Let Me Down

Album: Stronger (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Kelly at her most cynical as she sings to a Bad Boy, "I am too smart to let you in here, but I'm just dumb enough to linger." The singer penned the track with songwriter/producer Chris DeStefano (Scotty McCreery, David Archuleta). Kelly told AOL Music that this and other tracks on Stronger reflect how she is in her personal life and because she dates a lot of wrong guys, she can pull from her experiences. The American Idol champ explained: "I grew up with a single mom for a little bit of my life, in the growing stages. Just watching her work so hard, I'm not a feminist, but it kind of lit something inside of me like, 'Always take care of myself,' and 'I can do anything I want to do if I really work hard for it.' Watching my mom really instilled those thoughts in my head. It can be really damaging in a relationship because it's hard for me to let go of control of certain things. I could be a great girlfriend if a guy was really independent like me, but I'm a bad a girlfriend if the guy is leachy and has no identity. That's why I do a lot of kiss-off songs."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."