Born in 1984, bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding began playing… Read Full Bio ↴Born in 1984, bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding began playing in small jazz and blues venues around her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Soon after picking up the acoustic bass at the late age of 14, she helped form Noise For Pretend, an eclectic band fusing jazz and pop for which she sang and played bass (often simultaneously). The group signed with indie rock imprint Hush Records, which released two albums of their original compositions.

Spalding continued to branch out, playing with jazz groups as well as leading her own septet and trio. In 2002 she joined the hip-hop group Black Science Tribe, which gained a sizable following touring along the West Coast.

Since moving East to attend the Berklee College of Music, Ms. Spalding has regularly worked as a freelance bassist and singer, both locally and internationally. Ms. Spalding has worked with many notable Grammy-winning artists such as pianist Michel Camilo, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, saxophonist Joe Lovano, violinist Regina Carter, guitarist Pat Metheny, and singer Patti Austin.

She has also performed as a member of the Boston Pops, with drummers Bill Stewart (John Scofield, Chris Potter, Joe Lovano), Terri-Lyne Carrington (Herbie Hancock), Mark Walker (Paquito D'Rivera), as well as guitarist Adam Rogers (Michael Brecker, Chris Potter), saxophonist Seamus Blake (Mingus Big Band, Bloomdaddies), and trumpeter Byron Stripling and performed as an opening act for comedian and sometimes-jazz drummer/vocalist Bill Cosby.

Recently, Ms. Spalding released her debut album as a leader, Junjo on the Barcelona based jazz label Ayva Music. Her CD features pianist Aruan Ortiz, and drummer Francisco Mela.

She is the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. Spalding holds a B.M. from Berklee College of Music, where she also enjoys the status as the youngest faculty member ever in the history of the College. Esperanza recently became a new artist represented by the Montuno management agency.

In 2009 she played at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo(Norway), as the Nobel Peace Prize winner,
Barack Obama, artist of choice.

In 2011 she was awarded the Grammy for best new artist, the only Jazz musician to be awarded the Grammy.

Hold on Me
Esperanza Spalding Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can hold my tongue for years, I don't mind
For in the night time silent I recite thousands of poems about you
Until one of them comes true
I can hold my breath for years, I won't get blue
One sweet sigh from you
In my memories the breath of life baptizes me through
Till the air is clear enough to breathe around you
I'll keep holding on

Such a thrill when you're near
But a staggering feat
Holding still when I feel
I can hear my heartbeat, your love may never flow my way
Still I'm gonna keep holding on

Shouldn't I just let go
Since there's nothing left to do
Time just melts away and the current grows stronger
Pulling me downstream toward you
But until my love runs dry
I'm gonna keep holding on
Holding on, I can't help myself when you're near

My head goes wild and my heart beats like an eager child
I keep holding on, holding on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Esperanza Spalding's song "Hold On Me" tells a story of an individual in love struggling with their emotions. The beginning of the song describes the person's ability to hold back their feelings for years, without losing their mind. They spend their nights thinking about their desired love interest, hoping that one of the thousands of poems they recite about them will eventually come true. The individual is willing to hold their breath and wait for one sweet sigh from their love interest, as memories of past moments baptize them through until the air becomes clear enough to breathe in around the other person. Despite everything, they still hold on to the person they love; however, it's a staggering feat, and they can hear their heartbeat whenever the love interest is close by.

The latter part of the song asks questions, wondering if the individual should let go since there's nothing left for them to do. Time passes, but the magnitude of their love and desire for their love interest continues to pull them downstream towards the person they are holding on for. Despite everything, the individual makes it clear that until their love runs dry, they're unwilling to let go. The chorus repeats the phrase "holding on" emphasising the individual's difficulty of controlling their feelings for the person they love. The song is reflective, and the emotions and desires of the individual for their love interest are the driving force of the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

I can hold my tongue for years, I don't mind
Despite not speaking about my emotions, I constantly recite poems about you in the silent night, hoping that one day they will come true.

Until one of them comes true
I'm holding on to the possibility that one day, one of the thousands of poems I recite will come true.

I can hold my breath for years, I won't get blue
Even if I have to wait years for you, a single sigh from you will rejuvenate me like the breath of life.

In my memories the breath of life baptizes me through
Your breath is so important to me that it even has a spiritual cleansing effect in my memories.

Till the air is clear enough to breathe around you
I'll keep waiting until the circumstances are right to be close to you without any obstacles.

I'll keep holding on
I won't give up on my hope for a future with you.

Such a thrill when you're near
Being near you is such an exhilarating experience.

But a staggering feat
But it's also a difficult struggle.

Holding still when I feel
It's hard to restrain myself from expressing my emotions to you.

I can hear my heartbeat, your love may never flow my way
I can feel my heartbeat racing, but I accept that you may never love me in the same way I love you.

Still I'm gonna keep holding on
But I won't give up on my love for you.

Shouldn't I just let go
Maybe it would be easier to move on from my feelings for you.

Since there's nothing left to do
If there's no hope for a future with you, there's no point in holding on.

Time just melts away and the current grows stronger
But time seems to be slipping away and the intensity of my love for you only grows stronger.

Pulling me downstream toward you
I feel like I'm being pulled towards you like a current in a river.

But until my love runs dry
However, until my feelings for you fade away completely,

I'm gonna keep holding on
I won't let go of my love for you and will continue to hold on to the hope of being with you someday.

Holding on, I can't help myself when you're near
I can't control my emotions when I'm close to you.

My head goes wild and my heart beats like an eager child
My thoughts become chaotic and my heart races like a child's when they're excited.

I keep holding on, holding on
But no matter how difficult it is, I'll continue to hold on to the hope of being together someday.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Esperanza Spalding

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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