In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with the song "Piece of My Heart". Etheridge's performance was widely lauded, with India.Arie writing "I Am Not My Hair" about Etheridge. Later that year, Etheridge released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. The album was a huge success, peaking at #14 on the Billboard 200, and going Gold immediately. Her latest release is 4th Street Feeling.
Etheridge is known for her mixture of "confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals." She has also been an iconic gay and lesbian activist since her public coming out in January 1993.
Let me go
Melissa Etheridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sugar in your tea
The knock upon your back door
The twist that turns your key
Am I the sweat you feel on your head
The shadow on your face
The tune inside your head that put you here in the first place
Well I don't want to be
I don't want to be your sweet temptation
I don't want to be your new sensation
It's just a delicate distraction
With just a hint of satisfaction
Look me in the eye and let me know
If you can't love me that let me go
Let me go
Let me go
Do you try to stay suspended
In your deepest fantasy
After night has ended
The scent of mystery
The power of suggestion
Tangles up your soul
A neutral state between love and hate
Is bound to take its toll
Well I don't think you know
I don't think you know
I don't think you know about the screaming
You don't understand the meaning
You could trade it in for laughter
To keep your happy ever after
Look me in the eye and let me know
If you can't love me then let me go
Let me go
Let me go
Baby in your ivory tower
Do you sleep tight dream fight
Baby does it wet your appetite
Maybe in your darkest hour
Am I the keeper of your beast
Well I don't want to be
I don't want to be
So let me go
Let me go
In the song Let Me Go, Melissa Etheridge sings about a love that is not quite right, a love that is destructive and toxic. She sings about being the snake in someone's garden, the sugar in someone's tea, the temptation that is drawing this person in. She doesn't want to be this person's temptation, this person's new sensation. Instead, she wants to be loved for who she is, and if she cannot be loved for who she is, she wants to be let go.
The song is about the power dynamics of love, and the struggle to find balance in a relationship. The singer is trying to establish her boundaries and make it clear that she does not want to be in a relationship where she is viewed as a mere object of desire. In the second verse, she sings about the power of suggestion and how it can tangle up one's soul. She is urging her partner to take a step back and evaluate what they truly want from the relationship. She is asking if her partner is willing to trade in the drama and the dissatisfaction for happiness, and if they are not, she wants to be let go.
This song is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt trapped in a relationship that is not good for them. It is a cry for freedom and for a love that is mutual and respectful. The lyrics are raw and honest, and the melody is haunting and beautiful. It is a reminder that love is a delicate thing, and it requires effort and care to make it work.
* Let Me Go was released in 2001 as a part of Melissa Etheridge's album Skin
* The song was written by Melissa Etheridge and John Shanks
* Let Me Go was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 2002
* The song was inspired by the end of Melissa Etheridge's relationship with Julie Cypher
* The music video for Let Me Go was directed by Sophie Muller
* Melissa Etheridge performed Let Me Go on The Late Show with David Letterman in May 2001
* Let Me Go was featured on the show Dawson's Creek in the episode "Sex and Violence"
* The song was also featured in the movie Living Out Loud starring Holly Hunter and Danny DeVito
* In 2003, Melissa Etheridge performed Let Me Go during her concert at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles
* The chords for Let Me Go are E5, A5, F#5, B5, C#5, D5, G#5, and B6, with an occasional E5 power chord in the chorus.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I the snake inside your garden
Am I the source of temptation that leads you astray
The sugar in your tea
The sweet delight that fuels your desire
The knock upon your back door
The unexpected visitor that disrupts your norms
The twist that turns your key
The trigger that ignites your passion
Am I the sweat you feel on your head
Am I the source of your anxiety and fear
The shadow on your face
The darkness that clouds your judgment
The tune inside your head that put you here in the first place
The melody that inspires you to act recklessly
Well I don't want to be
I don't want to be the cause of your pain
I don't want to be
I don't want to be the one responsible for your downfall
I don't want to be your sweet temptation
I don't want to lead you to do things you'll regret
I don't want to be your new sensation
I don't want to be the new addiction you can't resist
It's just a delicate distraction
It's just a flimsy escape from reality
With just a hint of satisfaction
With just a small taste of pleasure that never lasts
Look me in the eye and let me know
Be honest with me and tell me the truth
If you can't love me that let me go
If you can't give me your heart, then free me from my misery
Do you try to stay suspended
Do you attempt to stay in a state of eternal bliss
In your deepest fantasy
In the world you create inside your mind
After night has ended
When the darkness disappears and the light returns
The scent of mystery
The essence of the unknown that drives your curiosity
The power of suggestion
The influence of external forces that alter your behavior
Tangles up your soul
Confusing your inner self and causing turmoil
A neutral state between love and hate
A state of indifference that is likely to cause harm
Is bound to take its toll
Will have negative consequences in the long run
Well I don't think you know
I don't think you fully comprehend
I don't think you know about the screaming
I don't think you know about the misery I endure
You don't understand the meaning
You don't comprehend the gravity of the situation
You could trade it in for laughter
You could exchange your pain for joy
To keep your happy ever after
To maintain your happiness in the long run
Baby in your ivory tower
You live in a world isolated from reality
Do you sleep tight dream fight
Do you struggle with your own demons in your sleep
Baby does it wet your appetite
Do you crave for things you cannot have
Maybe in your darkest hour
Perhaps when you are the most vulnerable
Am I the keeper of your beast
Am I the one who has control over your darkest desires
So let me go
Set me free from this torment
Let me go
Allow me to move on from this pain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MELISSA ETHERIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
euni333
I loved her music before she came out and I love her music after. She speaks to me.
Traekas7!
Same, Euni. ~ Tam
James Sweet
Awesome 👍 song still holds up 💪 Thirty years later 🙌
Johnny Christie
Years later I’m still like ,Wow! Are you shitting me? This album is so good.
John G
Saw her in concert for this album's tour. One of the best show I ever saw. Just amazing performer.
maria rivera
This woman is amazing. God bless her.
Aditya Raz Pokhrel
Lovely childhood memories... 😍
Rebecca Vaughan
Love this song. ❤
bass skirtgirl
I still love her early stuff, listen to it in the car all the time, this whole album, yummy.
Tim Tebow's Left Arm
Love this album. Love, love this album.
For some reason with this song, I always imagined that the ultimate audio compliment to Melissa’s wail & fire would have been, in a longer intro and in the ending instrumental sequence, some “Birth of the Cool” smooth solo by Miles Davis on muted trumpet. The perfect ice to balance Melissa’s blue-hot flame. This is great as is, but would have been legendary with that added piece.