Music Review: Nelly Furtado "Turn Off The Light"

Turn Off The Light
Album: Whoa, Nelly!
Year: 2001

Nelly Furtado hides her vulnerability with a tough exterior in the frank "Turn Off The Light."

Meditative humming and a pensive keyboard open the single, creating an isolated tone. Furtado is forlorn as she debates getting out of the bed. She's realized she's made a major mistake: not letting anyone into her life. She has a throbbing headache after sobbing all night. She tells herself that it's to her benefit that she's friendless. However, she hungers for a close friend to lean on.

"It's getting so lonely inside this bed/Don't know if I should lick my wounds or say woe is me instead/And there's an aching inside my head/It's telling me I'm better off alone/But after midnight morning will come/And the day will see if you will get some."

In the chorus, she says she's viewed as the hard-nosed and frigid. But once she is in the safety of her room, she's defenseless. She wants people to stop stereotyping her and take the time to have a conversation with her. She says that people's personalities are not cut and dry.

"They say that girl ya know she act too tough tough tough/Well it's 'till I turn off the light, turn off the light/They say that girl you know she act so rough rough rough/Well it's 'till I turn off the light, turn off the light/And I say follow me follow me follow me down down down down/'Till you see all my dreams/Not everything in this magical world is quite what it seems."

In the second verse, she's made a decision to become an open person. She's independent and lets nature guide her. If the moon is high in the evening, she takes it as a warning and will keep to herself. If it's harvest, then she will be patient. If it's a full moon, she will act quickly.

"I looked above the other day/'Cause I think I'm good and ready for a change/I live my life by the moon/If it's high play it low, if it's harvest go slow and if it's full, then go/But after midnight morning will come/And the day will see if you're gonna get some."

In the bridge, she mentions that she's looking for her ideal of a friendship. She pleads for someone she knows to hang out with her for a bit. She says that she's insecure and needs people in her life, despite her being guarded. She's eager to learn as much as she can about life but she feels limited by her age. She feels as though people don't care about her. She wants people to see that she is loving and kind.

"I'm searching for things that I just cannot see/Why don't you don't you don't you come and be with me/I pretend to be cool with me, want to believe/That I can do it on my own without my heart on my sleeve/I'm running, I'm running, catch up with me life/Where is the love that I'm looking to find/It's all in me, can't you see, why can't you, why can't you see it's all in me."

A downhearted guitar solo follows.

In the final chorus, she reiterates that she does have a positive personality. She asks people why they are unable to see that stereotypes are wrong? She mentions that they have a friendly demeanor, if they have anyone close to them. She adds that she doesn't need anyone like that in her life.

"All in me, yeah/Where is your logic (turn off the light, turn off the light)/Who do you need (turn off the light, turn off the light)/Where can you turn in your delicate time of need/I say follow me down, down, down. down (where)/'Till you see all my dreams (can you turn)/Not everything in this magical world is what it seems (in your delicate time of need)/Follow me down down down down (turn off the light, turn off the light)/Follow me down, follow me down down down down/I do not need I do not need nobody/I say follow me down down down down/'Till you see all my dreams, see all my dreams/Follow me down down down down/'Till you see all my dreams."

In "Turn Off The Light," Furtado's shyness has been misconstrued by people. They view her as cold and angry. However, she's none of those things. She wants people to see past her quiet demeanor and get to know her. She also points that she rather be introverted than a fake outgoing person who pretends to friends with everyone.

Furtado, however, does more than say stereotypes are bad. She describes her attitude toward life and her personality when other people aren't around. She's lonely but she's resilient. She doesn't want friends just to say she has them.

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