Background
Ben Haenow was born in 1985 and grew up in Croydon, UK, attending Spring Park Primary and then Edenham High School. He was in a band with his brother, Alex, called The Lost Audio. Prior to winning the UK X-Factor in 2014, Ben Haenow was a van driver.
After The Show
After winning the show, Ben went on to release his self-titled debut album Ben Haenow in 2015. This was preceded by the single Second Hand Heart which featured American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.
In 2017, Ben released the new single Alive, which was followed by the tracks Forgive & Forget and Rising.
New single Falling Down was released on April 6, 2018.
His second album is due to be released in May, 2018. The name has not yet been revealed.
Slamming Doors
Ben Haenow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We forgot how this began
And all the hurt and all the pain
Take us up and down again
Wasn't plain
I've been taking you for granted
You've been taking me for a fool
Traveling down the road of second chances
If this isn't love
Then why do we fight for it
This isn't love
Then why do we cry for it
Why do we scream and we shout
You walk in, I walk out
But we never give up
Don't tell me if this isn't love
This isn't love
Oh, no
All the trouble that we're making
Still worth a while
Even when my heart's slowly breaking
You still make me smile
If this isn't love
Then why do we fight for it
This isn't love
Then why do we cry for it
Why do we scream and we shout
You walk in, I walk out
But we never give up
Don't tell me if this isn't love
Even when you're slamming doors
Slamming bottles, slamming
Baby, that's okay
As long as we stay together
We could make the same mistakes
Burn brigdes every day
Baby, that's okay
As long as you stay
If this isn't love
Then why do we fight for it
If this isn't love
Then why do we cry for it
Why do we scream and we shout
You walk in, I walk out
But we never give up
Don't tell me if this isn't love
Then why do we fight for it
If this isn't love
Then why do we cry for it
Why do we scream and we shout
You walk in, I walk out
But we never give up
Don't tell me if this isn't love
Ohhhh
If this isn't love
In Ben Haenow's "Slamming Doors", the lyrics describe a tumultuous and confusing relationship dynamic where the couple feels stuck in a cycle of hurt and pain, constantly "running around in circles". The vocalist acknowledges that they have been taking each other for granted and asking for second chances, suggesting that the relationship is not perfect. The repeated question of "If this isn't love, then why do we fight for it?" highlights the doubt and confusion present in the relationship. Despite the negative aspects, the vocalist admits that they still find it worth it, even when their heart is breaking. They accept that there will still be mistakes made and bridges burned, but as long as they stay together they can make it work.
The repetition of questions throughout the song makes it clear that the vocalist is searching for answers to their relationship. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been in a complicated and confusing relationship that they can't let go of. The back-and-forth energy between the two characters is captured well in the lines "You walk in, I walk out, but we never give up", a relatable depiction of the push-and-pull of a complicated relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We're just running around in circles
We keep going in circles without making any progress
We forgot how this began
We don't remember how we got to this point
And all the hurt and all the pain
The emotional pain we've been through
Take us up and down again
Leads to emotional highs and lows
Wasn't plain
It wasn't obvious
I've been taking you for granted
I haven't been appreciating you enough
You've been taking me for a fool
You think I'm foolish
Traveling down the road of second chances
Giving the relationship another try
We rolled out a few
We've had some chances to make things work
If this isn't love
If what we have isn't love
Then why do we fight for it
Why do we argue and struggle to keep it alive
This isn't love
It's not what love typically feels like
Then why do we cry for it
Why do we get emotional over it
Why do we scream and we shout
Why do we raise our voices and get angry
You walk in, I walk out
We can't seem to stay in the same place at the same time
But we never give up
We keep trying
Don't tell me if this isn't love
I don't want to hear that this isn't love
All the trouble that we're making
Our struggles and problems in the relationship
Still worth a while
It's still worth it to keep trying
Even when my heart's slowly breaking
Even though it hurts me emotionally
You still make me smile
You still have a positive impact on me
Even when you're slamming doors
Even when you're angry and act out
Slamming bottles, slamming
Drinking to cope
Baby, that's okay
It's alright
As long as we stay together
As long as we don't give up on each other
We could make the same mistakes
We might still mess up in the same ways again
Burn bridges every day
Keep damaging our relationship daily
As long as you stay
As long as you don't give up on me
Writer(s): Ben Haenow, Jim Duguid, Amy Victoria Wadge
Contributed by Zoe B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.