McLaughlin was born on September 27, 1982 in Anderson, Indiana. Playing piano since early childhood, he was always finding ways to get out of piano lessons. While attending Highland High School, he shattered both wrists in an accident that interrupted his musical education. Nevertheless, McLaughlin attended Anderson University to study music. He released an independent album entitled Up until Now in 2003. This quickly led to McLaughlin becoming the first artist to sign on with the school's record label, Orangehaus Records. His self-titled album was released in 2004 to local and regional praise. He began touring, travelling throughout the U.S. Midwest, and working up a grassroots following.
He released Indiana in 2007, preceded earlier in the same year by the EP Industry, also known as Jon McL. In 2008, McLaughlin returned with lead single "Beating My Heart" from his album OK Now released in the same year. He gained fame with his cameo appearance in Disney's Enchanted. Released in early September 2011 in the U.S. Forever If Ever was McLaughlin's third major-label release. 2012's lead single "Summer Is Over" featured fellow singer-songwriter-pianist Sara Bareilles from Promising Promises which was a slightly reworked version of his 2011 album. There were no other singles released from the album. Jon released Holding My Breath on his website and iTunes on September 24, 2013. The mp3 version of the album is also available at Amazon.
So Close
Jon McLaughlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The music playing on for only two
So close together and when I'm with you
So close to feeling alive
A life goes by, romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
All that I wanted to hold you so close
So close to reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend
Now you're beside me, and look how far we've come
So far we are so close
Oh, how could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We're so close to reaching that famous happy end and
Almost believing this was not pretend
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are
So close, so close and still so far
In "So Close," Jon McLaughlin reflects on the intense feeling of intimacy with someone special. Starting with the first line "You're in my arms and all the world is calm," McLaughlin describes the experience of being physically close to someone, calming the mind and body. The music playing on for only two can be interpreted as being in the moment, lost in the presence of the person you love. The line "So close together and when I'm with you, so close to feeling alive" gives insight into how he feels alive and present with his partner.
As the song progresses, McLaughlin reflects on the fleeting nature of life and how quick moments of romantic dreams can end, describing them as "faceless days." When he says "So close was waiting, waiting here with you," he means when he is so close to someone he loves, life's periods of emptiness are eliminated. And now forever, all he wanted was to hold them so close, emphasizing the importance of physical closeness for him.
The last verse again reiterates the idea of being so close to reaching a happy ending, but still so far due to the fear of losing the other person. The lyrics urge the couple to keep dreaming because they know they are so close to achieving their goals. Overall, "So Close" is a reflection of the profound joy experienced when holding someone close and how that can fill the gaps in life.
Line by Line Meaning
You're in my arms, and all the world is calm
With you in my embrace, I feel relaxed and at peace.
The music playing on for only two
The music is being played just for us, two people in love.
So close together and when I'm with you
Being close to you makes me feel complete.
So close to feeling alive
Being with you makes me feel like I am really living life.
A life goes by, romantic dreams will stop
Life is fleeting, and romantic dreams don't last forever.
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
I had to say goodbye to my romantic dreams without ever experiencing them.
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
I was waiting for someone like you to come into my life, and you were so close all along.
And now forever, I know
Now that I have you, I know that we will be together forever.
All that I wanted to hold you so close
My only desire was to have you close to me.
So close to reaching that famous happy end
We are almost at the end of our journey towards happiness.
And almost believing this was not pretend
I almost can't believe that our happiness is real.
Now you're beside me, and look how far we've come
You are by my side now, and we have come a long way together.
So far we are so close
Although we have come a long way, we are still very close to each other.
Oh, how could I face the faceless days
I don't know how I could go through life without you by my side.
If I should lose you now?
The idea of losing you now is unbearable.
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are
Let's keep dreaming about our future together because we know our love is real.
So close, so close and still so far
We are so close to each other, yet there is still so much more we want to experience together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN MENKEN, STEPHEN SCHWARTZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind