Teddy grew up navigating different worlds: he was a football player, a musical theater student and the grandson of a Pentecostal pastor. Teddy was exposed to a wider variety of music than most “country boys”. In high school and over the next few years he was in several bands, genres ranging from 80’s hair metal, funk, modern metalcore, soul, and country alternative bands.
These experiences make Teddy who he is as an artist.
In March of 2019, Teddy went on his first US tour as a hip-hop artist with his best friend Addy Maxwell, which he describes as freeing experience, as he was able to continue to expand into uncharted territory. With this in mind, Teddy began to explore integrating the various genres he loved: metal, pop-punk, soul/funk, country, gospel, r&b, and show-tunes, into one genre that is Teddy Swims.
Teddy is the accumulation of past projects. Swims stands for: someone who isn’t me sometimes, a reference to Teddy’s struggle to integrate the different parts of himself. For Teddy, the goal is to break barriers and bring people together. About the project, Teddy says, “There are no categories, no stereotypes, no statistic is a definite number. Until we learn to see every person as an individual, we will never truly reach unity.”
Bed on Fire
Teddy Swims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see the headlights turn to shadows driving past
I hope one night it's not you going
'Cause you woke up and realized what you could have
You sleep with peace of mind you don't worry
I'm wide awake I know it's gonna hurt me
Least you could do is show a little mercy now
So if you're gonna leave me, leave me
In the middle of the night
Set the bed on fire
Set the bed on fire
If you're gonna leave me, leave me
Don't say goodbye
Just set the bed on fire
Baby, set the bed on fire
And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn let it burn on down
Sometimes I wonder what you're thinking
You say you love me but sometimes I have my doubts
Baby, what if our ship was sinking
Would I be the only one hanging on when it goes down
You sleep with peace of mind you don't worry
I'm wide awake I know it's gonna hurt me
The least you could do is show a little mercy now
So if you're gonna leave me, leave me
In the middle of the night
Set the bed on fire
Set the bed on fire
If you're gonna leave me, leave me
Then don't say goodbye
Just set the bed on fire
Baby, set the bed on fire
And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn on down
Let it burn on down
Let it burn on down
Don't drag it out
Don't hang around
Don't take your time
Don't twist the knife
Don't let me see just let me dream
So if you're gonna leave me, leave me
In the middle of the night
Oh, set the bed on fire
Set the bed on fire
If you're gonna leave me, leave me
Don't say goodbye
Just set the bed on fire
Baby, set the bed on fire
And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn on down
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Just let it burn, let it burn, let it burn, let it burn on down
In Teddy Swims's song "Bed on Fire," the singer is addressing a lover who they believe is going to leave them. The song expresses the insecurity and fear that often come with the vulnerability of love. The singer is consumed by their own thoughts and unable to sleep, a feeling depicted by the opening line, "I hate to sleep with one eye open." They worry about the possibility of their lover leaving them, visualizing their headlights as they drive away. There is a sense of desperation and a feeling of being trapped, as the singer implores their lover to show them mercy and not to drag out the breakup.
The chorus of the song is a plea to the lover to just leave without any goodbyes or prolonged farewells. They urge the lover to "set the bed on fire" instead, as a way of unleashing the pain and letting it all go up in flames. This ending is preferable to the lingering pain of a long and drawn-out breakup. The singer encourages their lover to let go and move on and to do so as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate to sleep with one eye open
I don't feel comfortable sleeping when I'm not sure what you're up to
I see the headlights turn to shadows driving past
I see cars pass by our house and wonder if it's you leaving
I hope one night it's not you going / 'Cause you woke up and realized what you could have
I hope you won't leave me one day and regret losing what we have
You sleep with peace of mind you don't worry / I'm wide awake I know it's gonna hurt me / Least you could do is show a little mercy now
You don't seem to worry about us while I'm up all night worried about our relationship. Please be kind to me if you decide to leave.
