‘Hold On Loosely’ is a song by American rock band .38 Special, released by A&M Records on their 1981 studio album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. Released as the lead single from the album, the song reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Rock Tracks chart, and No. 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It later appeared on their 1987 compilation album Flashback: The Best of 38 Special and their 1999 live album Live at Sturgis. It was the 13th music video to be played on the day that MTV debuted in 1981. Don Barnes sang lead vocals on the song.
Don Barnes going through a difficult time in his marriage, lamented that his wife was not being more supportive of his career aspirations. He presented a seed idea for a song to co-writer Jim Peterik, asking what he thought of the title ‘Hold On Loosely’, to which Peterik came back with, "...but don't let go". For the music, Peterik described the song's opening riff as "Like the Cars meets Lynyrd Skynyrd or something". Taking inspiration from ‘Just What I Needed’ by the Cars, Jeff Carlisi wrote the famous riff to the song.
In a 2004 interview, Jim Peterik talked about when John Kalodner asked him to write some songs for 38 Special (in addition to his writing for the band Survivor), he explained: "That was a major moment for me. It was my first foray into co-writing. Kalodner said, 'You did great with 'Rockin' into the Night,' I want to put you together with Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi of .38 to see what you can do.' That first night, Jeff and Don are at my house in La Grange, Illinois and we're sitting around the kitchen table. Writing sessions are always like blind dates: It's like making love without the foreplay. Suddenly you're sitting there face to face, and you're thinking, 'OK, what do we do now? Am I going to embarrass myself? What if my ideas suck?' So we're sitting there nervously, just making small talk, and all of the sudden Jeff says, 'I've got this lick,' and he starts with the opening lick of what became 'Hold on Loosely.' I go, 'That's really neat,' and Don says, 'I've got this title - 'Hold On Loosely,'' and I go, 'Yeah, but don't let go.'”
He continued: “My wife of 32 years now, this is what broke us apart when we were teenagers - I was getting too close. I was getting too serious for her. She didn't say, 'Hold on Loosely,' but that's what was in her heart. So when Don said 'Hold on Loosely,' I immediately knew what he was talking about. He wasn't even talking about that exactly, he told me later, he just thought it was a cool title. I immediately saw a story, and it was really my own story. I said, 'Jeff, play that riff.' He plays the riff, and I start singing: 'You see it all around you, good loving gone bad.' It just started coming. I turned on the tape recorder and said, 'Guys, I think we have something here.' We got the stalk of the song in the next two days, then I fine-tuned it in the next two or three weeks. I flew down to Jacksonville where the band was rehearsing and basically worked out the song with them down there."
Don Barnes of .38 Special came up with the title. It was something he heard Dinah Shore say on her talk show when she had a guest on talking about giving her husband space in their relationship.
Label – A&M
Songwriters – Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Peterik
Producer – Rodney Mills
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]You see it all around you
Good loving gone bad
And usually it's too late when you
Realize what you had
[Pre-Chorus]
And my mind goes back
To a girl I met some years ago
Who told me
[Chorus]
Just hold on loosely, but don't let go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose control
Your baby needs someone to believe in
And a whole lot of space to breathe in
[Verse 2]
So damn easy
When your feelings are such
To overprotect her
To love her too much
[Pre-Chorus]
And my mind goes back
To a girl I met some years ago
Who told me
[Chorus]
Just hold on loosely, but don't let go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose control
Your baby needs someone to believe in
And a whole lot of space to breathe in
[Bridge]
Don't let her slip away
Sentimental fool
Don't let your heart get in the way
Yeah, yeah, yeah
[Verse 1]
You see it all around you
Good loving gone bad
And usually it's too late when you
Realize what you had
[Chorus]
So hold on loosely, but don't let go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose control
Your baby needs someone to believe in
And a whole lot of space to breathe in
[Outro]
So hold on loosely, but don't let go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose it
You're gonna lose control
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
So hold on loosely, but don't let go
If you cling too tightly
You're gonna lose control
Hold on loosely, but don't let go
If you cling too tightly to her
You're gonna lose control
Yeah, yeah, yeah