[Intro: Trinidad James]
Yeah Yeah
I love the country town man
All of it
The whole south man
From GA to Mississippi
Yeah Yeah
[Hook: Trinidad James]
When I hit Carolina, man, I’m swervin
When I hit Mississippi I’m …
[Intro]
Huh?
Ooh, Bighead on the beat
Aye, Lil Pump, Lil Pump, Lil Pump, Aye
Ronny J, bitch
[Chorus]
I got designer fromy head to my toe
I’m on a Xan and my bitch on that coke
I …
Taz countin’ all this fuckin’ money
CashMoneyAP
Git, git, grrrrrah
Git, git, grrrrrah
Desiigner
I’m on some real life shit, life, real life shit
Never satisfied when you’re goin’ past it
Throws a lot of money put …
Like a phoenix I will rise from the flame
Flipping eyes on the ashes I remain
You used me up
Yeah, you thought I was the same girl
But I’m not the same girl
Living …
Ferina
They don’t know, now they know
I’ve been too busy getting money
I’ve been too busy playing these games that they play
That they want to play with me
M-m-m-Murda
She tell that I ball …
Tried to keep you close to me,
But life got in between1
Tried to square not being there
But think that I should have been2 let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide3
Hold back the river, hold back
Once upon a different life4
We rode our bikes into the sky5
But now we call against the tide6
Those distant days are flashing by7
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold back
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide
Hold back the river, hold back
Hold oho, oho, oho, oho
Oho, oho, oho, oho
Lonely water, lonely water,8 won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other9
Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold back
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold
Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other
Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other10
James Bay describes a situation in which he tried to share a relationship with someone, but circumstances beyond their control did not permit that relationship to be healthy.
James Bay does claim that he deserves part of the blame for the decline of the relationship’s health.
Hold back the river,[ref]“The river” in this song refers to a steady flow of tears.
James Bay wants to gaze deeply into the eyes of his loved one to try to understand who she truly is.
This line means “in the distant past.”
“We rode our bikes into the sky” means that James Bay once lived in very optimistic times where life was shared together with his loved ones.
We call against the tide” means that the couple must work together to overcome serious hardships.
“Those distant days are flashing by” is another way of saying “gone are the days when life was easy.
“Lonely water” means “tears.”
James Bay imagines better circumstances in which he and his loved one can share their joys and trials together.
This song is about life’s hardships and how they affect human relationships.
2 user explanations and meanings
Stephen Royle
I think this may be about a childhood love. Wich i can state from personl experience is no less powereful than a later one.
ebbster
it’s not about couples, or childhood love or anything specific. James Bay has explained about the song:
“Bay tells Radio.com that “Hold Back The River” was born purely out of emotion, and a longing to be with friends and family after a grueling tour got in the way.
With his early success, Bay found himself busier than he’d ever been. Touring the world had created not just a physical distance but an emotional one from everyone important his life.
“I started to panic about losing touch with those people,” he admits. “That started to worry me.””