He was born in Woodlake, California and raised in Ukiah. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Blues Band (named after his father, who was also a guitarist) featuring his brothers Mark (mouth harp) and Patrick (drums).
Robben was soon hired to play with Charles Musselwhite for nine months. Robben Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison and Joni Mitchell. In 1977 he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983, simultaneously having a solo career and working as a session guitarist.
In 1986, Ford toured with Miles Davis and he had two separate periods (1985 and 1987) with Sadao Watanabe, but he seemed to really find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Ford formed a new group, the Blue Line, and subsequently recorded a couple of blues-rock dates for Stretch that are among the finest of his career. In 1999, he released Sunrise on Rhino and Supernatural on Blue Thumb. Ford signed to the Concord Jazz label in 2002 and released Blue Moon that same year, followed by Keep on Running in 2003 and Truth in 2007. Robben Ford whilst continuing to record solo albums has been touring in 2007 with guitar legend Larry Carlton.
Can't Let Her Go
Robben Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pictures come from heart to mind
Standing at your doorway searching all of my love
No, I'll never treat you unkind
Standing on your balcony
Speaking words of love
Telling you can easily
But I can't let her go
Can't let her go
No, I can't let her go
It's hard to let her go
There were lot of lights with the ceiling
You got to know it very well
Every single inch of this lonely room
Has the same old story to tell
Welcome to paradise
And nothing seems to fit
Playing games and telling lies
And so I just can't quit
No, I can't let her go
Can't let her go
No, I can't let her go
It's hard to let her go
Now that I found you, I'll never be the same
Now that it's over, now that it's over
Can't let her go
Can't let her go
No, I can't let her go
Can't let her go
Can't let her go
Hard to let her go
Can't let her go
Hard to let her go
In Robben Ford's song "Can't Let Her Go," the lyrics are expressing the sense of a man who is still holding on to his love for a woman who has left or possibly died. The first lines reflect how careless he has been since that day, possibly since the day she left, which clearly had a significant impact on him. The pictures that come to his mind in the song might be moments that he had shared with her, memories of her that he still cherishes, which are still vivid in his heart. As he stands at the doorway searching for his love, he assures her that despite everything that may have happened, he will never treat her unkind.
The lyrics then switch to a scene where he is with the woman on her balcony, speaking words of love and trying hard to be with her. He expresses how easy it would be for her to push him away, but he cannot and will not let her go. There is a sense of desperation in the lyrics, as he knows that he cannot live without her, no matter how hard he tries.
The later verses of the song bring up a different tone, possibly reflecting on their past memories together in the same old room. There is this feeling of nostalgia and reminiscence, as the man thinks of how everything has changed since she walked out of his life. However, despite everything that has happened, he still can't forget her and move on with his life. The song ends with him acknowledging that he has found a new love, but he knows that he will never be the same again. The woman he still loves will always have a special place in his heart, and he will find it hard to let her go.
Line by Line Meaning
Careless since that day, I remember
Ever since that fateful day, I have had a tendency to not pay attention
Pictures come from heart to mind
Images form in my mind, brought about by intense emotion
Standing at your doorway searching all of my love
I'm standing outside your door, baring my heart and soul to you
No, I'll never treat you unkind
I promise to never harm you emotionally or physically
Standing on your balcony
I'm on your balcony, looking out into the night sky
Speaking words of love
I'm expressing my deep feelings of love for you
Telling you can easily
I'm telling you that I can handle anything
To push me [Incomprehensible]
I'm asking you to test me, to prove that I'm strong
But I can't let her go
I can't bear to lose the woman I love
There were lot of lights with the ceiling
The ceiling was covered in bright lights
You got to know it very well
You became familiar with every detail of the space, including the ceiling lights
Every single inch of this lonely room
I'm alone in this room, and I'm familiar with every little detail
Has the same old story to tell
Everything in here reminds me of the past and the pain that came with it
Welcome to paradise
This room was once my sanctuary, but now it represents my pain
And nothing seems to fit
I feel like nothing in my life makes sense anymore
Playing games and telling lies
I've been acting dishonestly and playing mind games with myself
And so I just can't quit
I can't stop the patterns I've fallen into, even though I know they're hurting me
Now that I found you, I'll never be the same
Since I met you, my life has changed for the better - I'm a different person now
Now that it's over, now that it's over
Even though it's done, it still hurts just as much as it did when we were together
Can't let her go
I'm struggling to let you go
Hard to let her go
It's a difficult process to move on without you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBBEN FORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind