Bridges began performing in and around Fort Worth, Texas and stirred up music industry interest with analog recordings, produced by Justin Block and Austin Jenkins of White Denim, which were uploaded to his SoundCloud page. Signed to major-label Columbia, his first singles -- including a rich ballad written about his mother -- appeared in February 2015 with a sound that evoked mid-to-late '60s soul. The following month, Bridges caught more attention with performances at SXSW, roughly 200 miles south of his home base. His debut album, Coming Home, was released in June 2015.
Forgive You
Leon Bridges Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I the stupid one for doing everything that I did for us?
I put a pillow under your hair
Gave you tender love and my care
And I didn't make it a thing
Your momma didn't know that I was there
I tried to swallow my pride
And I didn't know you would never show
You're so comfortable with white lies
Lookin' like a fool
What else could I do?
After all we've been through it still hurts
But I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when it's so hard to
When we are good we're great
But I couldn't keep carrying all this weight
Won't ever be the same
But I'd rather know you're better off than when you left us
I put a pillow under your hair
Gave you tender love and my care
And I didn't make it a thing
Your momma didn't know that I was there
You know, I tried to swallow my pride
When you're left me on the outside
And I didn't know you would never show
You're so comfortable with white lies
Lookin' like a fool
What else could I do?
After all we've been through it still hurts
But I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when it's so hard to, yeah
Maybe we can get together someday
But I want you to know we're okay, we're okay
But I want you to know we're okay, we're okay
I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when it's so hard to, I had to yeah
Maybe we can get together someday
But I want you to know we're okay
Uh uh
The song "Forgive You" by Leon Bridges is a heart-wrenching ballad about the difficulty of forgiving and moving on from a past love. The lyrics ask poignant questions, wondering if the singer did not love enough to keep their partner's attention and if they were foolish for doing everything they did to make the relationship work. Despite being left on the outside and hurt by the lies their partner told, the singer chooses to forgive them even when it is difficult. The song acknowledges the pain of the situation but also finds hope in the possibility that someday they can be together as friends and that both parties can be okay.
The repetition of lines throughout the song adds to its intensity, emphasizing the pain and bitterness felt by the singer. The lines "But I forgive you though my friends tell me not to" and "I forgive you even when it's so hard to" are particularly striking, as they highlight the struggle to let go and move on. The line "Maybe we can get together someday" also adds a sense of hope and potential reconciliation, showing that forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting.
Overall, "Forgive You" is a powerful exploration of the emotions and complexities of forgiveness after a failed relationship. The lyrics are emotive and impactful, conveying the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Did I not love enough to keep your attention on and on?
Questioning if my love for you was not enough to make you stay committed to me.
Am I the stupid one for doing everything that I did for us?
Doubting myself for giving everything to our relationship but still not being enough.
I put a pillow under your hair
I did small things like putting a pillow under your hair to show you love and care.
Gave you tender love and my care
I showered you with affection and attention, taking care of you with all my heart.
And I didn't make it a thing
I did all these things for you out of love and didn't expect anything in return.
Your momma didn't know that I was there
I went out of my way to care for you and even kept it a secret from your family.
I tried to swallow my pride
I tried to let go of my ego and be forgiving even when you hurt me.
When you're left me on the outside
When you pushed me away and kept me out of your life.
And I didn't know you would never show
I didn't know that you would never come back and keep me waiting.
You're so comfortable with white lies
You are at ease with lying to me and betraying my trust.
Lookin' like a fool
I ended up looking foolish for believing and trusting you despite your lies.
What else could I do?
Despite all the hurt, what else could I do but forgive you?
After all we've been through it still hurts
Even though we've gone through a lot, the pain still lingers.
But I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
Despite my friends' advice, I choose to forgive you for the wrongs you've done.
I forgive you even when it's so hard to
Even though it's difficult, I choose to forgive you and let go of the pain.
