Slow Down
Nat Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Say sister, whoa sister!
You've been travellin' too fast!
I warn ya, yes warn ya,
Say how long will it last?

You'd better slow down
Before there is a showdown,
Or else our love is gonna break down

If you don't slow down!

Baby, I've told ya,
I do not wanna scold ya,
These arms of mine just wanna hold ya,
Until you slow down.

You see a handsome face,
And you forget your place
Here beside me;
While all I do is pray
That there will come a day
When you are free.

Free, free to love me,
No other loves above me;
Sweetheart, you know that you can have me
If you slow down!

You see a handsome face,
And you forget your place
Here beside me;
While all I do is pray
That there will come a day
When you are free.

Free, free to love me,
No other loves up above me;

Sweetheart, you know that you can have me
If you please slow down, down, down, down well!

Overall Meaning

The Nat Cole Trio's song Slow Down is a romantic tune that speaks about a woman who is too busy chasing after men and not paying enough attention to the man who truly loves her. The song is a plea for the woman to slow down and for her to make room for the love that the man is offering her. The lyrics of the song present the man as understanding and patient, and he is not angry or resentful; he just wishes his woman would slow down and spend more time with him.

In the first stanza of the song, the man directly addresses his woman, telling her that she is traveling too fast and warning her that it cannot last forever. The man's concern is that the woman is going too fast, and it might end up being disastrous for their love. The man then goes ahead to tell her that she must slow down before there can be a showdown, thereby urging her to take things easy.

In the second verse, the man admits that he does not want to scold her; he only wants to hold her. He implores her to sit back and enjoy the moment so that she can feel the love he has for her. The man knows that the woman is attracted to handsome men and that she forgets her place beside him. However, he prays for the day when she will be free and only love him. The reference to freedom might imply that the woman is trapped in a loveless relationship and that it is the reason she is always on the move.

Line by Line Meaning

Say sister, whoa sister!
Hey sister, hold on a moment!

You've been travellin' too fast!
You've been moving too quickly!

I warn ya, yes warn ya,
I'm telling you, yes telling you,

Say how long will it last?
How much longer can it go on?

You'd better slow down
You need to take it easy

Before there is a showdown,
Before we have a big fight,

Or else our love is gonna break down
Otherwise our love will fall apart

If you don't slow down!
If you keep going at this pace!

Baby, I've told ya,
Darling, I've said this before,

I do not wanna scold ya,
I don't want to criticize you,

These arms of mine just wanna hold ya,
I just want to hold you close,