“When I sing, ‘If you want to touch me you can do it with the lights on’, that’s a metaphor for letting certain people see the different, ugly sides of you that others won’t be able to see.”
Lights On
FKA twigs Lyrics
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In hopes in that I could share this place with you
You'll be the first one to find
The shadows that make the girl you undo
'Cause the man that you are is to find
By the way you act in the light
Break or seize me
If the flame gets blown out in the shine
Never leave me
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
Break or seize me
Let the things that I tell you survive
In the way that you handle your size
Never leave me
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
The opening lines of FKA twigs's song "Lights On" set the tone for the entire track as she sings, "I shy away in my mind, in hopes in that I could share this place with you." The song deals with the struggle of vulnerability in a relationship and the trust required to fully expose oneself. Twigs asks her partner to "break or seize me, let the things that I tell you survive / In the way that you handle your size / Never leave me." The fears of being rejected and abandoned become overwhelming, which is where the metaphor of "lights on" comes in: only when she trusts her partner completely can they have sex with the lights on and she can tell him all her secrets.
The chorus, "When I trust you we can do it with the lights on / When I trust you we'll make love until the morning / Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done," repeats and underscores the idea of trust being the key factor in a relationship, especially when it comes to taking the step of being truly intimate with someone. The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, emphasizing the cyclical nature of the struggle between trust and vulnerability in a relationship.
Overall, "Lights On" is a song that beautifully captures the complexity and fragility of human relationships, and how trust is the foundation upon which truly intimate connections can be built.
Line by Line Meaning
I shy away in my mind
I retreat within myself, hiding my thoughts and emotions
In hopes in that I could share this place with you
I desire to share my inner world with you
You'll be the first one to find
You will be the first person to discover
The shadows that make the girl you undo
The hidden parts of me that will challenge who you think I am
'Cause the man that you are is to find
I will discover who you truly are
By the way you act in the light
By observing your behavior in the open, visible parts of our lives
Break or seize me
Take control of me or break me apart if you need to
If the flame gets blown out in the shine
If the passion fades when we are exposed
I will know that you can not be mine
I will realize that we cannot have a deep connection
Never leave me
Promise to never abandon me
When I trust you we can do it with the lights on
When I feel secure in our relationship, we can be intimate with the lights on
When I trust you we'll make love until the morning
When I feel secure in our relationship, we can be intimate all night long
Let me tell you all my secrets and I'll whisper 'til the day's done
I will confide in you completely and tell you everything if you will listen
Let the things that I tell you survive
Remember and cherish the things that I share with you
In the way that you handle your size
In the way that you handle your power and strength
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Alejandro Ghersi, Tahliah Barnett, Timmaz Golleyn, Ian Barter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind