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.”
Blinding Lights
Teddy Swims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been on my own for long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
I'm going through withdrawals
You don't even have to do too much
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
I look around and Sin City's cold and empty
I can't see clearly when you're gone
And I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
And I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
Hey, hey, hey
I'm running out of time
'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky
So I hit the road in overdrive, baby
Oh, the city's cold and empty
No one around to judge me
I can't see clearly when you're gone
And I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
And I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
I'm just walking by to let you know (By to let you know)
I can never say it on the phone (Say it on the phone)
Will never let you go this time
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
And I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
The lyrics to Teddy Swims's song "Blinding Lights" describe the singer's longing for love and connection with someone who can show him how to love. He feels alone and like he's been on his own for too long, and he's going through withdrawals. The city around him is cold and empty, and he can't see clearly when the person he's singing about is gone.
However, in their presence, everything changes. They have the power to turn him on with just a touch, and he trusts them completely when he's feeling lost. He's running out of time, but he's determined to hit the road and find them. He can never say how he feels on the phone, but he wants them to know that he'll never let them go this time.
The song's powerful lyrics convey a sense of longing and desperation that is heightened by the driving beat and synthesizer-heavy instrumentation. It's a song about the powerful hold that love can have on us, and the way that it can drive us to do things we never thought possible. The repetition of the phrases "blinded by the lights" and "drowning in the night" gives the song an almost hypnotic quality, as if the singer is caught in a trance-like state brought on by his feelings of desire and need for this other person.
Line by Line Meaning
I been tryna call
I have been attempting to contact you
I been on my own for long enough
I have been solitary for an extended period
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
Perhaps you can teach me to love
I'm going through withdrawals
I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms
You don't even have to do too much
You needn't put forth much effort
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
Your touch arouses me, my dear
I look around and Sin City's cold and empty
As I survey my surroundings, Las Vegas seems desolate
No one around to judge me
No one is present to critique me
I can't see clearly when you're gone
My vision is obscured in your absence
And I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
I exclaimed, oh, the lights have blinded me
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I am unable to slumber until I experience your caress
And I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Again, I cried out, oh, the night is engulfing me
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
In such moments, you are the one I rely upon
I'm running out of time
I am losing time
'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky
Since I perceive the sun shining in the sky
So I hit the road in overdrive, baby
Thus, I begin driving rapidly, my darling
I'm just walking by to let you know (By to let you know)
I am here to inform you (to let you know)
I can never say it on the phone (Say it on the phone)
I am incapable of uttering it via telephone
Will never let you go this time
This time, I will not release you
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
And I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
Once more, I exclaimed, oh, the lights have blinded me
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I am unable to slumber until I experience your caress
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Contributed by Noah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thanhphunguyen8166
Yeah
I've been tryna call
I've been on my own for long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
I'm going through withdrawals
You don't even have to do too much
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
I look around and
Sin City's cold and empty (oh)
No one's around to judge me (oh)
I can't see clearly when you're gone
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
(Hey, hey, hey)
I'm running out of time
'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky
So I hit the road in overdrive, baby, oh
The city's cold and empty (oh)
No one's around to judge me (oh)
I can't see clearly when you're gone
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
I'm just walking by to let you know (by to let you know)
I can never say it on the phone (say it on the phone)
Will never let you go this time (ooh)
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
(Hey, hey, hey)
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
@TheFon777
Lyrics :
I've been tryna call
I've been on my own for long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
I'm going through withdrawals
You don't even have to do too much
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
I look around and
Sin City's cold and empty (Oh)
No one's around to judge me (Oh)
I can't see clearly when you're gone
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
Hey, hey, hey
I'm running out of time
'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky
So I hit the road in overdrive, baby, oh
The city's cold and empty (Oh)
No one's around to judge me (Oh)
I can't see clearly when you're gone
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night
Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust
I'm just walking back to let you know (Back to let you know)
I can never say it on the phone (Say it on the phone)
Will never let you go this time (Ooh)
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights
No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch
@TeddySwims
This song has been the soundtrack to our quarantine. I am so lucky that I get to be with my best friends in the world during this mess. Count your blessings! My cover of Blinding Lights by The Weeknd is streaming on all platforms now!! Link in description ❤️❤️❤️
@oliverholland6512
Teddy Swims yes
@floppy4104
🧡💛💚
@donnafletcher1562
Beautiful thank you 🙏
@Grimlock1975
Teddy you have been the soundtrack though everything that has been going on for my family :) My daughter Honey loves your beard ( and your music ) lol. Much love from the UK keep yourselves safe and hope to see you over the pond when things return to normal <3 <3 <3
@rosemarycastronuovo6056
Love the Weekend.... Beautiful rendition 🥰❤️🥰 Love you 🧸 Teddy
@grimreaper4782
This is exactly how you cover a song the right way. Make it your own without destroying the original. Awesome job.
@rnou4781
Hi, You’re right I love this cover too ! This one is really great too, I recommend it
👉 https://youtu.be/iLDP-ljNdTQ
@stevejennings3530
Better than the original 💯
@Nico-pl6sf
I mean, it sounds nearly the same, just different instrumentation. Arrangement is the same. Sounds like they just swapped out midi instrument sounds lol