Her self-titled debut album, Mathilde Santing, came out in 1982 and she gas released well over fifteen studio albums since, most of them sung in English, although she sometimes performs and records in her mother tongue as well. Known for her whispery and vulnerable vocal style, Santing is a prominent gay role model in The Netherlands. She sang at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam.
Santing's biggest chart success came in 1999 with the lush ballad 'Wonderful Life', which hit #6 in the Dutch Top 40. The song was taken from the 1999 album To Others To One, which is her highest charting album in her native Netherlands to date, reaching #4 in the Dutch album charts.
Too Much
Mathilde Santing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the company of hopes and fears
In times when I was not so low I used to go out
I'm thinking of the day you said you were alone
I was still a girl
Your giant boots came treading upon my little world
Somehow it all seems brighter now that we have parted
I guess that it was
Too much
I'm tired
I'll come back when it's quiet
Pardon me, there's too much
Blinding lights
I'll hide until the day is through
This town it ain't much of a thrill but I can live here
It's true my company has changed a lot this past year
Now it all slowly floats away
The tide is turning
And turn it should for it was
Too much
I'm tired
I'll come back when it's quiet
Pardon me, there's too much
Blinding lights
I'll hide until the day is through
The easy life ain't so easily found
And when you're almost up there
Something always pulls you down
I put my ear to the empty shell
The sound is weaker yet
Too much...
Somehow it all seems brighter now
Somehow it all seems brighter now
The lyrics of Mathilde Santing’s song “Too Much” are about feeling overwhelmed and tired. The singer has been sitting on her hands for a long time, surrounded by hopes and fears. In the past, she used to go out, but after a certain point, everything became too much for her. She thinks back to the day when the person she was in a relationship with told her that they were alone, and how it affected her. The singer remembers feeling like a girl, and how the person’s “giant boots” came and destroyed her “little world.” However, the singer feels like life is brighter now that they have parted ways. The chorus repeats the phrase “Too much, I'm tired” several times, indicating the singer’s exhaustion and burnout. She wants to come back when it’s quiet and plans to hide until the day is through. The singer is also aware of how the town she lives in isn’t a thrill, but she can live there. She reflects on how her company has changed in the past year, and as things slowly float away, the tide is turning.
The lyrics of “Too Much” are powerful in their ability to convey someone’s exhaustion and the need to take a break. Overall, the song deals with themes of burnout, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed. The repetition of certain phrases like “too much” and “I’m tired” creates a sense of exhaustion and intensity that permeates throughout the entire song. Additionally, the song hints at heartbreak, loss, and loneliness that contribute to the singer’s sense of exhaustion.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been sitting on my hands for a long time
I haven't been taking any action for a while
In the company of hopes and fears
Being with ideas that can bring either success or failure
In times when I was not so low I used to go out
I used to go out when I was feeling better
I'm thinking of the day you said you were alone
Remembering the day you told me you were alone
I was still a girl
When I was younger
Your giant boots came treading upon my little world
Your strong presence overwhelmed my small existence
Somehow it all seems brighter now that we have parted
Things are clearer and brighter now that we're apart
I guess that it was
I think it was too much for us
Too much
It was too overwhelming for us
I'm tired
I'm exhausted
I'll come back when it's quiet
I'll return when things have calmed down
Pardon me, there's too much
Sorry, there's too much going on
Blinding lights
Bright, overwhelming lights
I'll hide until the day is through
I'll conceal myself until the day ends
This town it ain't much of a thrill but I can live here
This place isn't very exciting, but I can manage to stay here
It's true my company has changed a lot this past year
My acquaintances have changed quite a bit this past year
Now it all slowly floats away
Everything slowly fades away
The tide is turning
Things are changing
And turn it should for it was
Things needed to change because it was too much
The easy life ain't so easily found
A life of simplicity isn't easy to find
And when you're almost up there
When you're close to achieving your goals
Something always pulls you down
Something always hinders your progress
I put my ear to the empty shell
I listen closely
The sound is weaker yet
The sound is becoming fainter
Too much...
It was too much for us
Somehow it all seems brighter now
Things appear clearer and brighter now
Contributed by Sophie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.