In 2000 Wright joine… Read Full Bio ↴Lizz Wright is a U.S. jazz singer and composer.
In 2000 Wright joined the Atlanta-based vocal quartet In the Spirit, which soon achieved critical acclaim; in 2002 she signed a recording contract with Verve Records. Her first album, Salt, was released in 2003 (reaching number two on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart in 2004), followed by Dreaming Wide Awake in June 2005 (reaching number one on the Top Contemporary Jazz chart in 2005 and 2006).
When I Close My
Lizz Wright Lyrics
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I can almost taste you
I can´t face you
You´re still too strong
And it´s no surprise
I can´t erase you
I tried to replace you
´Cause seeds don´t crawl off the mountains
And they don´t fall
Fall from the tree
And they don´t drop
Not when you´re counting
Or maybe that´s my sweet philosophy
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Mmm ...
When I close my eyes
I dream about you
Tell me how to
Tell me how not to
Grab on to something new
I looked my fate past through
But instead I keep on holding on
I keep holding on
When I close my eyes
I think about you
I just can´t let you go
Oh, oh, oh, yeah
Lizz Wright's song "When I Close My Eyes" is an emotionally powerful piece about trying to move on from a past relationship. The lyrics describe a person still struggling to let go of their former lover, even though they know they need to. The opening lines, "When I close my eyes, I can almost taste you, I can't face you, you're still too strong," suggest that the memories of the relationship are still very vivid and painful. Even though the person has tried to move on and find someone new ("I tried to replace you, but it all went wrong"), they can't seem to shake the hold their ex has on their heart.
The next lines use a metaphor to further illustrate this point: "Seeds don't crawl off the mountains, and they don't fall, fall from the tree, and they don't drop, not when you're counting, or maybe that's my sweet philosophy." This metaphor could be interpreted in a few different ways, but it seems to suggest that just as seeds can't escape their natural environment no matter how hard they try, the person singing this song can't escape their memories of the relationship. They try to move on, but they'll always be rooted in the past.
The rest of the song continues in this vein, with the singer describing dreams about their ex, asking for advice on how to let go, and ultimately admitting that they just can't seem to. The sadness and pain of the lyrics is amplified by Wright's soulful, bluesy singing style and the slow, mournful melody.
Line by Line Meaning
When I close my eyes
Whenever I choose to shut my eyes
I can almost taste you
I have a vivid feeling of your taste on my tongue
I can´t face you
I am unable to confront you
You´re still too strong
Your influence is still overpowering
And it´s no surprise
This situation is expected
I can´t erase you
I cannot remove you from my thoughts
I tried to replace you
I attempted to find someone else to replace you
But it all went wrong
The outcome was not as I expected
´Cause seeds don´t crawl off the mountains
Things that belong to a certain place do not leave on their own
And they don´t fall
They do not drop off either
Fall from the tree
They do not fall off a tree
And they don´t drop
They don't fall down
Not when you´re counting
Especially when you are keeping track
Or maybe that´s my sweet philosophy
Or it's just my way of thinking
Mmm ...
A soft sound of thoughtful reflection
When I close my eyes
When I shut my eyes once again
I dream about you
I envision you in my dreams
Tell me how to
Inform me of how to do this
Tell me how not to
Tell me how to take my mind off you
Grab on to something new
Hold on to someone else
I looked my fate past through
I examined my past history and destiny
But instead I keep on holding on
However, I am still holding on to you
I keep holding on
I am still holding on
When I close my eyes
Once again, when I shut my eyes
I think about you
You are constantly on my mind
I just can´t let you go
I cannot release you from my thoughts
Oh, oh, oh, yeah
An energetic vocalization of the emotion
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: DOUGIE BOWNE, MARC ANTHONY THOMPSON, YUKA HONDA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind