After gaining a following as a popular live act on college campuses, the band has gained popular success since signing to Lava Records in 2005, with their singles "Love and Memories" and "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)" gaining mainstream radio airplay. Speaking with Songfacts in an interview, Roberge explained "Love and Memories" was inspired by the Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet movie, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The members of O.A.R. first came together in Rockville, Maryland in the basement of drummer Chris Culos' childhood home in 1996. As a young group of musicians, they were the prototype of the modern, self-starting band--taking charge of their fate by working the internet and building an identifiable sound. The band’s music, a rock/reggae fusion, consisted of songs that were fully accessible, yet teasingly elusive. Attracting fans all across the country, the band members toured relentlessly, pushing their album sales through boundless dedication and word-of-mouth appeal, never waiting for the industry to catch up. O.A.R. owes much of their success to piracy and Napster, the mp3 sharing engine. Around 2000, O.A.R.'s popularity greatly increased among college students because their song "Crazy Game of Poker" was a huge hit on Napster.
By the time the band had reached their 10 year anniversary together, they had sold over 1.2 million albums and performed in front of over 1 million people. Their studio record, Stories of a Stranger, produced radio favorites “Love and Memories” and “Heard the World” as well as mtvU’s Most Downloaded Video of 2006, “Lay Down.” The band followed up the successful release with a live double disc CD and DVD set, Live From Madison Square Garden, recorded during the band’s second sold-out performance at the prestigious arena.
Early in 2008, the band members holed themselves up in a studio in Los Angeles to work on their next project, All Sides. The album was released on July 15th.
The Heaven Songfacts reports that the first single from O.A.R.'s seventh studio album, King was released on June 7, 2011 on Wind-Up Records.
. For more information about O.A.R., go to www.ofarevolution.com.
Hold On True
O.A.R. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, it wasn't that far.
Not a day goes by
That won't be in the back tomorrow.
Take today as a sample to you.
It looks cloudy outside,
What are you gonna do
Or we could get on down
We could drive to the country
Or head downtown,
Maybe I'll join you too
We could have been so much better off
Than before if we held on true
Take today, and go walk for a while
Well just sit back jack and relax
And enjoy a smile
Well let your mind go
For a minute or two,
Let your mind levitate
For a delicate few.
We could have been so much better off
Than before if we held on true
I said but lately I've been feeling mighty old
I said the sun has got me cracked
And this wind has got me cold
And I'm so damn tired of losing my friends
Every single time I go and lose my ends
I say but that's okay, I'm on my way
And in awhile when I realize
There's something new
but until then i got to hold on true
The first few lines of O.A.R.'s song Hold On True reflect on the nature of time and memory. The phrase "back in the day" suggests a nostalgia for an earlier time, which is then quickly followed by the observation that it "wasn't that far" away - this juxtaposition suggests that memories are inevitably warped by time, and that the past is never quite as distant as it seems. The second line of the song, "Not a day goes by/That won't be in the back tomorrow," further emphasizes the idea that time moves forward relentlessly, and that we can never fully escape or forget our past.
The rest of the song is an invitation to live in the present and enjoy life. The singer suggests various activities - driving to the country, walking, relaxing - that they and their listener could do together. There is a sense of urgency in the refrain, "We could have been so much better off/Than before if we held on true," which suggests that the present moment is a chance to make positive changes and seize opportunities that might not come again.
As the song progresses, the singer's tone shifts slightly. There is a sense of weariness and sadness in the line, "I'm so damn tired of losing my friends/Every single time I go and lose my ends," which suggests that the singer is struggling to keep ahold of important relationships and goals. Despite this, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the line "but until then I got to hold on true" suggesting that the singer is determined to keep moving forward, even in the face of difficulty.
Line by Line Meaning
Back in the day
In the past, a time not too distant from the present
Oh, it wasn't that far.
Despite being in the past, it wasn't too long ago
Not a day goes by
Every day, without exception
That won't be in the back tomorrow.
That will eventually become a distant memory
Take today as a sample to you.
Use today as an example
It looks cloudy outside,
There are clouds in the sky
What are you gonna do
What actions will you take
Well, we could get up
Get out of bed and start the day
Or we could get on down
Engage in lively activity
We could drive to the country
Travel to the rural areas
Or head downtown,
Visit the central part of the city
Maybe I'll join you too
I might also accompany you
We could have been so much better off
Our lives could be significantly improved
Than before if we held on true
As long as we remain steadfast and true to ourselves
Take today, and go walk for a while
Spend some time outside, walking leisurely
Well just sit back jack and relax
Relax and take it easy
And enjoy a smile
Find enjoyment from simple things
Well let your mind go
Allow yourself to drift, mentally
For a minute or two,
Just briefly enough
Let your mind levitate
Mentally rise above your worries and stress
For a delicate few.
Only momentarily
I said but lately I've been feeling mighty old
I recently have been feeling aged and worn
I said the sun has got me cracked
The sun has caused my skin to dry and crack
And this wind has got me cold
The wind has made me feel chilly
And I'm so damn tired of losing my friends
I am exhausted of continuously losing my friends
Every single time I go and lose my ends
My relationships always seem to fall apart
I say but that's okay, I'm on my way
Despite challenges, I am still progressing forward
And in awhile when I realize
After some time I will come to understand
There's something new
An opportunity or experience yet to come
but until then i got to hold on true
In the meantime, I need to remain true to myself
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MARC ANDREW ROBERGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind