' you (wanna keep me wantin' you, baby)
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on and show me how you do (how you do)

You want, you want, you want, you want
You wanna keep me wantin' you

Overall Meaning

"Light Switch" by Charlie Puth explores the complexities of a toxic relationship. The song is a conversation between two people who are constantly in conflict, but are unable to stay away from each other. The song begins with the singer asking why their partner would call them late at night when they only want to hurt them. Despite this, the singer admits to being unable to resist their partner's charm and keeps going back to them.

The chorus compares the effect of the partner's seduction to that of turning on a light switch. The partner's seductive movements and ability to keep the singer wanting more is like a switch that turns on and off. The second verse continues with the same themes, with the singer admitting to being unable to stay mad at their partner when they walk a certain way.

Overall, "Light Switch" is a relatable song that many people can relate to. It speaks to the appeal of toxic relationships and the difficulty of breaking away from them.

Line by Line Meaning

Why you callin' at 11:30 When you only wanna do me dirty? (Uh) But I hit right back 'Cause you got that-that, yeah, uh Why you always wanna act like lovers? But you never wanna be each others' (uh) I say, "Don't look back" But I go right back and
The singer is being called by their lover, who only wants to use them for physical pleasure. Despite this, the singer is drawn back to their lover every time, even though their relationship is not a real romantic one.

All the sudden, I'm hypnotized You're the one that I can't deny Every time that I say I'm gonna walk away
The singer is helplessly drawn to their lover and can't resist their charm, even when they try to leave the relationship behind.

You turn me on like a light switch When you're movin' your body around and around Now, I don't wanna fight this (no) You know how to just make me want You turn me on like a light switch When you're movin' your body around and around You got me in a tight grip (yeah) You know how to just make me want you, baby
The singer is highly attracted to their lover's physical movements and presence, leading them to feel like they are under a spell.

Do you love it when you keep me guessin'? (Me guessin') When you leave and then you leave me stressin' (me stressin') (uh) (uh) But I can't stay mad When you walk like that, no, uh Why you always wanna act like lovers? But you never wanna be each others' (uh) (uh) I say, "Don't look back" But I go right back and
The artist feels frustrated by their lover's behavior but is drawn back to them every time, even when their lover causes them stress and anxiety.

Come on, come on, come on, come on Come on and show me how you do (you do) You want, you want, you want, you want You wanna keep me wantin' you (me wantin' you, girl) Come on, come on, come on, come on Come on and show me how you do (how you do) You want, you want, you want, you want You wanna keep me wantin' you
The artist's lover is successful in keeping the artist hooked on them, and the artist seeks validation and reassurance from their lover to continue the cycle of attraction and desire.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charlie Puth, Jacob Casey Torrey, Jacob Kasher Hindlin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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