Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tedder is of Welsh descent[citation needed] and was raised by an extended family of missionaries and pastors. He began learning to play the piano at the age of three via the Suzuki method. His early interest in music was prompted by his musician father and school-teacher mother, who coaxed their young son into practicing piano in exchange for candy corn. Tedder started singing at the age of seven.A self-taught vocalist, Tedder began honing this skill at the age of twelve by imitating his favorite artists, who ranged from The Beatles to acts as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder and Sting. He has commented, "I sang for two hours a day every day of my life until I was eighteen." He continued to perform musically during his adolescence through church, school, and personally formed groups.
In his senior year, he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado.There he met and became friends with future OneRepublic band-mate Zach Filkins on their soccer team at the Colorado Springs Christian School. He attended Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma and began to showcase his own material there. Tedder completed his college education and graduated from ORU in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Advertising.
Gravity
Ryan Tedder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we would write our own story
Something in your voice that made me believe you
For every way that you stole my heart
For everything that you are
There's something 'bout your love
That tells me I need you
When you're heavy hearted
We're both fighting gravity
And it's making it hard to breathe
When your hope gets frozen
And your fear's unspoken
Cause you don't want to fall again
Well I'm falling too
If this love's enough for you
And this love's enough for me
Then why can't we overcome this gravity
It's pushing down on you
It's pulling down on me
Why can't we overcome this gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
This gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
Everybody gets afraid
Of saying what they wanna say
They don't want their words to get caught in the open
I wanna take that chance on you
Knowing all that I got to lose
Standing on this road but
I don't know where it's going
But you can't get started
When you're heavy hearted
We're both fighting gravity
And it's making it hard to breathe
When your hope gets frozen
And your fear's unspoken
Cause you don't wanna fall again
Well, I'm falling too
If this love's enough for you
And this love's enough for me
Then why can't we overcome this gravity
It's pushing down on you
It's pulling down on me
Why can't we overcome this gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
This gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
Why can't we overcome
I, I wonder what you're thinking
I, I gotta find a reason
I, I want your love to lift me off the ground
I, I wonder what you're thinking
I, I gotta find a reason
I, I want your love to lift me off the ground
If this love's enough for you
If this love's enough for me
Then why can't we overcome this gravity
It's pushing down on you
And it's pulling down on me
Why can't we overcome this gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
This gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
This gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
This gravity
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
We can't get off the ground
Cause this gravity
The lyrics to Ryan Tedder’s Gravity are a depiction of two people struggling to keep their relationship alive amidst the unrelenting pull of gravity. The song opens with the singer’s memories of every time they were reassured by a lover that they would write their own story together. There’s an acknowledgment of the power of the lover’s voice that makes the singer believe in them all the same. However, the situation quickly shifts when the idea of their shared love is juxtaposed with the reality of their present circumstances. The lovers find themselves held captive by the weight of their emotions, choosing between staying or leaving.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the issue of gravity and how it’s impacting their ability to move forward. They both have heavy hearts, and the weight of their emotions is suffocating. There’s a feeling of indescribable fear as they realize they’re both powerless to defy the gravity that seems to be holding them back. The chorus repeats the notion that they can’t get off the ground, emphasizing the futility of trying to escape the force that’s weighing them down. The last verse is an appeal to the lover, encouraging them to take a chance and risk getting hurt for the sake of love. There’s a desire for the love to lift them off the ground, breaking the hold of gravity.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time that you told me
Throughout our relationship, each instance where you assured me of our bright future together
That we would write our own story
That we were in control of our own destiny and could create a unique narrative for our love
Something in your voice that made me believe you
There was a conviction in your tone that convinced me to trust in your promises
For every way that you stole my heart
All the actions and gestures you made that captured my affection and admiration
For everything that you are
