You Really Got a Hold on Me
The Beatles Lyrics
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But I love you
Seems that I'm always
Thinking of you
Oh, oh, oh
You treat me badly
I love you madly
You've really got a hold on me
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
Baby
I don't want you
But I need you
Don't want to kiss you
But I need to
Oh, oh, oh
You do me wrong now
My love is strong now
You've really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
Baby
I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Tighter
Tighter
I want to leave you
Don't want to stay here
Don't want to spend
Another day here
Oh, oh, oh, I want to split now
I just can't quit now
You've really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
Baby
I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me, please, hold me, squeeze, hold me, hold me
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
You really got a hold on me
(You really got a hold on me)
The Beatles' song "You Really Got a Hold on Me" describes a love-hate relationship, where the singer loves their partner deeply, but at the same time, they are treated badly. The song starts by emphasizing this duality, "I don't like you, but I love you." Furthermore, the singer can't stop thinking about the partner, although they don't treat them well.
As the song progresses, the lyrics demonstrate the singer's vulnerability to the partner's love, "You do me wrong now, my love is strong now" indicating how the partner's treatment affects them. Despite wanting to leave, the singer cannot help but feel like they are being held back, "You've really got a hold on me." The last verse repeats the idea that all the singer wants is for the partner to embrace them, "hold me, please, hold me, squeeze, hold me, hold me," solidifying the hold the partner has over them.
The song's repetition is significant in highlighting the cyclic nature of the relationship, where the singer keeps going back to the partner even though they know it's not good for them. The lyrics in "You Really Got a Hold on Me" symbolize a universal human experience of how one can be drawn inexplicably to someone who does not treat them the way they deserve to be treated.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't like you
I have negative feelings towards you
But I love you
Despite my negative feelings, I am deeply in love with you
Seems that I'm always
It appears that I am constantly
Thinking of you
Thinking about you occupies a lot of my thoughts
You treat me badly
Your behavior towards me is hurtful
I love you madly
Despite your hurtful behavior, my love for you is intense
You've really got a hold on me
You have a strong emotional grip on me
(You really got a hold on me)
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Baby
A term of endearment for the beloved
I don't want you
I don't have a desire to be with you
But I need you
Despite my lack of desire, I have a strong emotional dependency on you
Don't want to kiss you
Physical intimacy with you is not what I desire
But I need to
Despite my lack of desire, I have a strong emotional compulsion to be physically intimate with you
You do me wrong now
Your actions towards me are unjust
My love is strong now
Despite your unjust actions, my love for you has grown stronger
I love you and all I want you to do
My love for you is so overwhelming that all I ask is for you to hold me in your arms
Is just hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Tighter
As I am held, I want to feel an even stronger emotional and physical connection with you
I want to leave you
I have a desire to end our relationship
Don't want to stay here
I don't want to continue being in this relationship
Don't want to spend
I have no desire to waste any more time
Another day here
Remaining in this relationship for even one more day is not what I want
Oh, oh, oh, I want to split now
My desire to end our relationship is very strong
I just can't quit now
Despite my desire to end the relationship, I am unable to do so
You really got a hold on me
Your emotional grip on me is so strong that I cannot leave you
(You really got a hold on me)
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Please
An plea for emotional comfort from the beloved
Squeeze
A request for even greater emotional and physical closeness
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William Robinson Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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