Sometimes I wonder what you're thinking / You say you love me but sometimes I have my doubts / Baby, what if our ship was sinking / Would I be the only one hanging on when it goes down
I often question if you truly love me even though you say you do. I worry that I'll be the only one trying to save our relationship if things get bad.
Don't drag it out / Don't hang around / Don't take your time / Don't twist the knife / Don't let me see just let me dream
If you do decide to leave, please don't drag it out and make it painful for both of us. Just leave quietly and let me move on without seeing the aftermath.
So if you're gonna leave me, leave me / In the middle of the night / Set the bed on fire / Set the bed on fire / If you're gonna leave me, leave me / Don't say goodbye / Just set the bed on fire / Baby, set the bed on fire / And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground / Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn let it burn on down
If you do want to leave, do it without any warning and just set the bed on fire. Let everything we had together burn and fade away without dragging it out. Let it all be destroyed in one fiery moment.
Let it burn on down
Let everything we had together burn down and disappear
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adonijah Christian Cartwright, Dallas Davidson, Jaten Collin Dimsdale, Julian Collin Bunetta, Kyle Allan Fishman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josereyes8780
I hate to sleep with one eye open
I see the headlights turn to shadows driving past
I hope one night it’s not you going
Cause you woke up and realized what you could have
You sleep with peace of mind you don’t worry
I’m wide awake I know it’s gonna hurt me
The least you could do is show a little mercy now
So if you’re gonna leave me, leave me
In the middle of the night
Set the bed on fire
Set the bed on fire
If you’re gonna leave me, leave me
Don’t say goodbye
Just set the bed on fire
Baby set the bed on fire
And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn let it burn on down
Sometimes I wonder what you’re thinking
You say you love me but sometimes I have my doubts
Baby what if our ship was sinking
Would I be the only one hanging on when it goes down
You sleep with peace of mind you don’t worry
I’m wide awake I know it’s gonna hurt me
The least you could do is show a little mercy now
So if you’re gonna leave me, leave me
In the middle of the night
Set the bed on fire
Set the bed on fire
If you’re gonna leave me, leave me
Don’t say goodbye
Just set the bed on fire
Baby set the bed on fire
And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn let it burn on down
Let it burn on down
Let it burn on down
Don’t drag it out
Don’t hang around
Don’t take your time
Don’t twist the knife
Don’t let me see just let me dream
So if you’re gonna leave me, leave me
In the middle of the night
Set the bed on fire
Set the bed on fire
If you’re gonna leave me, leave me
Don’t say goodbye
Just set the bed on fire
Baby set the bed on fire
And let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn let it burn on down
Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn all the way to the ground
Just let it burn, let it burn, let it burn let it burn on down
@TeddySwims
Check out my live performance of "Lose Control" https://youtu.be/GZ3zL7kT6_c?si=mmrQuu_UpXu2wzSI
@dianavarela7919
The best song ever, live is always the best
@brianbenson7737
I love the vibes you send.
@chair_bear2652
❤❤️❤️😊
@amandalockhart2454
I am so late to this party, but I'm telling you it's a CRIME that this man hasn't reached the level of recognition he deserves. Literal goosebumps every time I hear this voice, he is so incredibly talented what a unique sound. I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!
@crystalstrawbridge
Same.....
@lindsayzipprich2647
I have been watching his wonderful videos for a long time. He went from a DJ playing the music that he was singing to ,then a band and now an album and now his own concert tour around the World. I have only the best wishes for Teddy to be recognized as the great artist that he is. Fame and fortune has been a long time coming.
@kortekainess
Rob Thomas, Johnny Stevens (from Highly Suspect), and now Teddy... The only men who can make my chest burn with their voices. lmao
@amandalockhart2454
@@kortekainess BIG yes to Rob Thomas! I'll have to check out Johnny Stevens if you've put him in the same category as Rob and Teddy!
@amandahumbert9482
My thoughts exactly