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 II
Chris Smither Lyrics
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When I was young and learned the world was round,
There didn't seem to be a lot to say,
But I had trouble keepin' both feet on the ground.
But now I stick to you,
I know just what to do,
I hold on.
So thick and blue that I went tumblin' in,
Out the window, knowin' I could fly,
I flew as far as where the ground begins,
For you I'll use the door,
I don't do that anymore,
I hold on.
[Chorus]
All the black and blue,
That I stumble through for you
Will never show.
I have a simulated grace
To help me keep my place,
And never let you go..
I'll never let you go
If you could see the world the way I do,
With nothing keepin' up or keepin' time,
Your sense of self would tear your heart in two,
While you try to tell the world you're feelin fine,
Inside that's how I feel,
So I reach for something real,
And hold on.
[Chorus]
I might make these revelations
With the ghostly imitation of a smile.
It's the best that I can do,
And I'll do my best for you,
And hope it lasts for a while
The lyrics to Chris Smither's song "Hold On II" speak to the idea of holding onto something or someone, even if the world around you can be chaotic or confusing. In the first verse, the singer recalls a moment from their childhood where they learned about the roundness of the earth. At the time, they struggled to keep their feet on the ground. However, the singer now "sticks to" someone or something, knowing exactly what to do and holding on tight.
The second verse speaks to a moment where the singer looked up at the sky and felt like they could fly. However, they now use the door and hold on tight to something real. The chorus acknowledges the struggles and difficulties that the singer faces but reassures that the black and blues will never show because they have a "simulated grace" to help them keep their place and never let go.
The final verse acknowledges that if others could see the world the way the singer does, they would be torn apart while trying to pretend they're fine. The singer admits to making revelations with a "ghostly imitation of a smile" but will continue to do their best and hold on tight for as long as they can.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember one Columbus Day,
I recall a particular Columbus Day from my past,
When I was young and learned the world was round,
At that time of my life, I discovered that the world was round,
There didn't seem to be a lot to say,
It didn't feel like there was much to talk about,
But I had trouble keepin' both feet on the ground.
I struggled with staying grounded,
But now I stick to you,
But now I rely on you,
I know just what to do,
I know exactly what to do,
I hold on.
I hold on to you.
I remember looking at the sky,
I remember gazing up at the sky,
So thick and blue that I went tumblin' in,
The sky was so thick and blue that it felt like I was falling into it,
Out the window, knowin' I could fly,
I was looking outside the window, knowing that I could fly,
I flew as far as where the ground begins,
I flew, but only until I reached the beginning of the ground level,
For you I'll use the door,
For you, I'll choose the sensible, safe option,
I don't do that anymore,
I don't take unnecessary risks like that anymore,
I hold on.
I hold onto you instead.
All the black and blue,
All the hardships and bruises,
That I stumble through for you
That I go through in order to be with you,
Will never show.
I won't let those struggles be visible to you,
I have a simulated grace
I pretend to have grace,
To help me keep my place,
In order to keep my position in your life,
And never let you go..
And to never let you leave my life,
I'll never let you go
I'll always keep you close to me.
If you could see the world the way I do,
If you could see things the way I see them,
With nothing keepin' up or keepin' time,
Without anything to hold things up or keep them in place,
Your sense of self would tear your heart in two,
You would feel torn apart inside,
While you try to tell the world you're feelin fine,
While you try to convince the world that everything is okay,
Inside that's how I feel,
Inside, that's how I really feel,
So I reach for something real,
So I look for something genuine,
And hold on.
And I hold on to you tighter.
I might make these revelations
I might share these insights with you,
With the ghostly imitation of a smile.
But with a fake smile that doesn't reflect how I truly feel,
It's the best that I can do,
It's the most I can do,
And I'll do my best for you,
And I'll do everything I can for you,
And hope it lasts for a while
And I hope it will last for a long time.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRIS SMITHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind