Karsu is an Amsterdam born singer, pianist and composer named after the vil… Read Full Bio ↴Karsu is an Amsterdam born singer, pianist and composer named after the village of Karsu in the Turkish province of Hatay. While her music style is a blend of various genres, jazzy pop is probably the best description for it. At age 7 her parents bought a piano with money that they had put aside for buying a car. At 14 she was making a name for herself by performing at her parents' restaurant.

Karsu came to prominence after perfomances at the Carnegie Hall in New York and several appearances on the Dutch television. In 2010 Karsu’s first album, a live registration, "Live aan ‘t IJ" was released. In October 2012, her first studio album "Confession" followed, which was received positively by the press. On "Colors" from 2015 her compositions are more poppy, playful and cheerful than her previous work. The title of the album refers to Karsu’s bicultural background, with roots in Turkey and Amsterdam. In 2016 the Edison Foundation awarded Karsu with the Edison Audience Award for her work on "Colors".

At the moment Karsu is touring with her new show, Karsu - Plays Atlantic Records while working on new material.

Let You Go
Karsu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go

You had me blushing by looking at me
So many faces, you chose to see me
No one had warned me that love works this way

I never thought that you′d hurt me one day

(Can you forgive me, can you forgive me?)
If only we could go back
(Can you forgive me, can you forgive me?)
Don't let us fade into black

Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go

Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go

Every morning you kissed me goodbye
Came home with roses, they withered and died
I blamed you but it was me who forgot
Only now I wish I never gave up

(Can you forgive me, can you forgive me?)
If only we could go back
(Can you forgive me, can you forgive me?)
Don′t let us fade into black

Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don't wanna let you go

Don′t wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go

Don't wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go

Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go

Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go
Don't wanna, don′t wanna let you go

Don't wanna, don't wanna let you go
Don′t wanna, don′t wanna let you go

Overall Meaning

In Karsu's song Let You Go, the singer expresses her desire to keep a past love close to her despite the pain he has caused her. The repetition of the lyrics "Don't wanna, don't wanna let you go" highlights the intensity of this desire. The opening lines suggest that the love interest had a way of making the singer feel special and appreciated, but it is also implied that this love was fleeting and ultimately came to an end. The lyric "I never thought that you'd hurt me one day" speaks to the surprise and disappointment that can come with the end of a relationship.

The second verse includes imagery of roses that have withered and died, symbolizing the death of the romance. The lines "I blamed but it was me who forgot, only now I wish I never gave up" admit a feeling of regret and longing for what was once had. The repetition of the line "Can you forgive me, can you forgive me?" suggests that the singer is desperate for the chance to make things right and repair the broken relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't wanna, don't wanna let you go
The singer does not want to let go of this person

You had me blushing by looking at me
This person made the singer feel happy just by looking at them

So many faces, you chose to see me
Out of all the people around, this person chose to notice the singer

No one had warned me that love works this way
The singer was not prepared for how love can hurt

I never thought that you'd hurt me one day
The singer did not expect this person to cause them pain

(Can you forgive me, can you forgive me?) If only we could go back
The singer wishes they could go back in time and make things right with this person

Don't let us fade into black
The singer hopes they can salvage their relationship and prevent it from ending badly

Every morning you kissed me goodbye
This person showed the singer affection before leaving for the day

Came home with roses, they withered and died
Despite bringing gifts, the love between the singer and this person faded away

I blamed you but it was me who forgot
The singer realizes they were at fault for the relationship's downfall

Only now I wish I never gave up
The singer regrets giving up on this person and wishes they never did

Writer(s): Jacob Lucas, Karsu Dönmez

Contributed by Kaitlyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS