Without your love
Billie Holiday; Lester Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm like a song without words
Just like a nest without birds
Without your love
Fine sun above
Will never shine at my door
My life holds nothing in store
Without your love
With you beside me
Now who's to guide me
Because I'm lost at sea
Without your love
I'm like a plane without wings
A violin with no strings
Without your love
I've rode the crest of a wave
With you beside me
Now who's to guide me
Because I'm lost at sea
Without your love
I'm like a plane without wings
A violin with no strings
Without your love
The lyrics of Billie Holiday's "Without Your Love" reflect the feeling of incompleteness and emptiness that one experiences when they are devoid of love. The opening lines "Without your love, I'm like a song without words, just like a nest without birds" convey the idea that just as a song without lyrics or a nest without birds lacks harmony and life respectively, the singer's life too lacks these crucial elements without love.
In the following lines, the singer talks about how even the finest sun above will not shine at her door without love and how her life holds nothing in store. The sense of hopelessness is further amplified when she says that she rode the crest of a wave with love by her side, but now that she's lost that love, she's lost at sea with no one to guide her.
The song concludes with a repetition of the opening lines, "Without your love, I'm like a plane without wings, a violin with no strings, without your love." These lines summarize the essence of the song, which is the incompleteness and lack of harmony that one feels when love is absent.
Line by Line Meaning
Without your love
I cannot bear existence without you
I'm like a song without words
I am incomplete and cannot express myself without your love
Just like a nest without birds
I am empty and unfulfilled without your love
Fine sun above
Even the brightest and most beautiful things in the world offer no solace without your love
Will never shine at my door
I cannot see or truly appreciate the beauty of the world without your love
My life holds nothing in store
My life is meaningless and lacks purpose without your love
I rode the crest of a wave
I experienced great success and joy while you were with me
With you beside me
Your presence was necessary for my happiness and fulfillment
Now who's to guide me
I am lost and uncertain without your guidance and support
Because I'm lost at sea
I am adrift and directionless without your love
I'm like a plane without wings
I am useless and unable to move forward without your love
A violin with no strings
I am incapable of producing the beauty and emotion I once could without your love
Without your love
My very existence is incomplete and meaningless without you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT JOHN LANGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mauro Steinway
men. Smooth voice...very deep and I just loved Lesters solo at the beggining of the song...A pure touch of blues
monica bella
This is Jazz!
Emmy Jicky
Genius . Masterpiece. THANK YOU for posting!!
rj0622
Two of the best at what they did. Perfect tandem
78merlot
I guess this is what it's all about. Fantastic stuff.
MrBobopoe
without this song i'm like a plane without wings a violin with no strings without this song.
luzeeanabeat
Without your love I'm like a plane without wings A violin with no strings Without your love
Benjamin Ybarra
Nothing but love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Venkates Swaminathan
does anyone have a chart for this tune?
wildsmiley
Lady Day and Prez making perfection.