You Don't Know What Love Is
Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You don't know what love is
Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've loved a love you've had to lose
You don't know what love is

You don't know how lips hurt
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost
Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost
You don't know what love is





Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ella Fitzgerald's song "You Don't Know What Love Is" talks about how one cannot fully understand what love is until they have experienced the pain and heartbreak that often comes with it. The song suggests that true love can only be appreciated after one has gone through the ups and downs of losing love. The first two lines state that the meaning of the blues, a style of music that originated from African American communities in the Deep South of the United States, must be understood in order to comprehend the depth of love. This suggests that one must have experienced the emotional turmoil and dark feelings that the blues often convey in order to understand the true nature of love.


The next two lines talk about the pain of losing a love that one had cherished. It describes how only those who have loved and lost can truly understand the definition of love. The following stanza talks about how one cannot comprehend the physical pain of love until they have had to pay the cost through kissing someone who does not reciprocate their love. The final line suggests that true love cannot be understood until it has been lost entirely and one has had their heart broken.


Line by Line Meaning

You don't know what love is
You cannot comprehend the depth and essence of love


Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
Only when you have experienced the sorrow and melancholy of the blues, will you understand love's true meaning


Until you've loved a love you've had to lose
Only when you have loved someone so deeply, whom you have eventually lost, will you truly know the magnitude of love's impact


You don't know how lips hurt
You are unaware of the emotional pain that affection from the lips can cause


Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost
Only when you have experienced the price of affection and suffered the consequences, will you comprehend the toll it can take on your heart


Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost
Only when you have taken the risk to love and lost, will you understand the depth of emotions involved in love


You don't know what love is
Overall meaning is repeated to emphasize the importance of experiencing love to truly understand it




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON RAYE, GENE DE PAUL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Simona Ferrara

You don't know what love is
Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've loved a love you had to loose
You don't know what love is

You don't know how lips hurt
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost
Until you've flipped you're heart and you have lost
You don't know what love is

Do you know how a lost heart fears
The thought of reminiscing
And how lips have taste of tears
Loose the taste for kissing

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
You don't know what love is

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
How could you know what love is, what love is
What love is



All comments from YouTube:

senabella gill

She weaves magic with her phrasing on this song. Her voice is liquid gold. Beautiful!

Sergio Gijon

This is perfection! So simple and sweet.

Joann Haynes

My vocal music teacher used to have me sing this song. Great memories!

corinto martins

Muito bom. 😊

ERL PRAMUDJIE

one of the most astonishing lady jazz singer

Jan Cipta

Yep!

Claudio Meneses

If you didn't know what love is, after hearing Ella you should at least have a pretty good idea. Thanks for posting such a lovely piece of music.

Simona Ferrara

You don't know what love is
Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've loved a love you had to loose
You don't know what love is

You don't know how lips hurt
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost
Until you've flipped you're heart and you have lost
You don't know what love is

Do you know how a lost heart fears
The thought of reminiscing
And how lips have taste of tears
Loose the taste for kissing

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
You don't know what love is

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
How could you know what love is, what love is
What love is

Marissa Dower-morgan

one of her best

Maggie Evans

She was the QUEEN

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