First Time (Lifehouse Song) - Composition

Composition

"This time around it was about not having any preconceived notions. It was about letting the tape machine roll and getting the music down spontaneously. I'm at a place where it doesn't matter to me what other people think. I'm comfortable being myself. I'm writing from an honest place, not thinking about who's going to hear it, what they’re going to think or how they're going to interpret it. The lyrics can’t be contrived. They have to hit you right in the heart."

—Wade taking about his experience on writing songs for Who We Are.

"First Time" is as a pop punk song that contains alternative rock. It was described as a "radio-friendly number with hooks aplenty" by Alex Lai of Contactmusic.com. John DiBiase of Jesus Freak Hideout described the song as "an upbeat love song", and further described it as "sort of a 'Hanging by a Moment' meets 'Spin' with more of a distinct romantic angle like 'You and Me.'" Billboard described the song as a "melodic ember-turner, balancing polished instrumentation and a crystal-clear hook against lead Jason Wade's sandy vocals." Sputnikmusic described the song as "a very quick paced song with a catchy rhythm that can compete with "Hanging by a Moment" but just can't quite beat it." Steve Morley of UMC.org described the song as a "propulsive pop-rocker" that he said "move beyond typical love song clichés." The song is set in common time with a tempo of 126 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E♭ major, and Wade's vocal range spans from the low-note of E♭4 to the high-note of B♭5. The song has a basic chord progression of A2–Bsus–C♯m7–B/D♯–E5.

The theme of "First Time" is about the early stages of romance and specifically takes a look back at the butterflies and excitement of the initial rush of romance. The lyrics of "Looking at you / Holding my breath / For once in my life / I’m scared to death / I’m taking a chance / Letting you inside" refers to how mature love requires vulnerability, sacrifice and effort, which is a responsibility that distinguishes serious commitment from youthful romantic discovery.

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