Love's Gone Bad
Chris Clark Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ah I feel a pounding in my brain
Ice-cold water runnin' through my veins
Got a bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
Heart so sad 'cause love's gone bad

I see a rainbow all in black
Must be a sign that you ain't comin' back
Wake up at night callin' your name
I see a face on my window pane
I've been this way since you've been gone
Without your love I can't go on
Look in the mirror, what do I see?
A cryin' face, kinda looks like me
Now where's the love you promised me?
Where's he tenderness to comfort me?

Everytime some love I choose
I seem to always be the one to lose
Bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
Heart fells sad 'cause love's gone bad
Love's gone bad, heart fells bad

Black crows flying up above
It's a sign that I live life without love
signs on the man, signs on the sea
signs everywhere I said I'm destined to be
And this world where nothing's right
Since you've been gone I can't sleep at night
You said you'd be true to me




Instead you made a fool out of me
Heart feels sad, love's gone bad

Overall Meaning

In Chris Clark's song "Love's Gone Bad," the lyrics depict the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer feels broken-hearted and lost without the love they once had. The lyrics "Ah I feel a pounding in my brain, Ice-cold water runnin' through my veins" express the physical pain of heartbreak. The bad taste in the singer's mouth from bitter tears and the crying face they see in the mirror are further indications of their emotional distress. They see signs everywhere that they are destined to be without love, such as the black crows flying above.


The repetition of the phrase "Love's gone bad" throughout the song emphasizes the central theme of the lyrics. The singer's heart feels sad and they are left wondering where the love and tenderness they were promised have gone. The song ends with the singer feeling like a fool for having believed in the promises they were given.


Line by Line Meaning

Ah I feel a pounding in my brain
I am experiencing intense and persistent headaches due to distress caused by heartbreak.


Ice-cold water runnin' through my veins
My blood feels cold and stagnant due to the emotional shock and pain of betrayed love.


Got a bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
My tears are salty, like they are mixed with bitterness, and it manifests as a bad taste in my mouth.


Heart so sad 'cause love's gone bad
My heart aches with sadness because my romantic relationship has taken an unfavorable turn and love is no longer present.


I see a rainbow all in black
I see a distorted and melancholy version of the hopeful and colorful symbol of a rainbow, indicating that my hope for my relationship is crushed.


Must be a sign that you ain't comin' back
The dark rainbow likely means that my lover has departed and will not be returning.


Wake up at night callin' your name
In my dreams or nightmares, I call out your name seeking your return that will never happen.


I see a face on my window pane
I hallucinate or imagine seeing your face on the window pane, where you're not actually present. It's a visual representation of my longing and delusion.


I've been this way since you've been gone
I've been consumed by sadness and pain since you left me.


Without your love I can't go on
I'm unable to function without your love and it feels like my life has lost its purpose and meaning.


Look in the mirror, what do I see?
When I look at my reflection, I see a crying face that looks like mine.


A cryin' face, kinda looks like me
My face is swollen and tear-stained due to emotional turmoil, and I've lost some of my usual color and youthful appearance.


Now where's the love you promised me?
I feel deceived and hurt because the love that was committed to me is nowhere to be found.


Where's he tenderness to comfort me?
I feel abandoned and deprived of the care and affection that was supposed to be mine.


Everytime some love I choose
Whenever I select a new person to have a romantic relationship with


I seem to always be the one to lose
I invariably end up in a situation where I'm the one who's depleted, hurt, or betrayed.


Bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
I experience a sense of disgust or bitterness that comes from tears and the accompanying emotions.


Heart fells sad 'cause love's gone bad
My heart is unhappy and unfulfilled because my love has failed.


Love's gone bad, heart fells bad
The relationship failed and, as a result, my heart and emotions are negatively affected.


Black crows flying up above
A group of black crows that fly above me symbolize bad omens, forebodings, or the presence of death.


It's a sign that I live life without love
The black crows in the sky symbolize death, which indicates that my life is now empty and without love.


Signs on the man, signs on the sea
Everywhere I look, there are signs that remind me of the void in my heart, like the markings on the surface of a man or the waves on a sea.


Signs everywhere I said I'm destined to be
No matter where I go or what I do, I will always see these reminders, as my destiny is bleak.


And this world where nothing's right
The world seems to be against me, as though everything is wrong.


Since you've been gone I can't sleep at night
I am unable to sleep comfortably or peacefully, as thoughts of you come back to me each night.


You said you'd be true to me
You had committed to me, promising to love and be faithful.


Instead you made a fool out of me
However, in the end, you let me down and acted foolishly or heartlessly towards me.


Heart feels sad, love's gone bad
My heart aches with grief and my love life has gone awry.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

ear4funk

Yep ... you got it ... classic Motown. Hits flowed so much ... this one fell through the cracks at the time (should have been more popular than it was). I bought the 45 on internet later as an adult ... when I had the money. One of my favorites ... sung with soul ... love that last chord at the end.

IKILL MELOL

First time hearing it, Sounds like a hit to me. 🙂

Allan C Ester Jr

I’d love to hear this on a monster club system !

Crystal D Jones

Chris Clark is a good singer for like a Golden girl for Motown. She reminds me of Dusty Springfield with the voice. She sings so good& boldly. Crystal Jones 4-12-22.

GrtSatan

This tremendous song is the great lost Motown hit.

strictlynorton

Chris was hampered as were many super talented Motown artists by Gordy focusing on a very few of his signings. Given the push her talent deserved Chris would've become one Motown's international hit acts, I'm certain.

msjoanofthearc

Incredible! Motown Forever!

Gerben Den Heeten

Great tune!

Mike England

NORTHERN SOUL... MOD FOREVER!! Great stuff.

Tony Woods

I'd never heard of this Beautiful Songstress, until I came across her in a music group I'm in

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