What Is This Thing Called Love?
Corky Corcoran and His Orchestra Lyrics


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I was a hum-drum person
Leading a life apart
When love flew in through my window wide
And quickened my hum-drum heart
Love flew in through my window
I was so happy then
But after love had stayed a little while
Love flew out again

What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?
I saw you there one wonderful day
You took my heart and threw my heart away
That's why I ask the Lawd up in Heaven above
What is this thing called love?

You gave me days of sunshine
You gave me nights of cheer
You made my life an enchanted dream
'Til somebody else came near
Somebody else came near you
I felt the winter's chill




And now I sit and wonder night and day
Why I love you still

Overall Meaning

In "What Is This Thing Called Love," Corky Corcoran and His Orchestra Featuring Emmett Berry tell the story of someone whose life changes when love enters and then leaves. The singer reveals that before love came, their life was "hum-drum," or unexciting. But when love arrived through their window, it brought an unexpected change to their heart. They were happy while love stayed with them, but then it left just as quickly as it came. The singer is left bewildered by the concept of love and its power to make them feel like a fool.


The lyrics express the singer's confusion and pain in the aftermath of their experience with love. They speak of the mystery of love, a force that can lift them up and then drop them down again. The singer doesn't understand why love would make them feel this way, or why they still love the person who hurt them. This song captures the bittersweet and often complicated nature of love, and the way it can change a person's life in unexpected ways.


Line by Line Meaning

I was a hum-drum person
I lived a boring and uneventful life


Leading a life apart
I kept to myself, away from others


When love flew in through my window wide
Love unexpectedly entered my life and changed everything


And quickened my hum-drum heart
Love made my previously monotonous life feel vibrant and alive


Love flew in through my window
Love arrived without warning, catching me off guard


I was so happy then
Love brought me great joy and elation


But after love had stayed a little while
Love was only temporary and didn't last


Love flew out again
Love disappeared as quickly as it had arrived


What is this thing called love?
Love is a mysterious and confusing emotion


This funny thing called love?
Love can sometimes seem silly or inexplicable


Just who can solve its mystery?
No one can fully understand or explain love


Why should it make a fool of me?
Love can lead to irrational behavior or make us feel foolish


I saw you there one wonderful day
I met you and felt an instant connection


You took my heart and threw my heart away
You broke my heart and left me feeling rejected


That's why I ask the Lawd up in Heaven above
I turn to a higher power for answers and guidance


What is this thing called love?
I am still trying to understand love and its complexities


You gave me days of sunshine
You brought happiness and light into my life


You gave me nights of cheer
You made me feel happy and joyful in the evenings


You made my life an enchanted dream
You made my life feel magical and otherworldly


'Til somebody else came near
Until someone else came into the picture and changed everything


Somebody else came near you
Another person caught your attention and affection


I felt the winter's chill
I felt heartbreak and sadness once love left my life


And now I sit and wonder night and day
I spend endless hours questioning what went wrong


Why I love you still
Despite the pain, my love for you remains




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@MARKMANIATT

Absolutely as good as it gets!What a groove.Swings like hell.Allan Reuss.......What can you say??
Fatool fantastic!

@mrjimmienoone2130

Great trumpet solo by Emmett Berry

@jonathanstout6618

I absolutely love the way the switch from "two feel" on the head kicks into gear for the next chorus in "four". That combo of Reuss (my hero), and Nick Fatool is so great. But everything about this track/lineup is great anyway.

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