He has written songs for Sesame Street and The Weekly Reader, has starred in an Emmy Award-winning television show for children and has been featured regularly on The Learning Channel.
Polisar works with literacy groups, media specialists, reading teachers and Title I programs in the schools and has won a Special Library Recognition Award for his "ability to communicate with and excite children to read."
Polisar's song "All I Want Is You" is featured, re-recorded and with a guitar/harmonica combo, on the soundtrack for the 2007 Motion Picture "JUNO".
Why Do I Love You
Barry Louis Polisar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You always scream when you want more,
You throw your food upon the floor
So why do I love you?
Oh, why do I love you?
Why do I love you?
I wonder what the answer is?
Every night you kick and fight,
You're immature. You're impolite.
If you had teeth, I know you'd bite,
So why do I love you?
You scream, you cry, you yell, you shreik.
I wish that you'd learn how to speak.
Your temper tantrums last a week.
So why do I love you?
I wonder why you are upset?
Why is your diaper always wet?
You pooh and pee on me and yet
Oh why do I love you?
The lyrics to Barry Louis Polisar's song "Why do I Love You" are an exploration of the complex emotions that come with loving someone despite their flaws. The song is a tongue-in-cheek ode to a partner or child who is difficult to deal with, who can be physically and emotionally taxing, and who behaves in ways that are frustrating and exhausting. Despite all of this, the love remains inexplicably strong - "why do I love you?" the singer asks repeatedly, seemingly searching for an answer.
The lyrics are intentionally over-the-top and exaggerated, using hyperbole and humor to emphasize just how difficult the subject of the song can be. The line "if you had teeth, I know you'd bite" is a perfect example of this, playing on the idea that even without teeth, the person is still causing pain and stress. Similarly, the repeated refrain of "why do I love you?" is both a genuine question and a commentary on the irrationality of love - sometimes, we just can't help feeling the way we do.
Line by Line Meaning
You stay up late, make my back sore,
Despite staying up late and causing my back to be sore, I still love you.
You always scream when you want more,
Even though you tend to scream when you want more, I still love you.
You throw your food upon the floor
Although you throw your food on the floor, I still love you.
So why do I love you?
Despite your flaws and shortcomings, I still feel an inexplicable love for you.
Oh, why do I love you?
I can't help but ask myself why I still love you even with all your negative traits.
Every night you kick and fight,
You tend to kick and fight every night.
You're immature. You're impolite.
You act in an immature and impolite manner.
If you had teeth, I know you'd bite,
I believe that if you had teeth, you'd bite me.
So why do I love you?
Despite your negative traits, I still feel love for you.
You scream, you cry, you yell, you shreik.
You tend to scream, cry, yell, and shriek frequently.
I wish that you'd learn how to speak.
I hope that you'd learn how to speak instead of throwing tantrums.
Your temper tantrums last a week.
Your tantrums can last for as long as a week.
So why do I love you?
Despite your tantrums and negative behavior, I still have love for you.
I wonder why you are upset?
I can't help but wonder why you're upset.
Why is your diaper always wet?
I'm curious about why your diaper is always wet.
You pooh and pee on me and yet
You tend to have accidents and mess up my clothes or surroundings.
Oh why do I love you?
Despite your messy behavior, I still feel love for you.
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.