The Turtles were an American pop/rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan a… Read Full Bio ↴The Turtles were an American pop/rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, a duo later known as Flo & Eddie. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits in the 60s, beginning with their version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965. The band scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together". Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965, the band was renowned for their both joyously melancholic and occasionally cheeky sound, always being good-natured.

Originated from a surf rock group called the Crossfires, the Turtles delved into many genres such as breezy pop, psychedelic music, and folk rock. A precursor to the bubblegum pop of the late 60s and early 70s as well as a foil to the more self-consciously hip and "serious" acts of the era, the Turtles produced at least a dozen memorable, radio-friendly chart singles. Yet they remain best known for 1967's "Happy Together", which was their only chart-topping single.

The Turtles wound down their career in 1970.

The two prominent singers - Howard Kaylan ("Eddie") and Mark Volman ("Flo" a.k.a. "Phlorescent Leech") - collaborated with Frank Zappa for a short but very intensive period of one and a half years (between 1970-72) and were the cornerstone of what was known to be the Zappa "Vaudeville" band; two of the most famous achievements of that period being the albums Fillmore East – June 1971 and 200 Motels, the soundtrack of the film by the same name.

Too Young To Be One
The Turtles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's something that I just can't seem to
Get off my mind and it's this, girl:
We've let it go too far.
We're too young to have tied ourselves to
Each others' arms.
We've forgotten who we are.

I loved her; the two of us were one plus one:

One together, but I found
That two cannot stay one, stay one forever.

There's something that I just can't seem to
Get off my mind, and it's this, girl:
We've let it go too far.
We're too young to have tied ourselves to
Each others' arms.
We've forgotten who we are.

(Interlude)

There's something that I just can't seem to
Get off my mind, and it's this, girl:
We've let it go too far.
We're too young to have tied ourselves to
Each others' minds!
We've forgotten who we are.
We've forgotten who we are.
We've forgotten who we are.

Too young to have tied ourselves
Have tied ourselves
Too young to have tied ourselves

Have tied ourselves
(Fade out)

Overall Meaning

The Turtles' song "Too Young To Be One" is a song about being in a rushed and immature relationship. The song's protagonist perceives that they have let the relationship go too far, tied themselves too closely to each other, and have forgotten who they are because of it. The song speaks to a youthful desperation to be seen in a relationship as a singular entity, but ultimately the singer realizes that it is healthier to maintain individuality within a relationship, rather than melding together into an indistinguishable mass. The lyrics also suggest that this young couple is rushing relationships and overlooking the importance of personal identity and life experiences.

The lyrics of "Too Young To Be One" touch on a common issue among youth in relationships: a fear of losing oneself, identity, and personal freedom in a relationship. The song encourages listeners to consider the downsides of losing individuality and of a rushed relationship. There is a consensus that each person should be complete before entering into a relationship, and that the most beneficial relationships develop when people respect and support their individuality.

Line by Line Meaning

There's something that I just can't seem to Get off my mind and it's this, girl:
I cannot stop thinking about something and it's about us, girl:

We've let it go too far.
We've gone too far with our relationship.

We're too young to have tied ourselves to Each others' arms.
We're too young to have committed ourselves to each other.

We've forgotten who we are.
We have lost our sense of identity in our relationship.

I loved her; the two of us were one plus one: One together, but I found That two cannot stay one, stay one forever.
I loved her, and we were together as one, but I realized that two people can't stay as one forever.

(Interlude)
This is a break in the song with instrumental music.

We're too young to have tied ourselves to Each others' minds!
We're too young to have attached ourselves to each other mentally.

We've forgotten who we are.
We have lost our true selves in our relationship.

Too young to have tied ourselves Have tied ourselves Too young to have tied ourselves Have tied ourselves (Fade out)
We were too young to commit to each other but we did commit to each other and it's faded out now.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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