You see it all around you
Good lovin' gone bad
And usually it's too late when you, realize what you had
And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago,
Who told me
Just Hold On Loosely
But don't let go
If you cling to tightly
You're gonna lose control

Your baby needs someone to believe in
And a whole lot of space to breathe in
It's so damn easy, when your feelings are such
To overprotect her, to love her too much
And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago

Who told me
Just Hold On Loosely
But don't let go
If you cling too tight babe
You're gonna loose control
Your baby needs someone to believe in
And a whole lot of space to breathe in
Don't let her slip away

Sentimental fool
Don't let your heart get in her way
Yeah, yeah, yeah
You see it all around you
Good lovin' gone bad

And usually it's too late when you, realize what you had
And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago
Who told me

Just Hold On Loosely
But don't let go
If you cling to tightly
You're gonna lose control
Your baby needs someone to believe in
And a whole lot of space to breathe in
So Hold On Loosely

But don't let go
If you cling too tight babe
You're gonna lose it
You're gonna, lose control

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Just Hold On Loosely
But don't let go
If you cling too tight babe
You're gonna loose control

Hold on Loosely
But don't let go
If you cling too tight babe,
You're gonna loose control
Yeah, yeah, yeah



Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21

Track duration: 04:40

"Hold On Loosely" as written by James Michael/carlisi Peterik

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Hold On Loosely song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:....this song is self explanatory.
    Flag HalfordBeatlesManon October 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:here's what i found straight from the band...

    This was .38 Special's first hit. It was written by Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan for their band Survivor. When Survivor's producer decided that song wasn't right for their first album, .38 Special recorded it. After it became a hit, John Kalodner, who signed Aerosmith, Genesis, Survivor and .38 Special, had Peterik write some songs for .38 Special in addition to his work with Survivor. Says Peterik:
    That was a major moment for me. It was my first foray into co-writing. Kalodner said, 'You did great with Rocking Into The Night, I want to put you together with Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi of .38 to see what you can do.' That first night, Jeff and Don are at my house in La Grange, Illinois and we're sitting around the kitchen table. Writing sessions are always like blind dates: It's like making love without the foreplay. Suddenly you're sitting there face to face, and you're thinking, 'OK, what do we do now? Am I going to embarrass myself? What if my ideas suck?' So we're sitting there nervously, just making small talk, and all of the sudden Jeff says, 'I've got this lick,' and he starts with the opening lick of what became Hold On Loosely. I go, 'That's really neat,' and Don says, 'I've got this title - Hold On Loosely,' and I go, 'Yeah, but don't let go.' My wife of 32 years now, this is what broke us apart when we were teenagers - I was getting too close. I was getting too serious for her. She didn't say, 'Hold On Loosely,' but that's what was in her heart. So when Don said 'Hold On Loosely,' I immediately knew what he was talking about. He wasn't even talking about that exactly, he told me later, he just thought it was a cool title. I immediately saw a story, and it was really my own story. I said, 'Jeff, play that riff.' He plays the riff, and I start singing: 'You see it all around you, good loving gone bad.' It just started coming. I turned on the tape recorder and said, 'Guys, I think we have something here.' We got the stalk of the song in the next 2 days, then I fine-tuned it in the next 2 or 3 weeks. I flew down to Jacksonville where the band was rehearsing and basically worked out the song with them down there. The bridge was straight out of the Doobie Brothers songbook. If I look at that song, it's kind of a meld of a lot of influences of mine from that time. The 1/8 notes are very Cars-like from that time and the bridge was What A Fool Believes upside down. It was a great moment and led to a series of .38 Special songs that I wrote with them. After that came Caught Up In You, Fantasy Girl, Wild Eyed Southern Boys and all of those. It was a great run that continues to this day." (Thanks to Jim for speaking with us about this song. He is author of the book Songwriting For Dummies. To learn more, check out his website: jimpeterik.com.)

    songfacts.com/…
    Flag seekeroftruthon February 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It could mean many things... mostly funny... But it could also mean, like all things, if you love something too much you can lose control, or possibly lose what you love so much. Hold on for dear life but don't try too hard or you may die! XD
    Flag rushpwnsxon April 07, 2008   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:it's kinda seemin like a guy who gets a chick whos never done anything before and shes beatin his meat... lol... think about it...

    hold on loosely
    but dont let go
    if you cling too tightly
    your gonna lose control
    ------------
    --- a whole lot of space to breathe in

    thats pretty obvious to me
    Flag soomyon March 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:pop truth
    Flag PinkFloydrulezon November 26, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Just make sure you're not holding to tight with your girl. Noone wants a insecure jealous loser in a relationship. The last thing you need is to be that GUY. The one who is worried about every little thing that there girl does, and critiques it in his head. Worry, worry worry.. It will get you nowhere.

    I like how says but don't let go. Just don't forget about her, make her something in your life.. But don't make her into something you can't trust.
    Flag bearfan34on November 15, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:yeah...uhm...I think I have to agree with felto18 on this one. I mean going to the bathroom? masterbation? what is WITH you people?
    Flag PrEsLeYsBiGsIsTaon June 28, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Wow... masterbation... bathroom?? Haha I think you're a tad bit off. It's about trying to maintain a relationship, hold on loosely and give them their space but don't let them go... just like it says. "Your baby needs someone to believe in
    And a whole lot of space to breathe in""It's so damn easy, when your feelings are such
    To overprotect her, to love her too much". That's kinda given, I think he also feels like an idiot for actually letting that girl go.
    Flag felto18on September 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:masterbation??
    Flag Levitator89on June 07, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:masterbation??
    Flag Levitator89on June 07, 2006   Link

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