Hailing from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Bay gained a reputation thanks to stints at Communion's monthly night at Notting Hill Arts Club in London and a successful run of support slots with Tom Odell, John Newman and Kodaline. He issued his debut EP, The Dark of the Morning, in 2013, with a second extended player, Let It Go, and a third extended player, Hold Back the River, arriving the following year.
In May 2018, Bay released his second studio album, Electric Light.
Let It Go
James Bay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To seeing shows in evening clothes with you
From nervous touch and getting drunk
To staying up and waking up with you
Now we're sleeping near the edge
Holding something we don't need
All this delusion in our heads
So come on, let it go
Just let it be
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me?
Everything that's broke
Leave it to the breeze
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me?
And I'll be me
From throwing clothes across the floor
To teeth and claws and slamming doors at you
If this is all we're living for
Why are we doing it, doing it, doing it anymore?
I used to recognize myself
It's funny how reflections change
When we're becoming something else
I think it's time to walk away
So come on, let it go
Just let it be
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me?
Everything that's broke
Leave it to the breeze
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me?
And I'll be me
Tryna fit your hand inside mine
When we know it just don't belong
'Cause no force on earth
Could make it feel right, no, woah
Tryna push this problem up the hill
When it's just too heavy to hold
Think now's the time to let it slide
So come on, let it go
Just let it be
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me?
Everything that's broke
Leave it to the breeze
Let the ashes fall
Forget about me
Come on, let it go
Just let it be
Why don't you be you
And I'll be me?
And I'll be me
Oh, me, oh
In James Bay's "Let It Go," the singer describes a relationship that has lost its way. The song begins with the reminisce of the early days of their courtship. The singer goes on to say that now they are clinging to something that both they and their relationship do not need anymore. They are holding onto delusions and false hopes that are bound to bring them to their knees. The singer implores his lover to let go of the broken pieces and just be themselves. They no longer need to pretend to be someone they are not; they need to leave everything that is broken to the breeze and forget about each other.
The lyrics go on to describe the struggles and the conflict that has taken over the relationship. Even though they have tried to hold onto each other, it no longer feels right. They cannot seem to fix things, no matter how hard they try. The singer realizes it is time to let go and walk away.
The song's message is about acceptance and embracing who we are. It is about the release of the past and finding the courage to move forward. The song shows that sometimes, the only solution is to let go of something that no longer serves us.
Line by Line Meaning
From walking home and talking loads
Our communication was open and frequent when we first started out
To seeing shows in evening clothes with you
We used to attend events and dress up together
From nervous touch and getting drunk
Our physical interactions were tense and alcohol-induced
To staying up and waking up with you
We've moved on to spending sleepless nights and mornings with each other
Now we're sleeping near the edge
Our relationship is hanging on by a thin thread
Holding something we don't need
We're holding on to a relationship that has lost its purpose
All this delusion in our heads
We're deceiving ourselves by pretending everything is okay
Is gonna bring us to our knees
Our denial will eventually lead to our downfall
So come on, let it go
It's time to move on
Just let it be
Accept the situation and don't hold on to false hope
Why don't you be you
Be true to yourself
And I'll be me?
I'll do the same
Everything that's broke
Any broken aspects of our relationship
Leave it to the breeze
Let it go and let fate take its course
Tryna fit your hand inside mine
Trying to force something that doesn't fit
When we know it just don't belong
We're aware that our relationship isn't working
'Cause no force on earth
No external influence
Could make it feel right, no, woah
Can make our relationship feel genuine and fulfilling
Think now's the time to let it slide
It's time to release our grasp on this relationship
Let the ashes fall
Let the remnants of our relationship fade away
Forget about me
Move on and forget about our past relationship
Oh, me, oh
I'll move on, too
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: James Michael Bay, Paul Barry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alivia Csrro
on Get Out While You Can
I thought it was about 9/11