Maybe we can get together someday
I still hold out hope that we can reconcile our relationship someday.
But I want you to know we're okay, we're okay
Even though we're not together anymore, I am okay and I hope you are too.
Uh uh
An ad-lib expressing emotion or agreement, in this case, possibly regret.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eric Frederic, Justin Tranter, Nate Mercereau, Todd Bridges
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MajesticCasuallikes
Did I not love enough
To keep your attention on and on
Am I the stupid one
For doing everything that I did for us
I put a pillow under your hair
Gave you tender loving my care
And I didnβt make it a thing
Ya mama didnβt know that I was there
I tried to swallow my pride
When you left me lonely outside
And I didnβt know you would never show
Youβre so comfortable with white lies
Looking like a fool what else could I do
After all weβve been through it still hurts
But I forgive you, though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when itβs so hard to
When we are good weβre great
But I couldnβt keep on carrying on this way
Wonβt ever be the same
But Iβd rather know ya better off than where you left us
I put a pillow under your hair
Gave you tender loving my care
And I didnβt make it a thing
Ya mama didnβt know that I was there
You know I tried to swallow my pride
When you left me lonely outside
And I didnβt know you would never show
Youβre so comfortable with white lies
Looking like a fool what else could I do
After all weβve been through it still hurts
But I forgive you, though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when itβs so hard to
Maybe we can get together someday
But I want you to know weβre ok weβre ok
But I want you to know weβre ok weβre ok
But I forgive you, though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when itβs so hard to I had to, yeah
Maybe we can get together someday
But I want you to know weβre ok
Crescent Von Croon
Did I not love enough to keep your attention on and on?
Am I the stupid one for doing everything that I did for us?
I put a pillow under your hair
Gave you tender love and my care
And I didn't make it a thingΒ
Your momma didn't know that I was there
I tried to swallow my pride
When you're left me on the outside
And I didn't know you would never showΒ
You're so comfortable with white lies
Lookin' like a fool
What else could I do?
After all we've been through it still hurts
But I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when it's so hard to
When we are good we're great
But I couldn't keep carrying all this weight
Won't ever be the same
But I'd rather know you're better off than when you left us
I put a pillow under your hair
Gave you tender love and my care
And I didn't make it a thing
Your momma didn't know that I was there
You know, I tried to swallow my pride
When you're left me on the outside
And I didn't know you would never showΒ
You're so comfortable with white lies
Lookin' like a fool
What else could I do?
After all we've been through it still hurts
But I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when it's so hard to, yeah
Maybe we can get together someday
But I want you to know we're okay, we're okay
But I want you to know we're okay, we're okay
I forgive you though my friends tell me not to
I forgive you even when it's so hard to, I had to yeah
Maybe we can get together someday
But I want you to know we're okay
Uh uh
Kiran Roberts
I freaking love that you didn't box yourself into one genre. Your first album was a greeting, but this one is a statement! You my friend embody a musician.
Cesar Barragancesarjr
W commnet
made / beloved
wow, what a great song. lyrics about love and forgiveness, not hate βΒ that I feel like we don't see often enough ππ»
Bedouin
The conflict of loving somebody so much that you can't help but forgive them after something horrible has happened is so obvious in his voice. A story can be told just through the emotions conveyed in a song. The struggle to trust someone again and to trust yourself, the intense hope that your forgiveness won't be taken advantage of, the strong desire to move forward and put the other's mind at ease after they've made an error despite all rational thought- I don't know if this song is about a relationship he had at one point, but he loved this person if it was.
Brian Newman
Man... Doesnt he make you fall in love with music all over again...
Bongos and Lemonheads
Yes π I feel every emotion... and it warms my soul
David S
YES! I've been listening to this song over and over for 3 days. May be a bit much, but this song just hits different
AX
Yes he does!
HELILOU
Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fall in love with music and not only !!!
KAL
So happy to hear great RnB return to the stage. Chills!