Released in 2015, Unsteady is an Indie song by American pop-rock band X Ambassadors. It is a part of the album VHS. The song was nominated for the 2017 Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Song. It was deemed to be in the EP The Reason but eventually became a part of the band’s first studio album. The song was a part of the Me Before You soundtrack and was also included in the Fox drama series Lucifer. It is a song about a child suffering from the strained relationship of parents. Lead vocalist Sam Harris injects his individual emotions into the song. Let’s find out what it means and what are its different interpretations.
VHS is the first studio album from X Ambassadors released on June 30, 2015, by KIDinaKORNER and Interscope Records. The album had three songs that were previously launched as singles, including Unsteady. The other two singles are Renegades and Low Life. Alex da Kid produced the song and the album reached the 7th position in US Billboard 200. The music video of the song is directed by Zack Sekuler and Daniel Iglesias Jr. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Unsteady lyrics’ meaning and explanation.
What does the title mean?
The title of the song does not give away much, but understanding the context behind the song makes it all the more apt. Unsteady is a common, everyday word used in various situations and scenarios. In most cases, the word suggests a weak foundation upon which things do not enjoy stability. Unsteady usually has a very different meaning when used in the context of human temperament. An unsteady person would be someone who cannot stick to a decision or commitment. With respect to tangible objects, unsteady lyrics meaning have a different connotation. An unsteady surface, for example, implies the lack of stability of everything placed on it.
In the context of the song title, the word Unsteady carries both meanings. While the family turmoil of the song’s central character adds to the unsteady nature of human relationships, the repeated use of the phrase Hold on suggests some physical entity/object to hold on to.
X Ambassadors makes the title even more apt by leaving it as a single word. The word captures the overall mood of the song without giving away anything about its storyline. The absence of any context makes the title provocative and intriguing at the same time.
The Chorus – What does it mean?
The chorus of the song Unsteady is a variation of these two lines:
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
While the chorus may appear very simple and straightforward on the surface, there are layers of meanings to it. The song begins with the line Hold, hold on, hold onto me. The repetition of the word ‘hold’ implies the desperate attempt of the speaker to find something to hold, something to get support from. In most cases, a child’s support is their parents. In this case, the child does not have that support as the parents do not go along with each other. As with all divorces, the child does not have anything to do other than hope against hope. We can see the child here pleading with the parents, asking them to keep trying for a little longer.
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
The lead vocalist of X Ambassadors, Sam Harris, has spoken about his parent’s divorce on multiple occasions. There is no doubt that such an event leaves a lasting impact on a child’s mind. The chorus of the song emphasizes the continuity of the struggle with repeated use of the phrase ‘hold on’. In fact, the entire Unsteady lyrics meaning has a thread of continuing struggle. The child adds that they need something or someone to hold because they are a ‘little unsteady’. The use of the adjective ‘little’ is worth paying attention to.
As a child, it is very easy to dismiss life-changing problems as little inconveniences. In the song, that seems to be the case with the speaker trying to trivialize the situation by claiming that they are a little unsteady. Despite not using any grand words for the plight of the child, the songwriter conveys the unfortunate situation they are in and how the child is desperately trying to make things better.
The Bridge – what does it mean?
The bridge of the song follows the theme of the chorus:
If you love me, don’t let go (hold)
Whoa, if you love me, don’t let go (hold)
The fact that the child has to pose the question ‘if you love me’ shows the poignancy of children’s understanding of divorce and parental disputes. In the mind of the kid, the parents are going through turmoil because of something the child did, implying that the parents no longer love the kid. In these two lines, Unsteady lyrics meaning change a lot. The child is taking the blame for the divorce and pleading with the parents to not let go. When understood in the context of the song, these two lines are perhaps the most heartbreaking. It shows the utter helplessness that a child has to face in the wake of a parent’s divorce.
At the end, we can once more hear the child asking the parents to be there for a little longer. The deepest emotions of the song come again in the chorus, and it strikes the listener hardest.
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Verse 1 – what does it mean?
The first verse of the song addresses the parents and asks them to show more love and intimacy towards the child:
Mama, come here
Approach, appear
And Daddy, I’m alone
‘Cause this house don’t feel like home
The words used for mother (mama) and father (daddy) show affection between the child and the parents. At the same time, the child is utterly helpless and wants the parents to be there. The child clearly says that the ‘house don’t feel like home’ with parents who don’t go along with each other.
Verse 2 – what does it mean?
The second verse of the song addresses the parents directly:
Mother, I know
That you’re tired of being alone
Dad, I know you’re trying
To fight when you feel like flying
The second verse is a deviation from the chorus and the bridge. Here, the child recognizes the things that trouble the parents. Instead of pleading with the parents, the child is acknowledging the problems and trying to reassure the parents of a happy ending. By addressing the mother and the father directly, the child is making their role more prominent in the song. Before the second verse, the song does not get into the detail of what is wrong, it simply states that something is wrong. With the second verse, we know the mother is in a lonely marriage while the father is bogged down by societal pressures.
By the end of the second verse, we can almost expect these lines:
But If you love me, don’t let go (hold)
Whoa, if you love me, don’t let go (hold)
These are the most repeated lines in the whole song, and holds its core meaning. The entire song is about a broken child who is willing to do anything to hold his parents together. He fails, but does not stop trying.
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
The chorus comes at the end with the same desperation.
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
‘Cause I’m a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Conclusion
Unsteady is one of the most famous songs from X Ambassadors. The song went on to the top ten of multiple charts and has over 186 million views on YouTube. It remains one of the most poignant songs about divorce and its impact on children. Hope our breakdown of Unsteady lyrics meaning will help you appreciate the song better.
