Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter. … Read Full Bio ↴Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter. He signed with Madonna's Maverick Records, but the label shut down before his album was released. Hutchinson recorded and released the album Sounds Like This on his own. The album won praise from gossip blogger Perez Hilton, which sent it to the top ten on the iTunes Store, where it peaked at number five in September 2007 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The album was picked up by Warner Bros. Records, who released it in May 2008.Born in Washington, D.C., Hutchinson grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, attended Montgomery Blair High School and went to Emerson College in Boston, where he lived for about four years before moving to Los Angeles. Hutchinson began playing guitar around 1995, and later added piano to his repertoire. When on acoustic guitar, he plays with exuberance, often laying down percussive hand slaps on the strings. He says he "should've taken more guitar lessons," but was always "more interested in playing and singing songs I knew and liked better than Hot Cross Buns out of a workbook." As of February 2007, he resides in New York City.

On September 15, 2008, he performed his song "Rock and Roll" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Eric has also performed "Rock and Roll" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Eric debuted his single "Ok It's Alright With Me" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on July 24, 2009

His song "Rock and Roll" was used in the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and was included in the soundtrack. "Rock and Roll" was also used as the song to end the final episode of 2008 series of Packed to the Rafters. Packed To The Rafters was the highest rating Australian show in 2008. It was featured in the Platinum selling Packed to the Rafters soundtrack. "Rock and Roll" went on to get a number #1 position on the Australian airplay chart in early April 2009.

"Rock and Roll" has reached a number #1 position on the ARIA Australian Singles Chart and has been certified Platinum in Australia. "Rock and Roll" has also reached Gold in New Zealand and Gold in Norway. "Rock and Roll" also reached #1 airplay in the United States.

The Watching You Watching Him Songfacts says that Hutchinson's sophomore major label album, Moving Up Living Down, was recorded with Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Regina Spektor) in California and Martin Terefe (Jason Mraz, James Morrison) in London after Hutchinson penned the songs at home in New York City.

Hutchinson has also been named an AOL "About To Pop" artist, Yahoo! Who's Next Artist, MSN "One To Watch" Artist and a "VH1 You Oughta Know" Artist.

Don't Hold Back
Eric Hutchinson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So you may be thinking that you wanted more
You may be thinking that you don't know what's in store
I'm gonna be here but not for too long
So don't hold back

I don't do an encore
So if you're holding back energy give it to me now
I didn't mean that literally I meant like, over the course of the show

Don't pretend that when I leave stage then you're gonna flip out

'Cause it just won't happen, said it just won't happen
You're representing Chicago, the name will be on the CD
Do you really want people hearing Chicago
And thinking, "They kind of lack energy"

So if you're holding back
Don't hold back anymore

If you're holding back
Don't hold back

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Eric Hutchinson’s Don't Hold Back reflect a sense of urgency and importance behind living life to the fullest. The song encourages the listener to take action and make the most of their opportunities without hesitation or reservation. The song speaks to those who may be hesitant or unsure of their next steps, encouraging them to give all their energy and effort to the present moment.

The opening lines of the song recognize the possibility of hesitation and doubt that may prevent someone from achieving everything they desire. The lyric “You may be thinking that you wanted more, you may be thinking that you don’t know what’s in store” acknowledges that individuals may be plagued with self-doubt and uncertainty about the future. It is a call to action, reminding us that we only have a limited amount of time to make our mark on the world.

The lyric “So if you’re holding back energy give it to me now” is a call for the listener to put all of their energy and effort into the present moment, and not hold back any of their passion, pleasure or talents. The repetition of the phrase “Don’t hold back”, along with the upbeat tempo and catchy melody, creates a sense of urgency and excitement that encourages the listener to join in and make the most of their opportunities.

Eric Hutchinson’s Don't Hold Back is a song that inspires us to live life without hesitation or reservation, to be present in the moment, and give everything we have to the world. It is a reminder to take risks, to follow our dreams, and to never hold back on our passions.

Line by Line Meaning

So you may be thinking that you wanted more
You might feel like something's missing and you want more from this experience

You may be thinking that you don't know what's in store
You might be uncertain about what's going to happen next

I'm gonna be here but not for too long
I'll be around for a short while only

So don't hold back
So don't hesitate to share and express yourself

I don't do an encore
I won't perform an additional set

So if you're holding back energy give it to me now
If you're reserving your energy, share it with me immediately during the show

I didn't mean that literally I meant like, over the course of the show
I didn't mean to take all of your energy at once, just spread it throughout the duration of the show

Don't pretend that when I leave stage then you're gonna flip out
Don't pretend you're going to go wild when I leave if you're not already fully engaged

'Cause it just won't happen, said it just won't happen
What you're hoping for won't occur, it's just not going to happen

You're representing Chicago, the name will be on the CD
You're from Chicago, and the audience will link Chicago's name to our music

Do you really want people hearing Chicago
Do you want the audience to associate Chicago with lack of energy?

And thinking, "They kind of lack energy"
And thinking that our music seems passive or uninspiring

So if you're holding back
So if you're reluctant to participate

Don't hold back anymore
Don't hold back any longer

If you're holding back
If you're refraining from expressing yourself

Don't hold back
Don't hold back

Contributed by Miles V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS