Chris Smithers song "Love you like a man" from Smithers first album has been famously covered by Bonnie Raitt who has made it a signature song of hers under the title "Love me like a man" (published on her second Album "Give it up")- she has openly expressed admiration for Chris Smithers songwriting and guitarplaying. Later Raitt's version of the song has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Diana Krall.
The protagonist of Linda Barnes's series of "Carlotta Carlyle" mysteries is a fan of Smither's music and several of her books mention it.
Hold On
Chris Smither Lyrics
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I will decide how I'll be tied, but freedom, be there for me
We'll build walls around our brain
Leave these prisons in our chains
And hold on
And I thought I had control, I tried
But now I would be satisfied
To hold on
Tell me what to do, and I'll tell you what I'll say
My freedom will be measured by the length to which I'll disobey
Tell me where to go
And I'll freely tell you no
And I will hold on
But leave me on my own
And I'll lock these shackles to my bones
And I'll hold on
Freedom for the soul is what we want, but when it fades
We'll treat it like a burden, till the devil feels he's underpaid
We'll drag that spirit door to door
Till finally it can't move no more
It just holds on
Now the only thing that's truly free
Is this little voice that's telling me
To hold on
In Chris Smither's song "Hold On," the lyrics discuss the concept of freedom and the various ways in which it can be perceived and experienced. The song begins by stating that everyone is free to express themselves through their own unique voice and that freedom should always be available to everyone. However, it goes on to acknowledge that the idea of freedom can be paradoxical, as many people build mental walls and live in self-imposed prisons. Despite this, the singer asserts that he will always hold on to his freedom, even if it means disobeying those who try to curtail it.
The second verse speaks directly to the idea that true freedom is found in the ability to choose one's own path in life, regardless of what others may say or think. The singer makes it clear that he will not be swayed by anyone else's opinions or directions, insisting on forging his own way forward even if it means locking himself in a figurative prison of his own making.
The last verse points out the irony of how easily people can take their own spirit of freedom for granted, treating it as a "burden" until they've lost it altogether. By the end of the song, however, the singer recognizes that his own "little voice" is the only thing he can truly rely on in order to hold on to his own sense of freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Let it fly and lonely cry, everybody's free
Everyone has the freedom to express themselves, even if it means being alone in doing so.
I will decide how I'll be tied, but freedom, be there for me
I want the ability to make my own choices and take responsibility for my own mistakes, but also have the freedom to pursue my dreams.
We'll build walls around our brain
Leave these prisons in our chains
And hold on
We often hold ourselves back from pursuing our dreams and building a better life due to fear and self-doubt, but we must hold on and keep pushing forward.
And I thought I had control, I tried
But now I would be satisfied
To hold on
I used to think that I had control over my life, but I realize now that sometimes all you can do is hold on and hope for the best.
Tell me what to do, and I'll tell you what I'll say
My freedom will be measured by the length to which I'll disobey
I refuse to be told what to do and will only do what I believe is right, even if it means going against authority.
Tell me where to go
And I'll freely tell you no
And I will hold on
I won't let anyone else dictate where my life should go, and I'll hold onto my dreams even if others try to tell me they're impossible.
But leave me on my own
And I'll lock these shackles to my bones
And I'll hold on
When I'm left to my own devices, sometimes I succumb to fear and self-doubt, but I'll keep holding on to my dreams and fighting for what I believe in.
Freedom for the soul is what we want, but when it fades
We'll treat it like a burden, till the devil feels he's underpaid
We all crave freedom, but when we lose it we tend to take it for granted and may even start to see it as a burden.
We'll drag that spirit door to door
Till finally it can't move no more
It just holds on
We'll keep fighting for our dreams even when it feels like the world is against us, and we'll hold onto our hope until we can't hold on anymore.
Now the only thing that's truly free
Is this little voice that's telling me
To hold on
In the end, the only thing we truly have control over is our own thoughts and beliefs, and we must hold onto that inner voice that tells us to keep going and never give up.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRIS SMITHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind