Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter (born June 20, 1978). Th… Read Full Bio ↴Dave Barnes is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter (born June 20, 1978). There are strong elements of soul and R&B in Dave's new material, indicative of the diverse influences exerted on him during his childhood in the deep south.

Here is some background information on Dave Barnes from the Mine To Love Songfacts: Barnes gained a lot of recognition after his song "God Gave Me You" became a hit single for Blake Shelton. Barnes' fifth album, Stories To Tell was his first release since his breakthrough. The album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer John Fields, marking the first time Barnes had recorded outside of his home town Nashville. It was released on March 13, 2012.

My Love My Enemy
Dave Barnes Lyrics

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What do you say we give it up now and just be done
Maybe we're afraid of all that we will and won't become
It's hard to believe the one closest to me can feel so far away

You're my pleasure, you're my pain
You're my sunshine, you're my rain
You're my darkest night lost at sea
You're my shadows, you're my night

You're the one that I need tonight
You are a stranger still to me
You're my lady, my life, my love, my enemy

Every day, we come together or come undone
Every time I pray, tell me again how far we've come
It's hard to believe the one closest to me can feel so far away (so far away)

(Chorus)

Woah, Woah
We're changin', it's painful
Woah, Woah
But it's something good
Woah, Woah
We're changin', it's painful, but it's good

(Chorus)

Woah, Woah
My love my enemy

My love my enemy
Woah, Woah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dave Barnes's song 'My Love My Enemy' seem to be about a conflicted and complicated relationship. The first few lines suggest that the singer and their partner may be considering ending their relationship, but are hesitating due to fear of the unknown - both the good and the bad things that might come after they part ways. The next few lines seem to be a description of the conflicting emotions that the singer feels towards their partner. They are both the source of their pleasure and pain, their sunshine and rain. However, despite being so close to each other, they still feel distant or like strangers to each other. The chorus repeats these paradoxical phrases, 'my lady, my life, my love, my enemy,' emphasizing that the relationship is full of contradictions.

The second verse continues with a similar theme - every day, the couple seems to oscillate between getting closer to each other and drifting apart. The singer prays for reassurance about their relationship and how far they've come, but still finds it hard to believe that someone so close to them can feel so far away. The last part of the song seems to suggest that despite the pain and confusion, the relationship is changing and evolving, possibly for the better. The final chorus repeats the paradoxical phrase 'my love my enemy,' but without the 'woah woah' refrain that follows each time it's mentioned, suggesting some kind of resolution or conclusion.

Line by Line Meaning

What do you say we give it up now and just be done
I suggest we give up on our relationship and just move on.

Maybe we're afraid of all that we will and won't become
Perhaps we fear what we may or may not develop into as individuals.

It's hard to believe the one closest to me can feel so far away
It's difficult to accept that the person closest to me feels distant from me.

You're my pleasure, you're my pain
You bring me joy, but you also cause me hurt.

You're my sunshine, you're my rain
You brighten my life, but you also have a negative impact on me.

You're my darkest night lost at sea
You are the cause of my worst moments, and I feel alone and uncertain when I'm with you.

You're my shadows, you're my night
You are the darkness that lingers over me, and I feel uneasy around you.

You're the one that I need tonight
Despite your flaws, I still want to be with you right now.

You are a stranger still to me
I feel like I still do not fully understand who you are.

You're my lady, my life, my love, my enemy
You are my partner, my reason for living, the one I love, but also the one who causes me the most pain and struggle.

Every day, we come together or come undone
Every day, we either strengthen our relationship or take steps back.

Every time I pray, tell me again how far we've come
Whenever I pray, please remind me of how much progress we've made.

Woah, Woah, We're changin', it's painful
We're both evolving, and it comes with discomfort.

But it's something good
Despite the pain, growth is still a positive thing for us.

Woah, Woah, My love my enemy
You are the one I love, but you also cause me distress.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: DAVE BARNES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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