You Can't Love 'Em All
Dean Martin Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello doll
Hello doll
Eight?
Date

Hello doll
Hello doll
Ten?
Amen

Hello doll
Hello doll
Twelve?
Twelve-fifteen

Bye bye
Hello doll

You can't love 'em all
You can't love 'em all

Love may be wonderful but the chances are small
You can't land each one that passes by
But you can try, you can try, you can try

You can't kiss 'em all
Oh, you can't kiss them all

The ones who have tried have found
That they're not quite that tall
They'll call you an optimistic dope
Oh, you can hope, you can hope, you can hope

They've been able to prove
There are mountains you can move
They've been able to show
There's a way to make rain and snow

But you simply can't love 'em all
No you can't love 'em all

'Cause one day that one gal will catch your eye
And you'll know why, you'll know why, you will know why
'Cause one day that one chick will make you sigh
And you'll know why, yeah, you'll know why
You'll know why you can't love 'em all





Hello doll

Overall Meaning

Dean Martin's song "You Can't Love 'Em All" is a playful and tongue-in-cheek commentary on the futility of trying to love every person who comes your way. The song opens with a series of rapid-fire introductions, as Martin greets a series of women with their respective ages ("Hello doll, eight? Date... hello doll, ten? Amen... hello doll, twelve? Twelve-fifteen... bye-bye, hello doll"). This sequence serves to illustrate the sheer volume of potential partners that we encounter in life, and the impossibility of pursuing them all.


In the chorus, Martin offers a wry observation that "love may be wonderful but the chances are small", suggesting that it's unlikely we'll find true love with every person we encounter. He acknowledges that many people have tried to love everyone and have failed, and notes that there are limits to what we can hope to achieve. The chorus concludes with Martin reiterating the song's central message: "you can't love 'em all".


While the overall tone of the song is lighthearted and humorous, it nonetheless touches on a universal truth: that we can't love or pursue every potential partner that comes our way, and that it's important to focus our energies on finding the right person for us.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello doll
Greeting and addressing the woman in question


Hello doll
Repeating the greeting


Eight?
Asking if the woman is free to go out on a date at eight o'clock


Date
Confirming that the previous statement was indeed an offer for a date


Hello doll
Repeating the greeting


Hello doll
Repeating the greeting


Ten?
Asking if the woman is free to go out on a date at ten o'clock


Amen
Expressing approval and agreement to the previous statement


Hello doll
Repeating the greeting


Hello doll
Repeating the greeting


Twelve?
Asking if the woman is free to go out on a date at twelve o'clock


Twelve-fifteen
Making slight modifications to the offer for the date


Bye bye
Saying goodbye and ending the conversation


Hello doll
Greeting and addressing the next potential date


You can't love 'em all
Acknowledging the fact that we cannot have love for everyone


You can't love 'em all
Repeating the previous statement for emphasis


Love may be wonderful but the chances are small
Explaining that love is great, but it is improbable that we will find love with everyone


You can't land each one that passes by
Stating that not every person we meet will be a potential lover


But you can try, you can try, you can try
Encouraging to try their luck, despite the odds


You can't kiss 'em all
Acknowledging that it is impossible to kiss everyone we meet


Oh, you can't kiss them all
Repeating the previous statement for emphasis


The ones who have tried have found
Referring to people who have attempted to kiss everyone they meet


That they're not quite that tall
Suggesting that their outcomes have been less than successful


They'll call you an optimistic dope
Referring to those people who have tried kissing everyone as naive and foolish


Oh, you can hope, you can hope, you can hope
Encouraging to keep trying, despite the criticism


They've been able to prove
Referring to people who have achieved great things in life


There are mountains you can move
Suggesting that there are things we can achieve if we put our mind to it


They've been able to show
Repeating the previous idea


There's a way to make rain and snow
Suggesting that there are many possibilities in life


But you simply can't love 'em all
Reiterating that love for everyone is not a possibility


No you can't love 'em all
Repeating the previous statement for emphasis


'Cause one day that one gal will catch your eye
Explaining that we will eventually find someone who we will love


And you'll know why, you'll know why, you will know why
Emphasizing that when we find that person, we will know why we can't love everyone


'Cause one day that one chick will make you sigh
Reiterating the previous idea that we will find a person who will make us fall in love


And you'll know why, yeah, you'll know why
Repeating the previous statement for emphasis


You'll know why you can't love 'em all
Explaining that we will realize why we cannot love everyone we meet




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMMY CAHN, JIMMY VAN HEUSEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Caruso

The best 🍀🍀🍀

‘Tainted Seas: My Sailor’s Story’

My sailor husband gave me my nickname, Doll, from this song. Very romantic story.

James Julian

Dino Latino

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