Day 24: Hold Me Up - Sam Tinnesz

Song: Hold Me Up
Artist: Sam Tinnesz

Jan 24

Today I have really felt a connecting presence to the people around me. . I had a few conversations today that made my heart ache.  I am struck by just how a little kindness, that may even seem innocuous,  can lift someone up. I interact with and watch people all day long and it has always bothered me how few people look outside of their bubble at the others around them, check in or just listen. Everyone has something they are going through, big or small, and sometimes all someone needs is someone, anyone to check in, because in this world, we are living in, it is so easy to feel as if not one person genuinely cares about you.

Sam Tinnesz is a Nashville based Indie Rock singer/songwriter. He made his solo debut in 2017.

We begin with a sense of being down trodden and quiet isolation. A steady snap keeping beat joins after several measures. Musically this gives me the context that our singer has picked himself up and begun to move forward. The crash of symbols and thrum of the bass drum make a splash like a wave crashing into a rocky shoreline. Visually I see a hand reaching out, searching and clutching, at this moment. There is a desperation in the vocals, pleading as a cry for help falls from his lips. I hear the ghost of hope during the first chorus. Masterfully done, the presence of hope increases as the song progresses. There is something to say for music that is capable of subtle emotional shifts like this. I firmly believe that music of whatever variety will always evoke an emotional response, however, I think that there are a lot of songs that barely scratch the depths of the feelings they are trying to get across. There is a very formulaic lazy approach to songwriting that frequently dominates "pop" music. I find that these songs tend to be lacking in creating a strong emotional connection or are shallow and kind of detached. That's obviously not to say that all pop songs are like this. I'm just a snob who expects more from music than just bubble gum and factory produced smiles. Alright, mini rant over and moving on. There are a lot of instrumental components that join in along the way, giving us that rush of dramatic feeling. That being said I love the abrupt absence of instrumentals in that last line until the very last word of the song. One lone note from the piano chimes making me feel as if all the wishing and hoping throughout the duration has been answered.

Again we are dealing with relatable and straightforward lyrics. The interpretation here lies within who exactly the singer is speaking. Personally I think it will change with each listen, who exactly our listener needs in that exact moment to metaphorically hold them up.

"I keep pushing through 

I keep fighting on
But I'm losing this fire
In the valleys of my heart"

We've all been here, right? I know personally when things get hard the ability to maintain any form of passion becomes increasingly more difficult. It gets locked away and sometimes we lose the key for a long time.

"Alone I'm too weak to stand
I'm sinking into the sand
Can you hold me up
Hold me up"

I am the kind of person who tries to bear every personal burden alone and most days that doesn't bother me. Sometimes, however, the ability to tackle it without support is crippling. Being there for another person, however they need, is something I feel we as a collective whole need to improve on.

Lyric that attacked me: 
"I'm on my knees asking you, asking you
There's nothing left I can do"

Song Color: Electric Blue

Mood: Introspective