Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Love → Building on Fire
Talking Heads Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When my love
Stands next to your love
I can't compare love
When it's not love

It's not love
It's not love
Which is my face
Which is a building
Which is on fire
On fire

When my love
Stands next to your love
I can't define love
When it's not love

It's not love
It's not love
Which is my face
Which is a building
Which is on fire

I've got two loves
I've got two loves
And they go tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet like little birds

They're my two loves
And they go tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet like little birds
They're my two loves

Count them one, two loves
Count them one, two loves
Which is my face
Which is a building
Which is on fire, on fire

When my love
Stands next to your love
I can't define love
When it's not love

It's not love
It's not love
Which is my face
Which is a building
Which is on fire

Overall Meaning

Love Building On Fire is a song about the confusion and uncertainty of love. The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to understand what love truly is, or how to compare their own love to someone else's. When the singer's love "stands next" to the love of someone else, they "can't compare love," suggesting that the singer feels inadequate or unsure of their own feelings.


The repeated phrase "It's not love" highlights the singer's confusion about the nature of love itself. They seem to be questioning whether their own feelings are genuine or not. The imagery of "my face" and "a building" both being "on fire" further emphasizes the singer's sense of distress and uncertainty.


The final verse introduces the idea of having "two loves," which can be interpreted as the singer having conflicting feelings for two different people. The repetition of "tweet, tweet, tweet" suggests a naivete or frivolity about these loves, as if they are merely fleeting crushes rather than true, meaningful relationships.


Overall, the song seems to be exploring the idea that love is a complex and often confusing emotion, and that it can be difficult to discern what is real and what is not when it comes to matters of the heart.


Line by Line Meaning

When my love
At the time when I'm in love


Stands next to your love
When my love is there with yours


I can't compare love
I can't rate or compare our love


When it's not love
If that love isn't true


It's not love
If that love isn't true


It's not love
If that love isn't true


Which is my face
The face that I make


Which is a building
A well-constructed building


Which is on fire
The building is engulfed in flames


On fire
Engulfed in flames


I've got two loves
I am in love with two people


And they go tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet like little birds
They tweet like little birds


They're my two loves
Those are my two loves


Count them one, two loves
There are two loves


Which is my face
The face that I make


Which is a building
A well-constructed building


Which is on fire, on fire
That building is engulfed in flames


When my love
At the time when I'm in love


Stands next to your love
When my love is there with yours


I can't define love
I cannot describe love


When it's not love
If that love isn't true


It's not love
If that love isn't true


It's not love
If that love isn't true


Which is my face
The face that I make


Which is a building
A well-constructed building


Which is on fire
The building is engulfed in flames




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

More Versions