Shawn Peter Raul Mendes is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013… Read Full Bio ↴Shawn Peter Raul Mendes is a Canadian singer. He gained a following in 2013, posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manager Andrew Gertler and Island Records A&R Ziggy Chareton, which led to him signing a deal with the record label. Mendes's self-titled debut EP was released in 2014, followed by his debut studio album Handwritten in 2015. Handwritten debuted atop the US Billboard 200, making Mendes one of five artists ever to debut at number one before the age of 18. The single "Stitches" reached number one in the UK and the top 10 in the US and Canada.

His second studio album Illuminate (2016) also debuted at number one in the US, with its singles "Treat You Better" and "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" reaching the top 10 in several countries. His self-titled third studio album (2018) was supported by the lead single "In My Blood". The album's number one debut in the US made Mendes the third-youngest artist to achieve three number one albums. In 2019, he released the hit singles "If I Can't Have You" and "Señorita", with the latter peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100. His fourth studio album, Wonder (2020), made Mendes the youngest male artist ever to top the Billboard 200 with four studio albums.

Among his accolades, Mendes has won 13 SOCAN awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, eight Juno Awards, eight iHeartRadio MMVAs, two American Music Awards, and received three nominations for a Grammy Award and one nomination for a Brit Award. In 2018, Time named Mendes as one of the 100 most influential people in the world on their annual list.

Lights On
Shawn Mendes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Damn, you look so good with your clothes on
And I'm not trying to come off too strong
But you know that I can't help it
'Cause girl you're beautiful, mhm

And I can't deny I want your body
But I'm a gentleman so I'll be
The one who takes it slowly

'Cause girl you're so beautiful

I wanna love you with the lights on
Keep you up all night long
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move
I wanna love you with the lights on
Hold you 'til the night's gone
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move
I wanna love you with the lights on
Hey, no

I like the vibe in this hotel room
And I'd really like to get to know you
Start discovering your secrets
Underneath these very sheets, mhm
Your skin's so perfect up against me
Your lips are talking when we don't speak
And I never wanna leave this
'Cause there's so much left to see

I wanna love you with the lights on
Keep you up all night long
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move
I wanna love you with the lights on
And hold you 'til the nights gone
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move

I wanna love you with the lights on
Keep you up all night long
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move
I wanna love you with the lights on
Hold you 'til the nights gone
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move

I wanna love you with the lights on
Keep you up all night long
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move
I wanna love you with the lights on (I wanna love you)
And hold you 'til the nights gone (mhm)
Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I get lost in the way you move

I wanna love you with the lights on

Love you with the lights on
Love you with the lights on

Overall Meaning

In "Lights On," Shawn Mendes sings about his physical attraction to someone and wanting to take things slow with them. With lyrics like "Damn, you look so good with your clothes on," he admires his partner's physical appearance. He assures the person that he will take things slow because he is a gentleman but also expresses his desire to love them with the lights on and see every inch of them. He likes the vibe in the hotel room where they are, and he wants to discover their secrets beneath the sheets.

The lyrics indicate that Shawn is respectful of his partner's boundaries and wants to proceed with caution while still being romantic. The phrase "love you with the lights on" could indicate a deeper connection than just physical attraction. It conveys a desire to see the person for who they are with no tricks and masks, both physically and emotionally. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes this point to emphasize how much he wants to love and hold onto his partner through the night.

In conclusion, "Lights On" portrays the excitement of a new attraction, focusing on physical desire while respecting boundaries and wanting to know a person for who they are, making it a romantic song.

Line by Line Meaning

Damn, you look so good with your clothes on
You look amazing even when you're fully dressed.

And I'm not trying to come off too strong
I don't want to be too aggressive or overwhelming in my approach towards you.

But you know that I can't help it
Despite trying to control myself, I'm unable to resist your beauty.

'Cause girl you're beautiful
You're incredibly attractive and it's hard to resist you.

And I can't deny I want your body
I'm physically attracted to you and desire your body.

But I'm a gentleman, so I'll be
Even though I have physical desires, I'll respect you and take things slow.

The one who takes it slowly
I'll be the one to control the pace of our physical relationship.

'Cause girl you're so beautiful
I'm mesmerized by your beauty, and it's important to me that we take it slow.

I wanna love you with the lights on
I want to see and appreciate every inch of you while we're intimate with the lights on.

Keep you up all night long
I want to spend all night exploring and experiencing each other's company and bodies.

Darling, I wanna see every inch of you
I'm intrigued by your body and your mind, and I want to explore all of you in depth.

I get lost in the way you move
Your movements and mannerisms are mesmerizing and captivating for me.

And hold you 'til the nights gone
I want to hold you close and be with you all night long.

I like the vibe in this hotel room
I enjoy the atmosphere and energy of this setting and I think it's perfect for us.

And I'd really like to get to know you
I'm interested in getting to know you better as a person.

Start discovering your secrets
I'm curious about your thoughts and emotions, and I want to understand you better.

Underneath these very sheets
I want to be close to you, both physically and emotionally, while we're in bed.

Your skin's so perfect up against me
The sensation of your skin against mine is one of the most satisfying feelings I've ever experienced.

Your lips are talking when we don't speak
Even when we're not speaking, the way you kiss me communicates volumes about how you feel.

And I never wanna leave this
The connection we're building is so strong that I never want to let it go.

Cause there's so much left to see
There's so much left to explore and discover about each other.

Love you with the lights on
I want to love you and see all of you with the lights on.

Love you with the lights on
This physical connection we're building is real and special, and I want to feel it with you in full view.

Love you with the lights on
I want to truly love and experience you in every way possible, with nothing hidden or obscured from view.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Geoffrey Warburton, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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