Looking For
The Ridleys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I picked up a fiddle and started to play
Those were the best years of my life
Picked a guitar back in summer '09
I made my first tune and wrote my first rhyme
It wasn't perfect but it was all right
I wasn't perfect but I was all right
It began to feel different when I hit 18
Made some new plans set aside all my dreams and I
Can't get away from the push and the pull
Of the waves crashing over my body and soul
Twenty-three and I'm not going back
All I carry with me are these memories intact
It's hard to move on when I'm stuck in the past
It's hard to move on when I'm stuck
When I'm stuck
When I'm-
Still haven't found what I'm looking for
Still haven't found what I've lost
The Ridley's song "Looking For" is a reflective and introspective piece that explores the themes of childhood innocence, artistic creation, ambition, and the passage of time. The lyrics begin with the singer reminiscing about his earliest memories of musical experimentation as a young boy, picking up a fiddle and discovering the joy of playing music. The refrain "Those were the best years of my life" highlights the sense of fondness and nostalgia that characterizes the song's mood.
However, as the singer grows older, his relationship with music changes. He picks up a guitar and begins writing his own songs, but acknowledges that his early attempts were imperfect. By the time he turns 18, the pressures of adulthood and the need to pursue practical goals threaten to derail his artistic aspirations. The lines "Can't get away from the push and the pull / Of the waves crashing over my body and soul" convey the sense of internal struggle and conflict that many creative people face when trying to balance their passions with the demands of the everyday world.
The final verse finds the singer at age 23, still searching for something that he has yet to find. The repetition of the phrase "Still haven't found what I'm looking for / Still haven't found what I've lost" reinforces the sense of unfulfilled longing that pervades the song. The tone is bittersweet and reflective, but ultimately hopeful - suggesting that despite the challenges and setbacks, the search for meaning and purpose in life is worth pursuing.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a boy just five years of age
Back when I was only five years old
I picked up a fiddle and started to play
I began to learn how to play the fiddle
Those were the best years of my life
Those were the years I enjoyed the most
Picked a guitar back in summer '09
In the summer of 2009, I started playing the guitar
I made my first tune and wrote my first rhyme
I created my first melody and composed my first poem
It wasn't perfect but it was all right
It wasn't flawless, but it was satisfactory
I wasn't perfect but I was all right
I wasn't faultless, but I was decent
It began to feel different when I hit 18
Things started to change when I turned 18
Made some new plans set aside all my dreams and I
I abandoned all of my aspirations and made new goals
Can't get away from the push and the pull
I can't escape from the forces that motivate and hinder me
Of the waves crashing over my body and soul
These forces hit me like waves, disturbing both my physical and emotional being
Twenty-three and I'm not going back
I'm now 23, and I'm not returning to my previous path
All I carry with me are these memories intact
The only things I have left are my memories, preserved perfectly
It's hard to move on when I'm stuck in the past
It's challenging to progress when I'm dwelling on the past
Still haven't found what I'm looking for
I'm still searching for what I desire
Still haven't found what I've lost
I'm still trying to recover what I've misplaced
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BENJAMIN MANALIGOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ravenjasminebaquing6939
It began to feel different when I hit eighteen.
Unmotivated.
Scared.
Lonely.
Numb.
Lost grip to hope.
Lifeless.
But it began to feel different again when I met The Ridleys.
Cried way too early today. 😔 I love you 5 and everyone behind the team! 😞💛
@Ash-th3io
"It wasn't perfect but it was alright
I wasn't perfect but I was alright"
We are so focused on being perfect that we often lose sight of what's really important--living an imperfect life with contentment, and finding that one thing that sparks happiness in our hearts. We are in constant battle with ourselves, trying to fit in a box when in reality we are boundless, and ever transcendental.
To all listeners here, let this song be a reminder that there's no need to rush. Feel free to walk barefoot, and take little steps at a time. For whatever you are chasing after, this life is yours. This life is yours.
@rhinavillamor
wow for this!
@autumnsinner8882
thank u for this 😭
@jenipaaaay
Thank youuuu 🥺🙏🏻
@aramanansala1811
Thank you so much for this. I needed to hear this. 😭
@mellowyellow014
i cri QwQ
@merachan593
I remember a quote that says
"Most men die at 16 or 18, we just bury them at 70."
I never realized this before but what it meant was killing one's passion and dreams when we were young. I hope to anyone who will read this, we will realize that it is not yet late to find the missing piece of us that we lost when we were young.
Thank you The Ridleys for this wonderful song. It made us realized a lot of things.
@ferdsferds8023
Lost - Over October
All I Feel and See - Any Name's Okay
Looking For - The Ridleys
ito na siguro ung kanta ng buhay ko.
@ravenjasminebaquing6939
It began to feel different when I hit eighteen.
Unmotivated.
Scared.
Lonely.
Numb.
Lost grip to hope.
Lifeless.
But it began to feel different again when I met The Ridleys.
Cried way too early today. 😔 I love you 5 and everyone behind the team! 😞💛
@DanDan-ou7rr
It somehow sums up yung mga nararanasan ngayon ng young adults, that so called "Existential Crisis" when we are still wandering and wondering about our own existence and purpose in life...
Kudos The Ridleys...✌