Unchained Melody
Bob Sharples & His Music Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home, wait for me

Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine




I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me

Overall Meaning

In this classic ballad, the singer expresses their deep longing for their lover's touch. The lyrics paint a picture of a great distance between the two, as they have been apart for a long and lonely time. Time appears to be moving painfully slow, while the singer pleads for their love to be returned. The refrain, "Are you still mine?" illustrates the singer's uncertainty about whether their love is still reciprocated.


"Unchained Melody" also taps on the theme of separation and nostalgia. The 'lonely rivers' are a metaphor for the singer's state of being, as they compare their own loneliness to the path of rivers that always end up in the sea. "Wait for me" - within these words, there is not only a hope, but also an acknowledgement of the necessity of time, as if the singer is preparing the listener for the inevitability of distance and absence.


The song beautifully captures the essence of being in love, being apart, and the never-ending yearning for someone's touch.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, my love, my darling
Addressing the loved one with endearment


I've hungered for your touch
Longing for physical intimacy


A long, lonely time
The duration of separation felt long and desolate


Time goes by so slowly
The time felt stretched out and sluggish due to the absence of the loved one


And time can do so much
Time can cause a significant change or impact in a person's life


Are you still mine
Questioning the status of the relationship


I need your love, I need your love
Expressing the necessity and importance of the loved one's affection


God speed your love to me
Hoping for the rapid arrival of the loved one and their love


Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
The rivers symbolize solitude which leads to a vast emptiness


To the open arms of the sea
The vastness of the sea represents an accepting embrace


Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me
Personifying the emotions of the rivers who long for the arrival of their beloved


I'll be coming home, wait for me
Assuring the loved one of a return home and urging them to wait patiently




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNCHAINED MELODY PUB LLC
Written by: Alex North, Hy Zaret

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Randy Jensen

This is a great song to start your day with on a positive note. Thank you! I have been searching for this for a long time and didn’t think about YouTube

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