I
I can't promise you that I won't let you down
And I
I can't promise you that I will be the only one around
When your hope falls down
But we're young
Open flowers in the windy fields of this war-torn world
And love
This city breathes the plague of loving things more than their creators

I ran away
I could not take the burden of both me and you
It was too fast
Casting love on me as if it were a spell I could not break
When it was a promise I could not make

But what if I was wrong?

But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight

And now this land
Means less and less to me without you breathing through its trees
At every turn
The water runs away from me and the halo disappears
And the hole when you're not near

So what if I was wrong?

But hold on to what you believe in the light
When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight

So hold on to what you believed in the light


Lyrics submitted by Nobody-special, edited by msudawwg, Mellow_Harsher

Hold On to What You Believe [Bonus Track] Lyrics as written by Edward James Milton Dwane Benjamin Walter David Lovett

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Hold on to What You Believe song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

20 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment

    A lot of their songs are pretty clearly about struggling with faith and this one is more obvious than most.

    The central idea is to "hold on to what you believe in the light//When the darkness has robbed you of all sight". "What if I was wrong?" is coming up, he's wondering if perhaps his whole faith is a lie. He "could not take the burden of both you and I" - he has his own issues, how can he deal with being faithful to God at the same time? But the world means "less and less to [him] without [God] breathing through its trees", so he realises that he must hold on to his faith regardless of what his current state of mind leads him to believe.

    Basically, when you go through tough times, you're not going to be thinking straight necessarily. You might question even your deepest beliefs. The song is simply saying that you should trust your decisions "in the light", you should believe what you believe when life is good, rather than succumbing to doubts that arrive in the dark.

    FuzzyJAMon December 13, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is one of my FAVORITE Mumford songs. It's so beautiful. "Now this land means less to less to me without you breathing through it's trees."

    Not hard to decipher--he runs away from being in love but begins to miss the one he ran from and starts to realize that he made a mistake. Oh Marcus Mumford. You're beautiful.

    Itsbeenrainingon August 02, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I can't believe no one has commented ... These guys are amazing!

    Ali1WhenItSizzleson July 03, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    are the lyrics not 'I'm not whole when you're not near' ??? (thats what i hear when i listen to the song? AMAZING underrated band though!

    jo123on December 23, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    in my opinion, this song is about a guy who was with a girl but he ran away from their relationship because it became too much for him. it was happening too fast and he got scared of even the littlest bit of commitment. now that he is alone, he is questioning whether he made the right decision, because he misses her and feels 'not whole' when she's not near.

    indigoogoon June 08, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think he's just afraid of falling in love, but then he realizes that there's nobody else he would rather be with and he'll take the chance.

    AMillionThingsToBeon July 26, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song is as said he ran away because he was afraid, he does hate being on his own and being without her but he still believes he made the right decision by holding onto what he believed was right for him.

    steeeeve67on November 16, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song is beautiful it starts out sounding like its about a girl, and ends like its about god... probably he means for both interpretations to work

    explosionsofwarmairflowon February 12, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    okay see i think theres a littttle more to it then most people are saying, i do think it was about a guy who had someone he loved very much, ran in the other direction, and then missed them again but, people are saying he was running from commitment he wasnt ready to have, yes right, but i also see him being justified in his leaving, like maybe she was asking more then he had to offer, maybe she wanted promises he couldnt make, he knows they are young and maybe nothing is forever, maybe she brought an extra burden to his life, and he was already going through other things so he had to leave her for his own good.

    she was this darkness in his life that at that point in his life he needed to leave behind to feel better, or to reconstruct..

    So what if I was wrong?

    "But hold on to what you believe in the light When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight"

    after he says what if i was wrong.. he reminds himself.. no.. stand by your decision .. you made it for a reason, theres no reason to look back and miss the good when there was so much worse going on. that darkness blinded you at one point, and now continues to.. tricking you into believeing.. maybe it wasnt so bad back then, maybe i need you? maybe i want you? when in reality, you know the light is to stay AWAY.

    this is honestly the story of my relationship with my current boyfriend, i didnt stay away and now im realizing things didnt change.. time made me miss him but he continues to be this blinding black hole in my life.. that i need to remove myself from.

    gabort3000on February 05, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    to AMillionThingsToBe: I think you're right. Hence the chorus: hold on, because it's gonna be alright between the two of us. :))) I love this song.

    edgaon August 23, 2010   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.