To Have and Not to Hold

I take it as sort like an empty love. she has this person but she never sees them. I relate it to what Im going through. You have someone and you know they care but theres never a chance to be with them and express it. You are into the relationship more than they are. The moth to a flame line shows how she cant help but be attracted to him no matter what. She knows it cant be good for her but she continues to love this person.

anyone hear her chanting pieces of Shanti/Ashtangi in the background? I wonder what that means...

I never heard this song properly until my Winamp 'generated' it... And I can say this song is one of M's best. Like someone wrote before I think this one is about being in love with some person or even a spirit or desire that you can never have and obviously you know that. 'To have not to hold' like allways to have the dream in your mind but never have an opportunity to touch it in reality.

I can give an insight into "the who?" question. I remember reading the song is supposingly about Gabriel Byrne (the actor). There is a rumour that they had a fling. He has those 'Sean Penn' kinda vibes so I can totally believe it.

According to lyrics whatever they shared it was superficial for some reasons. She obviously wanted more and couldn't help it. - He didn't, wasn't ready or maybe she just felt he wasn't suitable for a relation...

I like this song, it's not that sad. Very mature, self-aware, gentle but truly bitter-sweet. And smart.

I think this is about a relationship in which there's someone who's much more involved, in love than the other. This person is aware of this, she's aware that she is "to have and not to hold", she's just temporary and he doesn't mean to have a serious relationship with her. Though, she's attracted by this man "like a moth to a flame" and even if she knows it's wrong, she can't help it, she can't resist him. Somehow, this awareness of not being reciprocated is slowly destroying her... She's "walking on a wire" but he doesn't care, he won't be there to catch her as she falls. Again, she knows that she isn't the object of his desire. He kisses her but she is not the one he wants. He does nothing to make her feel important and loved, he never does "anything to make her want to stay".

Finally, she knows she's the one to blame because she has been told since the beginning that she's just to havs, not to hold. Probably, she'd rather live this way than renounce to this man forever.

Sorry for my grammar! I'm Italian and I tried to do my best... :)

I love this song! it's so gorgeous & also v. sad.

Maybe about forbidden love/wanting someone you can't have... She can be with him, but not properly...they're having an affair. "To kiss, but never be".

She knows she shouldn't be doing it, but she can't help it: "Like a moth to a flame/Only I am to blame"

This reminds me of being in love with my best friend.

I always thought that this song might be about either Carlos Leon or Andy Bird.

I loved this song. One of my favourites in Frozen. To me, it's a song about a relationship that was never meant to be and she kept reminding herself in the chorus "You're to have not to hold"... or that she realized that this person is not feeling the same as she feels about a relationship so she concluded that he's someone to have but not to hold.

correction. Ray of Light album, not Frozen. sheesh.