Nichole Nordeman was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she played the piano in church. She got her start when she entered a Gospel Music Association (GMA) contest in Los Angeles, California and was noticed by a music producer. She has won multiple GMA Dove Awards, including two awards for Female Vocalist of the Year. Her best-known songs include "Why," "This Mystery," "Holy", "Legacy," "Brave," and "What If." She also sang a song on the soundtrack Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia, called "I Will Believe"
Slow Down
Nichole Nordeman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were pink or blue
Everything I wanted
Here's to you
Never sleeping through
From midnight till the morning
Had to crawl
Before you walked before you ran
You were trying to free your fingers from my hand
'Cause you could do it on your own now
Somehow
Slow down
Won't you stay here a minute more
I know you want to walk through the door
But it's all too fast
Let's make it last a little while
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can somehow
Slow down
Here's to you
Every missing tooth
Every bedtime story
Here's to Barbie cars
Light saber wars
Sleeping in on Sunday
Had to crawl
Before you walked, before you ran
Before I knew it
You were teaching me the only thing love can
Hold hands through it
When it's scary, you've got me
Slow down
Won't you stay here a minute more
I know you want to walk through the door
But it's all too fast
Let's make it last a little while
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can somehow
Slow down
Please don't roll your eyes at me
I know I'm embarrassing
But someday
You'll understand
You'll hold a little hand
Ask them if they can
Oh-oh-oh-ohhh
'Cause it's all too fast
Oh-oh-oh-ohhh
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can
Somehow
Slow down
Slow down
The song Slow Down by Nichole Nordeman is a poignant message to a child to slow down and enjoy the moment, as life goes by too quickly. The opening lines of the song speak to the love of a parent towards their child that is unconditional irrespective of their gender. The parent reminiscences about their child's youthhood from the moments they were born and saw the colors of gender to the times they stayed awake all through the night until the morning. As the child grows to crawl before they learn to walk and then run, the parent realizes that the child no longer needs their hand to do anything, and they can slow down, stay a little longer with them, and make it last as it goes by too fast.
The lyrics highlight the significant moments of growing up, such as missing tooth, bedtime stories, light-saber wars, and weekends spent sleeping in. It's about the shared moments of laughter, tears, happiness, and fear that make life worth living. At the end of the song, the parent acknowledges that their child will one day grow up and have a child of their own, and they too will understand the love of a parent, asking their child to slow down.
In terms of composition, the song is a ballad, primarily relying on the piano and acoustic guitar to deliver the message. It's a poignant song that resonates with most parents as it tugs on the heartstrings, making them nostalgic about their children's early years. The chorus, "Slow down, won't you stay here a minute more," is an emotional plea to the child to cherish the moments, and live in the present as it fades fast.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's to you
Acknowledgement of the person being addressed
You were pink or blue
Referring to the gender when the person was announced during birth
Everything I wanted
Expressing gratitude and fulfillment for having the person in life
Never sleeping through
Pointing out the child's sleepless nights
From midnight till the morning
Elaborating on the duration of sleeplessness
Had to crawl
Highlighting how the child was before learning to walk
Before you walked before you ran
Detailing the child's milestones in progressing from crawling to running
Before I knew it
Realizing how quickly the child has grown
You were trying to free your fingers from my hand
Signifying the child's desire to be independent
'Cause you could do it on your own now
Explaining why the child wants to be independent
Somehow
Portraying the concept of how life goes by quickly
Slow down
A request to pause and cherish the present moment
Won't you stay here a minute more
Inviting the child to stay a little longer before leaving
I know you want to walk through the door
Acknowledging the child's desire to move forward and explore
But it's all too fast
Expressing how life goes by too quickly
Let's make it last a little while
Proposing to prolong and enjoy the moment
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
Referring to how the parent encouraged the child to dream and explore
I am your biggest fan
Reassuring the child of the parent's unconditional love and support
I hope you know I am
Stating how the parent's love and support might not have been visible to the child
Please don't roll your eyes at me
Addressing the potential response from the child being embarrassed by the parent's behavior
I know I'm embarrassing
Acknowledging the parent's behavior might be deemed embarrassing by the child
But someday
Hoping the child would understand the parent's intentions
You'll understand
Assuming the child would eventually comprehend the parent's actions
You'll hold a little hand
Imagining the child being a parent and providing guidance and support to their own child
Ask them if they can
Encouraging the child to be attentive, caring and supportive towards their own child
Writer(s): Christopher E. Stevens, Nichole Ellyse Nordeman
Contributed by Hannah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@chelzymarie8450
When we were little...we always said we wanted to grow up...
But now...
We've grown but somehow some of us are regretting it...
Wishing we could go back to those days where our parents would read us a bedtime story...tuck us in bed......
I want to slow down and go back in time to relive those memories again...
@hcabnekogcram
My little girl turned 30 today. We celebrated last week when she was in town but that's not the same. Not a day goes by where I don't feel this way.
My little boy turns 33 in 2 weeks. When he was born, "Cats In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin was the song that sent me into tears. This captures even more of that bittersweet feeling.
I sit here crying knowing that while I have awesome relationships with my kids and they are accomplishing great things in life, I do sometimes wish indeed that they could have "slowed down".
I thank you for this incredible song and the unconditional love it portrays.
@yadavapurva
I am 29 and share the exact feelings for my child, even on his second birthday. I guess parent's love for their child is unexplainable.
@galaxyjkookie5966
Marc i am happy for you make sure to stay strong for your kids!😁😀🙂
@laura-louisehodgman1712
You are such a good dad....my dad couldn't care for me and my brother. We are the same ages as your kids
@ismaelaraujo2238
You must be such a great father. Your kids are lucky
@rebeccahearps2451
Marc Gokenbach This is so beautiful, I wish my father felt the same way 😞
@kenziegrace2846
I never want to grow up because I don’t wanna leave my mom. I wanna stay with her forever and never grow older
@yingyue9477
Kenzie Grace believe me even if you love your mom, you'll want to grow up, I don't wanna leave my mom but oh well I have to start my own life, and plus now it's my turn to take care of her she did the first half I do the second🤷🏻♀️❤️
@amyr.crawford8082
I remember when I was little and I asked my mom if I could stay with her forever and never move out. Even though you will eventually grow up and want to move out, you'll always remember being a kid and loving your mom so much you never wanted to leave, and she'll remember it too, and they'll be memories to cherish forever. I'm a mom now, and if my daughter tells me she wants to stay with me forever, I'll be really happy even though I know she's going to grow up and get tired of her mom and want to move out. I'll be happy because it's a beautiful memory to have.
@hillarty_tv740
Tell your mom this! She would live to here that you want to stay here in this moment with her forever.