If life was a classroom
And love was just a lesson
An answer you can guess
Until you get it right

You with your hand up
Who are you impressing
It's just when everything
Is clearly in your sight

Will cast you adrift
But I'm of the notion
It is what it is
Say it with me

[Chorus]
It's only love
You take it until it's gone
The thing to build your world upon
When it's getting rough
It's only love
There's nothing like a fantasy
The way we think it ought to be
It's never quite enough

If life was a spaceship
Cruising through the cosmos
Then love will be the rock that
Blows you from your sky

Though it can be emotive
It can be explosive
And when it leaves you cold
All you can do is lie

So bite your lip
Hide your emotion
It is what it is
Say it with me

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Wynonna Judd's song "Only Love" explores the theme of love and its power, presenting different perspectives on the subject. The first verse sets up a metaphorical classroom where love is the lesson, and life is the teacher. The lyrics suggest that love is something that can be learned, but not without making a few mistakes first. It calls out those who try to impress others with their knowledge of love when the truth is that one can never fully understand it. The second verse takes another metaphorical route, saying that life is like a spaceship, and love is the rock that can blow the ship out of the sky. Love is unpredictable, and the lyrics suggest that it can be both emotional and explosive. However, at the same time, it can be equally cold and painful.

Despite its complexities, the chorus of the song suggests that love is something that is essential for human existence. The lyrics state that "It's only love, you take it until it's gone," implying that even though love can hurt, it's worth it because it's the thing that people build their world upon. Even when things are getting rough, love is still the only thing that can see us through. This idea is reinforced when the lyrics state that "There's nothing like a fantasy, the way we think it ought to be, it's never quite enough." This line suggests that even though love can be full of disappointments because we have high expectations of it, it remains an essential part of life.

Line by Line Meaning

If life was a classroom
If life were a place for learning and self-discovery

And love was just a lesson
And if love were a task or challenge that needed to be learned

An answer you can guess
A probable answer that can be deduced

Until you get it right
Until you can understand and apply the correct answer

You with your hand up
You, eager to provide a response

Who are you impressing
Whom are you trying to please or gain recognition from

It's just when everything
It's only when all things or circumstances

Is clearly in your sight
Are very obvious, visible or apparent to you

Will cast you adrift
Might leave you without direction or support

But I'm of the notion
But I believe

It is what it is
It's as simple or complex as it appears

Say it with me
Repeat it after me

It's only love
Love is the only thing

You take it until it's gone
You cherish or hold onto it until it's not there anymore

The thing to build your world upon
The foundation on which you establish your life

When it's getting rough
During difficult or trying times

There's nothing like a fantasy
An unrealistic or illusory idea or imagination

The way we think it ought to be
How we believe it should be

It's never quite enough
It's not fulfilling or satisfying enough

If life was a spaceship
If life was like traveling through space in a craft

Cruising through the cosmos
Moving through the vast universe

Then love will be the rock that
Then love would be the obstacle that

Blows you from your sky
Removes you from your safe and secure environment

Though it can be emotive
Although it can be expressive of a strong feeling or emotion

It can be explosive
It can cause sudden and violent outbursts of emotion or behavior

And when it leaves you cold
And when it makes you feel unloved or rejected

All you can do is lie
All you can do is be dishonest with yourself or others

So bite your lip
Hold back or control your emotions

Hide your emotion
Conceal your feelings or reactions

It is what it is
It's simply the way it is