Love → Building on Fire
Talking Heads Lyrics
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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
(Let's go)
(Uh uh uh uh uh)
I've got two loves
I've got two loves
And they go 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 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
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