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.”
Simple Things
Teddy Swims Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels like you can only think as far as you can see
Eighteen, tatted up, tryna sell weed
Knowing I'd take the fall for the whole team
Wasn't tryna hear it every time that you told me
It's the sound of the rain
Coming down when you fall asleep
That you love but never get to see
All the time you could waste
Tryna chase what you'll never need
Hope you come back around to simple things
How's it been four, five years since I got down on my knees?
And how could I forget the sweet smell of the honeysuckles in the breeze
Woulda never thought tryna chase this dream
Would give me nightmares, now I get no sleep
Nowadays seems like the only thing that calms me
It's the sound of the rain
Coming down when you fall asleep
It's a call from a friend
That you love but never get to see
All the time you can waste
Tryna chase what you'll never need
Always comes back around to simple things
Like a song that you know from the past
Coming on, when you need it so bad
Like a drink in your glass
At the end of the day that you needed to have
Yeah, I try and still sometimes I mess it up
Lately I been asking myself what's enough?
It's the sound of the rain
Coming down when you fall asleep
It's a call from a friend
That you love but never get to see
All the time you can waste
Tryna chase what you'll never need
Always comes back around to simple things, simple things
"Simple Things" is a song by Teddy Swims that reflects upon the complexities of chasing one's aspirations and dreams while also yearning for a simpler life. Teddy, who hails from a small town, finds himself at the crossroads of big dreams and his town's way of life. He is tatted up and involved in dealing drugs, yet has aspirations of making it big. However, with every step that he takes, he realizes that he's moving further away from what truly matters in life. He reflects on this while acknowledging that it's easy to get lost in trying to realize our aspirations and all the while, forget the simple things in life, the importance of friendship, the beauty of nature, and the satisfaction of a simple drink. All of these things reconnect us to the meaning and substance of life.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of simple things that bring the much-needed comfort and solace to life. The sound of rain during sleep, a call from a friend, and the time you can spend aimlessly are moments and experiences that help us reconnect with our emotions and come to understand ourselves better. The lyrics of the song are a reminder that while chasing our dreams and aspirations is important, it's equally important to hold onto the simple pleasures of life that keep us grounded and provide meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Small town living gets old when you've got big dreams
Living in a small town can be frustrating when you have ambitions that go beyond its borders.
Feels like you can only think as far as you can see
Being in a small town limits your ability to think or imagine beyond what you can see.
Eighteen, tatted up, tryna sell weed
Knowing I'd take the fall for the whole team
At eighteen, I had tattoos and sold weed, even though I knew I was the one who would take the blame for everyone's actions.
Wasn't tryna hear it every time that you told me
I didn't want to listen every time someone tried to advise me against my actions.
It's the sound of the rain
Coming down when you fall asleep
The gentle sound of rain can be soothing and help you fall asleep.
It's a call from a friend
That you love but never get to see
Hearing from a friend you care about, but don't get to see often, can bring comfort.
All the time you could waste
Tryna chase what you'll never need
Spending time trying to attain things that you actually don't need is a waste of time and effort.
Hope you come back around to simple things
I hope you eventually realize the importance of the small and simple things that really matter in life.
How's it been four, five years since I got down on my knees?
It's been four to five years since I hit rock bottom and prayed for help.
And how could I forget the sweet smell of the honeysuckles in the breeze
I can still remember the sweet fragrance of honeysuckles in the wind.
Woulda never thought tryna chase this dream
Would give me nightmares, now I get no sleep
I never thought that chasing my dream would give me sleepless nights and nightmares.
Nowadays seems like the only thing that calms me
Currently, the only thing that brings me peace is thinking about the simple things in life.
Always comes back around to simple things
In the end, life tends to bring us back to the simple things that matter the most.
Like a song that you know from the past
Coming on, when you need it so bad
Sometimes, an old familiar song can come on when you need it the most and provide comfort.
Like a drink in your glass
At the end of the day that you needed to have
Having a drink at the end of a long day can be incredibly satisfying and calming.
Yeah, I try and still sometimes I mess it up
Even though I try to appreciate the simple things, I still make mistakes and overlook them occasionally.
Lately I been asking myself what's enough?
Recently, I've been questioning what truly matters in life and what is deemed enough for my happiness.
Always comes back around to simple things, simple things
Similar to the earlier line, the simple things in life tend to make the biggest impact.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Sherwyn Nicholls, Shungudzo Kuyimba, Andrew Haas, Ian Franzino, Jaten Dimsdale, Julian Bunetta
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@twelvepastmidnight.12pm
Cried my eyes out at the concert in Atl when he sang this. He was crying too. Best concert we have ever been to. He's absolutely amazing.
@luckynickel4208
I can't understand how this man isn't a huge star already!! His voice is just off the hook!!! Man keep doing your thing! Fan for life!
@MultiDaveyd
I so agree!
@celticmama98
It's coming. I cheered so damn loud the other night when he was on Late Night with Seth Meyers that my service dog jumped up & fell off the bed 😆
(She was OK. )
@blakem6403
2 mill YouTube subscribers. He’s made it lol
@SG-ig2th
Being a star isn’t about talent. It’s about fitting into a niche and being marketable.
@AnykeRan
He is u just found him .
@terricoats
I stumbled across him on accident and fell in love. I love having him playing when I have friends over who haven’t heard him and I don’t say anything and just wait for them to stop talking or whatever and go “omg who is that? he’s awesome!!” I smile and say “I know right!!” I’ve turned everyone onto him.
@LanceBeezy
This man most definitely underated
@danielmontgomery613
Not anymore…