Prisoner Of Love
Coleman Hawkins Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Someone that I belong to
Doesn't belong to me
Someone who can't be faithful
Knows that I have to be
Wonder if I am wrong to give her my loyalty

Why should I be a lone soul
Why can't I be my own soul
Alone from night to night you'll find me
Too weak to break the chains that bind me
I need no shackles to remind me
I'm just a prisner of love
For one comand I stand and wait now

From one who's master of my Fate now
I can't escape for it's too late now
I'm just a prisoner of love
What's the good of my caring if someone is sharing
Those arms with me
Although she has another
I can't have another
For I'm not free
She's in my dreams awake or sleeping
Up on my knees to her I'm creeping
My very life is in her keeping




I'm just a prisoner of love.
Love.

Overall Meaning

The song "Prisoner of Love" by Coleman Hawkins is a ballad about unrequited love and the pain and struggle of loyalty to someone who does not reciprocate those feelings. The singer of the song is evidently in love with someone who cannot be faithful to them, leaving the singer feeling trapped and confined within their lovelorn state. The singer ponders whether they are wrong to remain loyal, despite their beloved's apparent disinterest.


Throughout the song, the singer refers to themselves as a "prisoner of love," emphasizing the feelings of confinement and powerlessness. The metaphorical chains that bind the singer to their unrequited love are too strong to break, rendering the singer hopeless and unable to escape from their unrequited love. Despite the fact that the singer's love interest is not free to pursue a relationship with them, the singer cannot help but remain loyal to their beloved, even if it means sacrificing their own happiness.


Line by Line Meaning

Someone that I belong to
I am in a relationship with someone who I feel I am meant to be with


Doesn't belong to me
But that person does not feel the same way about me and is not fully committed to me


Someone who can't be faithful
That person has a history of not being faithful to me


Knows that I have to be
While I feel obligated to be faithful to that person


Wonder if I am wrong to give her my loyalty
I question whether it is the right decision to remain loyal to someone who does not reciprocate my feelings


Why should I be a lone soul
I wonder why I am destined to be alone


Why can't I be my own soul
Why can't I be independent and make my own choices


Alone from night to night you'll find me
I spend every night alone, with no one to share my life with


Too weak to break the chains that bind me
I feel powerless to change my situation, despite wanting to break free


I need no shackles to remind me
I am fully aware of my predicament and do not need any reminders


I'm just a prisoner of love
My love for this unfaithful person has trapped me and made me feel helpless


For one command I stand and wait now
I am willing to do anything for this person, even if it means waiting for a command


From one who's master of my Fate now
I have given up control of my own life to this person who has power over me


I can't escape for it's too late now
I feel trapped and incapable of escaping this situation


What's the good of my caring if someone is sharing
I question the value of caring for someone who is not fully committed to me and may be sharing their love with someone else


Those arms with me
Even if that person is physically with me and holding me, I feel emotionally disconnected


Although she has another
That person is in another relationship


I can't have another
But I am unable to pursue another relationship because of my loyalty to this person


For I'm not free
I am emotionally tied to this person and am not free to pursue other options


She's in my dreams awake or sleeping
I can't stop thinking about this person, even when I am asleep


Up on my knees to her I'm creeping
I am willing to grovel and beg for the affection of this person


My very life is in her keeping
My happiness and overall well-being is entirely dependent on this one person


I'm just a prisoner of love.
Overall, my love for someone who is not fully committed to me has trapped me and made me feel helpless




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ENRIQUE ELIAS GARCIA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Phil Pryor

What a wonder, this beauty of a song in the fingers of masters of the tenor saxophone. The eternal beauty of art in music can't be bettered here, as we have tone, technique, taste, subtle time and tremendous interpretation all wrapped and sealed here. Tops.

Nick Dellow

There isn't one word I could add, nor one I would want to take away, from your excellent summing up of one of my favourite tracks of all time

Butch Alano

with this line up,you could never go wrong.....AWSOME!

Mehmet Numan INAL

Fabulous performance of Mr. Coleman Hawkins... Solid as a rock... But my info says; the track recorded October 16, 1957 in L.A.

Tibor Farkas

Heavenly sounds

OSCAR LUIS FEMOPASE

CUANTA HERMOSURA DE SONIDOS TIENEN ESTOS DOS REYES DEL JAZZ ¡¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡¡ ¡¡ ¡¡¡

Anne DeVere Harper

sweet tune and nice interpretation!

Leonardo Squirtavio Ottavo

Prigioniero dell'amore. 💘 Stanotte ancora di più ❤️🍾🥂

lam ino

One is wrapped up in the warmth of this sound

Vladimir Borodkin

Coleman is blessed!

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