Hold On by Tom Waits Lyrics Meaning – A Soulful Ride Through Resilience and Remembrance
Lyrics
“If you live it up, you won’t live it down”
So she left Monte Rio, son
Just like a bullet leaves a gun
With her charcoal eyes and Monroe hips
She went and took that California trip
Oh, the moon was gold, her hair like wind
Said, “don’t look back, just come on, Jim”
Oh, you got to hold on, hold on
You gotta hold on
Take my hand, I’m standing right here, you gotta hold on
Well, he gave her a dimestore watch
And a ring made from a spoon
Everyone’s looking for someone to blame
When you share my bed, you share my name
Well, go ahead and call the cops
You don’t meet nice girls in coffee shops
She said, “baby, I still love you”
Sometimes there’s nothin’ left to do
Oh, but you got to hold on, hold on
Babe, you gotta hold on and take my hand
I’m standing right here, you gotta hold on
Well, God bless your crooked little heart
St. Louis got the best of me
I miss your broken China voice
How I wish you were still here with me
Oh, you build it up, you wreck it down
Then you burn your mansion to the ground
Oh, there’s nothing left to keep you here
But when you’re falling behind in this big blue world
Oh, you’ve got to hold on, hold on
Babe, you gotta hold on
Take my hand, I’m standing right here, you gotta hold on
Down by the Riverside motel
It’s ten below and falling
By a ninety-nine cent store
She closed her eyes and started swaying
But it’s so hard to dance that way
When it’s cold and there’s no music
Oh, your old hometown’s so far away
But inside your head there’s a record that’s playing
A song called “Hold On”, hold on
Babe, you gotta hold on
Take my hand, I’m standing right there, you gotta hold on
You gotta hold on, hold on
Babe, you gotta hold on
Take my hand, I’m standing right there, you gotta hold on
You gotta hold on, hold on
Babe, you gotta hold on
And take my hand, I’m standing right here, you gotta hold on
You gotta hold on, hold on
Babe, you gotta hold on
And take my hand, I’m standing right here, you gotta hold on
You gotta hold on
You gotta hold on
You gotta hold on
You gotta hold on
You gotta hold on, baby
You gotta hold on, girl
You gotta hold on
You gotta hold on
In the landscape of modern music, few songs resonate with the gravelly timbre of realism quite like Tom Waits’ ‘Hold On.’ Off the album ‘Mule Variations,’ this track offers a blend of husky vocals and poignant storytelling, creating a tapestry of life’s highs and lows. Waits, known for his distinctive voice and fusion of various musical styles, delivers a tune that reverberates with the themes of perseverance, love, and the bittersweet tang of nostalgia.
Exploring Waits’ grasp on narrative, ‘Hold On’ unfolds like a novel, each stanza a chapter pulling us deeper into the lives of its characters. With his cinematic flair, Waits paints vivid scenes, never shying away from the gritty truths that bind us all. This exploration endeavors to dissect the layers beneath the surface of ‘Hold On,’ uncovering the hidden messages and memorable lines that solidify its status as an anthem of the human spirit.
A Gritty Tale of Love and Escape
The opening lines paint a picture of defiance and consequences in a small town, a universal tableau. ‘If you live it up, you won’t live it down’ speaks to the chains of reputation that can tether one’s wings. The narrative propels a woman named with iconographic features (‘Monroe hips’) out of Monte Rio on a Californian odyssey. Much like a fable, her journey away from the past and with ‘Jim’ captures the essence of a quintessential American longing for reinvention.
Waits doesn’t just relate a story; he embeds a texture of rebellious romance and the desire to break free from the constraints of convention. The imagery of bullets and golden moons encapsulates a wild rush towards freedom, while the constant return to ‘Hold On’ serves as an anchor amidst the chaos of transformation.
The Echoes of a Dimestore Souvenir
Imbuing ordinary objects with emotional weight, Waits croons about a ‘dimestore watch’ and a ‘ring made from a spoon.’ These items, while seemingly trivial, become symbols of a shared past, the simplicity of their origin belying a richness in connection. There’s irony here, too, reflecting life’s imperfect attempts at permanence—cheap trinkets that represent the undervaluing of transient but meaningful bonds.
The blame and the sharing of a name echo societal expectations, the burdens of relationship statuses, and the search for a scapegoat when things go awry. In this verse, Waits weaves a commentary on the complexities of relationships, expectations, and the struggle to keep love alive in a confining world.
Unraveling the Song’s Hidden Heartbeat
Beyond the literal narrative, ‘Hold On’ pulses with undercurrents of metaphysical musings. It serves as an ode to human resilience, urging listeners to grasp onto whatever semblance of stability they can find in life’s turmoil. This refrain becomes a mantra, a guiding light for the weary soul battling against the ‘big blue world.’
In the dance of life’s synchrony and discordance, the lyric ‘it’s so hard to dance that way / when it’s cold and there’s no music’ captures the stilted difficulty of maintaining one’s rhythm amidst hardship. It’s an exemplar of Waits’ ability to take a snapshot of struggle and elevate it into poetic common ground.
The Melody of Memory in ‘Broken China Voice’
Waits’ affection for his characters, their flaws, and the cities that mold them—’St. Louis got the best of me’—unfolds with tenderness. ‘Your broken China voice’ is a phrase that aches with the beauty of something cherished yet imperfect. This is nostalgia wrapped in velvet, a yearning for the return of a lost love or golden era now tarnished.
Here, the artist reflects the sweet sorrow of recollection, tinged with the regret and desire that haunts anyone who’s loved deeply and lost. The idea of missing someone’s ‘broken China voice’ is emblematic of Waits’ mastery in finding the extraordinary within the flawed ordinary.
Lingering Lines: The Power of Repetition
An arresting feature of ‘Hold On’ is the zealous repetition of the song’s title, creating a sonic hook that clings to the consciousness long after the track fades. The reiteration swings like a pendulum, its constancy mimicking the steadiness required to face life’s vicissitudes.
Waits’ gravel-strewn insistence to ‘hold on’ transcends the confines of the song, becoming a timeless maxim. In this repetition lies the song’s most memorable aspect: it is not merely an entreaty but a shared emotional experience, drawing us to collectively grip tighter to hope when the edges of reality fray.
