Grace Potter whose dynamic vocal ability has drawn comparisons to legends Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin and more recently Sheryl Crow and Joan Osborne. Her unique style behind the Hammond B-3 and piano is also gaining widespread recognition. The original lineup included Scott Tournet (guitar/slide guitar), Matthew Burr (drums/percussion), and Bryan Dondero (upright/electric bass). After Dondero parted ways with the Nocturnals in March 2009, they brought in Catherine Popper (bass) and also added Benny Yurco (rhythm guitar).
They have toured with national acts such as Taj Mahal, Trey Anastasio, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Crowes, Derek Trucks, Gov't Mule and Robert Cray.
Only Love
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's only love
I wake up with my hair on fire
I need something to water me down
I can't keep walking on this wire
I gotta move, I gotta come around
If I can stop before we start
What don't kill you makes you stronger,
It's only my soul, It's only my heart
And it's only love
It's only love
It's only love
And I can give you up, yes I can
I wake up with my mind unwinding
I got a strange tingle in my toes
I fall asleep and dream of finding
Somebody who really knows
It ain't gonna kill me
If I can stop this before it starts
What don't kill you makes you stronger,
It's only my soul, It's only my heart
And it's only love
It's only love
It's only love
And I can give you up, yes I can
I need to loosen my grip just a little bit
I feel this love like a stranglehold
But there's something stopping me from losing it
There's nothing harder than letting go
But it's only love
It's only love
And I can give you up, yes I can
But it's only love
It's only love
And I can give you up, my baby
In "Only Love" by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, the singer describes the challenges of being in a relationship and grappling with the intensity of strong emotions. The chorus "It's only love" shows the singer trying to convince herself that the love she feels is not something to be afraid of. However, she also acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining a balance in the relationship, as expressed in the verse "I need to loosen my grip just a little bit, I feel this love like a stranglehold."
The verse "It ain't gonna kill me if I can stop before we start, what don't kill you makes you stronger" highlights the idea that by understanding and controlling her feelings, the singer can become stronger and wiser. She also acknowledges the importance of finding someone who really knows her, and the longing for this kind of deep understanding and connection.
Overall, the song captures the complexity and uncertainty of love, and the struggle to navigate one's emotions while maintaining a sense of self. The repeated phrase "It's only love" suggests that love can be both overwhelming and liberating, and invites the listener to consider their own experiences of love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
It's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
It's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
I wake up with my hair on fire
I wake up feeling agitated.
I need something to water me down
I need something to calm me down.
I can't keep walking on this wire
I can't keep living on the edge.
I gotta move, I gotta come around
I need to change things up.
It ain't gonna kill me
I'll survive this.
If I can stop before we start
If I can avoid getting too deep.
What don't kill you makes you stronger,
This will make me stronger in the long run.
It's only my soul, It's only my heart
It's only affecting my emotions.
And it's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
It's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
And I can give you up, yes I can
I'm strong enough to let go.
I wake up with my mind unwinding
I wake up feeling less tense.
I got a strange tingle in my toes
I feel excited and nervous.
I fall asleep and dream of finding
I dream of being with someone who truly understands me.
Somebody who really knows
Someone who truly gets me.
It ain't gonna kill me
I'll survive this.
If I can stop this before it starts
If I can avoid getting too deep.
What don't kill you makes you stronger,
This will make me stronger in the long run.
It's only my soul, It's only my heart
It's only affecting my emotions.
And it's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
It's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
And I can give you up, yes I can
I'm strong enough to let go.
I need to loosen my grip just a little bit
I need to ease up and not hold on so tightly.
I feel this love like a stranglehold
I feel trapped by this love.
But there's something stopping me from losing it
But something keeps me from letting go completely.
There's nothing harder than letting go
Letting go is very difficult.
But it's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
It's only love
Love is the only thing at play.
And I can give you up, my baby
I'm strong enough to let go, even though it's hard.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GRACE POTTER, MARK BATSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lisa Lisa
Grace is amazing! During this pandemic she's doing a live broadcast from her home @ 9 p.m.., on Mondays on her YT channel. She shares amazing stories and her, Eric and their adorable little guy, are usually there as well. She's a shiny little white light! ❤