If It Were Up To Me

Song Meaning

The narrator is intensely focused on a relationship, to the point of being overbearing. They're fixated on a specific outcome: the other person accepting their love as definitive and everlasting. The repeated phrase "If it were up to me" underscores a desire for control and certainty in a situation where that might not be present. The narrator seems to be projecting their own conviction onto the other person, believing their love is objectively the "best" and "real" and should therefore be accepted without question. The central tension arises from the narrator's insistence versus the other person's apparent hesitation. The narrator is "breathing down her neck," yet also suggests "Maybe I should give her time," revealing an internal conflict between their urgent need for validation and a flicker of awareness about the other's space. This push-and-pull highlights the narrator's anxiety that the relationship's future hinges entirely on their own will, rather than mutual consent. The lyrics employ a curious blend of romantic idealism and almost contractual certainty. The narrator "done our charts" and compares their connection to iconic duos like the Jackson Five and The Temptations, attempting to quantify and prove the relationship's legitimacy. This contrasts sharply with the more vulnerable plea to simply "let it be," suggesting a hope that the sheer force of their belief will make it so, even if the other person isn't fully there yet. This insistence on their own perspective makes the lyrics compelling. The narrator's conviction, while potentially overwhelming, stems from a deep-seated belief in the love's power. The repeated, almost mantra-like "It's easy" in the refrain, juxtaposed with the underlying anxiety of "If it were up to me," creates a poignant picture of someone desperately trying to will a relationship into perfect, effortless existence.