All the qualities and traits that make you who you are and make me love you even more
There's something 'bout your love
There's a certain quality or feature of your love that makes it special and essential
That tells me I need you
Which makes me feel like I can't live without you because of how important you are to me
But you can't get started
However, at the moment, you seem to be struggling to begin something meaningful
When you're heavy hearted
Feeling weighed down by your emotions or past experiences, making progress challenging
We're both fighting gravity
Both of us are experiencing a heavy burden that is pulling us down and making it hard for us to move forward
And it's making it hard to breathe
The gravity we are facing is suffocating and overwhelming, making it difficult to take in air and find relief
When your hope gets frozen
When you lose faith and become stuck in despair or doubtfulness
And your fear's unspoken
Keeping your worries and apprehensions to yourself, making it even more difficult to overcome them
Cause you don't want to fall again
Because you don't want to experience heartbreak or disappointment again
Well I'm falling too
I am also struggling and am just as vulnerable to the challenges we are facing
If this love's enough for you
If what we have between us is strong and meaningful enough for you
And this love's enough for me
And if what we share is enough for me, too
Then why can't we overcome this gravity
Why can't we find a way to rise above these overpowering obstacles
It's pushing down on you
It's having a greater impact on you and weighing you down more heavily
It's pulling down on me
It's also affecting me, but in a slightly different way or magnitude
We can't get off the ground
We are stuck where we currently are, unable to make any significant progress or change
This gravity
The force binding us down and preventing us from taking off and moving forward
Everybody gets afraid
Everyone experiences fear and anxiety in relationships and sharing their true feelings
Of saying what they wanna say
Of expressing their true thoughts and emotions, especially when it could have significant consequences
They don't want their words to get caught in the open
They fear their words could be misunderstood, judged or criticized by others
I wanna take that chance on you
I am willing to risk opening up and exposing myself to you and our love
Knowing all that I got to lose
Even though I realize the potential pain or losses that come with vulnerability, I am still willing to try for us
Standing on this road but
I am currently in an unknown or unclear place in our relationship
I don't know where it's going
I am unsure of where this path will lead us, or even if we will get there
I, I wonder what you're thinking
I am curious and eager to know what is going through your mind
I, I gotta find a reason
I feel like I need to discover a compelling motive or purpose for our love and efforts to overcome our difficulties
I, I want your love to lift me off the ground
I desire for your love to empower and inspire me to break free from the forces holding me down
If this love's enough for you
If what we have between us is strong and meaningful enough for you to fight for us
If this love's enough for me
If what we share is enough for me to keep striving and not give up on us
Why can't we overcome this gravity
What is blocking us from triumphing over the challenging obstacles in our path
Cause this gravity
The gravity we are facing and struggling against
Contributed by Liliana D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
hollylee32
Ryan Tedder is the greatest song writer of this Generation!!!
health_microdose on Instagram
Hello, I want you to know just how much I appreciate everything you have done for me. Thank you for your love and support. You are a true fan, and I am so grateful for that. You cannot imagine how much strength your support has given me during a difficult time. I appreciate you more than words can say. I hope you keep being a great fan. Where are you watching from?
Tereza Chyská
He's the Undercover King of pop for a reason. I admire him so much
Marian Allianni
This song is so heavenly...
health_microdose on Instagram
Hello, I want you to know just how much I appreciate everything you have done for me. Thank you for your love and support. You are a true fan, and I am so grateful for that. You cannot imagine how much strength your support has given me during a difficult time. I appreciate you more than words can say. I hope you keep being a great fan. Where are you watching from?
Karolina R.
masterpiece ❤
health_microdose on Instagram
Hello, I want you to know just how much I appreciate everything you have done for me. Thank you for your love and support. You are a true fan, and I am so grateful for that. You cannot imagine how much strength your support has given me during a difficult time. I appreciate you more than words can say. I hope you keep being a great fan. Where are you watching from?
David Anthony Manibo
THIS IS JUST AMAZING!!!!!
thegreenweirdo210
I love when this song is paired with Nikki Flores... a sort of duet! It's so beautiful
Catherine Quarrick
You are forever awesome,Brilliant, highly sophisticated yet humble and deep and caring from what i have seen online but i need to physically shake ur hands ask for a hug i thank you for all u do and please continue cause u have the most angellic voices. And you sing like a dream you melt my heart and u feed my soul and give me goosebumps too